Hives and flu shot

[Craig901]

I was recently diognosed with hives. I had symtoms the following day after recieving a flu shot. Do you think the flu shot caused the hives?

[janelm2]

Hi, I am just recovering from hives that happened after the flu shot and I am not allergic to eggs!  Yes you should consult your doctor to get you off of the meds, have you ever tried drinking Yogi herbal no caffine tea of peppermint and/or skin detox teas.  Peppermint is good for calming the nerves which is part of the hives and I applied the skin detox to the areas of my arms affected with cold water in a bowl and put the skin detox tea bags in the water.  Let it stand for a few minutes, then take the soaked tea bag and just softly touch the areas with the soaked tea bag.  Only dry the unaffected areas and let the affected areas air dry.  I also went to the doctor and got hydroxyzine, ointment which did nothing except make me sleeply.  If you can't find the Yogi Tea at Albertsons or Target go online and you can buy it.  Good Luck!

[Louise11]

I had the flu shot in march 2011, 10 days later I was up in the emergency department with a bad case of the hives. It started just like you with itchy palms and feet. Also the scalp with be itchy as with lumps all over. My hives would start with a small red dot then turn into the size of dinner plates. He said I was having a bad reaction to something and asked if I have done something different. I knew I hadn't. I ended back up in the emergency with angiodema, again they said the same thing. I've been to numerous doctors, specialists, and nothing seems to stop them, I keep flaring up even with all the meds I've been put on. No medical expert will agree to the flu shot is the cause, but it didn't start until I had that. And I'm not allergic to eggs. Its been 9 months now. The best I got from a dermatologist was he wasn't a betting man but 99% is was the vaccine!

[SaintSinner_]

I Had flu shot in October 2010 developed Hives two weeks later with severe outbreak over whole body. Since then they gradually get less and less severe control with xyzal. Had another flu shoot October 2011 again week later got severe outbreak. Trying again to control with xyzal and cyproheptadine. I can't be certain but flu shot is number one suspect and it's sad medical community is in full denial probably because companies like Sanofi Aventis and other getting paid billions of dollars selling vaccines.

[akeogh]

I received the Flu mist on Thursday, September 15, 2011, with my 3 children while at the pediatrician for annual well visits for them. The kids have had no reaction to it. But two days later (Saturday night), I started with an itchy scalp (so much, that I worried I had lice). two days after that, I started having seriously itching palms. That, plus a few bouts of itching feet, lasted two weeks. I wondered if I was pregnant because the last time I had itching palms was during pregnancy. But no, I am not pregnant. The itching palms lasted two weeks, then I had a few days of relief and thought it had passed. But then, the hives began. I have gotten hives - on different parts of my body - since then (I think they started around September 30, and now it's October 23.) Sometimes my forearms flare up, sometimes they stretch across my abdomen, sometimes they are on my legs. My ears get inflammed, my skin turns red, I feel my face getting red. With Benadryl, it goes away, but as I write this now, I am in tears. I feel sure it is related to the Flu Mist, but I'm freaking out. It's not normal to have to daily self-medicate with benadryl!!!!!!  Do I have a bad immune system? I'm not allergic to anything except cat dander.

[AnnieLSC]

I can certainly understand what all of you are going through. I am 46 and have had hives for 6 MONTHS NOW! I am ready to lose my mind.  I am told that it is either idiopathic urticaria or an allergy to sulfites. It is just so hard for me to comprehend. I have never been allergic to anything in my life! To develop an allergy now, is somewhat unbelievable, although not impossible, according to the research I have done on sulfite allergies. I also have been getting the flu shot for the past 4 or 5 years now. I thought I was protecting myself from the flu but I have been contemplating getting the flu shot this year. I got the shot in probably early October of 2010 and didn't develop the hives until April of 2011. I am scared of the flu shot making the hives worse. At this point, I don't want to put anything else in my body. I am currently on allegra and zantac when I first wake up, 2 doxepins mid-morning, two zyrtecs and another zantac after dinner and yet another 2 doxepin at bedtime. The hives are still breaking through despite all of this medicine. Frequently, I wake up with a swollen eye, or a fat lip. I am scared to death and sleep with an epi-pen on my night table. I pray and hope that maybe one day for me, they will just disappear. The thought of living the rest of my life with no sulfites means I cannot drink anything else but water!!!! I can live without canned foods, but it can be in foods that do not list sulfites in the ingredients because it has to be over a certain amount. WTF??? Who says Cod Oil helps, who says vitamin B, who says acupuncture. I want to try it all! I think I have let off enough steam for now. Wish all of you luck!

[jenatini]

Also, I'm not allergic to eggs or chicken and eat both on a daily basis.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/b/excipient-table-2.pdf

This link is to the CDC for the 2010 vaccine ingredients if this helps.