Community› The Bump Message Boards› High-Risk Pregnancy
High-Risk Pregnancy
New Discussion

Flu shots and blood clots

kgaunttkgauntt member
in High-Risk Pregnancy
Has anyone had a flu shot this year while having blood clots in their system? My OB doctor and vascular doctor have conflicting opinions about this. My OB wants me to get one, but my vascular doctor says all vaccinations like that increase your chance of more clotting. I've never had a flu shot in my life and rarely get sick anyways so I'm probably just going to say no regardless but I was just wondering if anyone else has gotten one? I haven't talked to my high risk OB yet. I know that it's a dead virus they shoot in you but there are so many people who still gets sick. Just makes me nervous.
Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker BabyFruit Ticker image
Report Reply to Post

Re: Flu shots and blood clots

  • UsafWifey09UsafWifey09 member
    I haven't but IMO I wouldn't do it. Just because your OB isn't a vascular specialist. Yes your immune system is weaker when pregnant but the flu shot only protects you against the top 3 strains of flu from the year BEFORE. There are thousands of different influenzas. Just something to think about. I am not getting it. I got it once and I felt the sickets I did in my life that year, when I never had issues with the flu any other year.
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • DavezWifeDavezWife member

    my husband is a PharmD, and says there's nothing pharmacologically in a vax that would make you prone to clots. Says the idea of it is "silly" actually.

    Of course, it's just someone else's opinion, like your "vascular doc." so grain of salt with either, I guess.

    I'm scared to DEATH to get the flu shot, just in general. I'm just do nervous about this pregnancy to begin with, it's just one more thing I wish I could skip. However, when I brought it up on my (home board) and with all my docs, they all PUSHED me strongly to get it, citing pregnant women cannot get the flu. It's not just being in bed for a few days, it's SUPER scary for the pregnancy. I'm stalling, but now that I have two friends (one in the midwest and one east coast) that have gotten the "real" influenza already, I'm getting mine next week.  If the flu is showing up early Nov, it's going to be a LONG season. I'm actually ok with this year's vax, it's the same as last year, which in my mind, means less issues and more applicable. To each their own, but I'd do your homework on it.

    Join us - Commit Random Acts of Kindness, and say "I did it for Cricket" Cricket's Cadence
    Report Reply
  • DavezWifeDavezWife member
    imageRedheadBaker:

    To the second responder -- why are you so nervous about getting the flu shot?? I got mine three weeks ago. My arm was sore at the injection site for two days, and that was it. I'd be MUCH more nervous about actually contracting the flu.  

    This is my 13th pregnancy. (I have one daughter). EVERYTHING makes me nervous, lol.  I'm pro-vax, I'm just very very nervous about everything in general.

    Join us - Commit Random Acts of Kindness, and say "I did it for Cricket" Cricket's Cadence
    Report Reply
  • bananna40bananna40

    I got the flu shot at the beginning of October (My husband and 5 year old son got it too).  My husband and son have not been sick since.  

    However, the same cannot be said for me.  I have gotten the flu (or horrible flu-like colds) twice already.  The first one happened in the middle of October and was accompanied by terrible aches and pains.  Then the Stomach flu hit me during the beginning of November (it was so awful that I couldn't function for two days and lost 5 lbs. in one night).  

    I don't blame the flu shot as I know that it is a dead virus so I know I didn't contract the flu from the shot.  However, being a pregnant 1st grade teacher, I am exposed to EVERYTHING and my immune system is really attacked when school begins every year.  I think the shot may have contributed to my body not being able to fight off any more illnesses.  It does seem that every year that I get the flu shot I get really terrible colds (coincidence?).  But when I don't get the flu shot I don't seem to get as ill.  Maybe it's just me, but once both my kids are beyond the toddler stage, I am not personally getting the shot anymore!  

    Report Reply
  • karleegirlkarleegirl member
    I'm just lurking through. But I'm an RN in a hematologist/oncologist office. We recomend all our patients who can make the immunity get the flu shot. This included the many patients we treat for blood clotting disorders. We have not seen any interactions.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
    Report Reply
  • DavezWifeDavezWife member

    and just to clarify... the term "the flu" is used in many different ways. but the vax is for INFLUENZA...

    here's some great info from the CDC website:

    https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/symptoms.htm

    .

     

    Join us - Commit Random Acts of Kindness, and say "I did it for Cricket" Cricket's Cadence
    Report Reply
  • Imanurse03Imanurse03 member
    I am on lovenox during pg for several clotting issues and I was told to get a flu shot. In working as an RN, I have never ever heard of the flu shot or any vaccine increasing your chance of getting clots. We vaccinated pts with active DVTs or PEs in the hospital all the time before discharge during flu season.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
    Report Reply
  • UsafWifey09UsafWifey09 member
    imageRedheadBaker:

    imageUsafWifey09:
    I haven't but IMO I wouldn't do it. Just because your OB isn't a vascular specialist. Yes your immune system is weaker when pregnant but the flu shot only protects you against the top 3 strains of flu from the year BEFORE. There are thousands of different influenzas. Just something to think about. I am not getting it. I got it once and I felt the sickets I did in my life that year, when I never had issues with the flu any other year.

    That is not true. Epidemiologists travel to Asia, where the flu originates, before the viruses spread to our area. They study the strains that are most prevalent, and those are the strains that go into the current year's vaccine.

    Page EPPHD on the P&CE board if you'd like to learn more -- she's married to an immunologist.  

    To the second responder -- why are you so nervous about getting the flu shot?? I got mine three weeks ago. My arm was sore at the injection site for two days, and that was it. I'd be MUCH more nervous about actually contracting the flu.  

     

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_vaccine

     

    https://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/vaccination/virusqa.htm

    There you go, i'm not taking information randomly out of my A

    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"