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Anyone else has a very painful arm after whooping cough jab??

19 replies

Nikki2ol6 · 21/09/2016 06:47

Ok please don't think I'm a whimp or anything I have 3 tattoos, I have given birth with no pain replief, and. A few weeks ago I had an amnio done. So I know about pain and I do have a high pain threshold. But ok my arm really hurts where I had the whooping cough needle. Very painful to move my arm, it kept waking me up when I lay on it. Is this normal?

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imip · 21/09/2016 06:55

Yes, I had this but with the swine flu vaccine when I was pregnant about six years ago. My whole upper arm was agony and I recall not being able to get changed because I couldn't move my arm! In a subsequent pregnancy I had the vaccine again. While it was tender, it was in no way as painful as the first jab.

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Cric · 21/09/2016 06:55

I had mine yesterday and the nurse warned me that sometimes happens. I had the flu in one side and whooping cough in the other side..... The whooping cough side hurts loads more than the flu. Yours sounds more painful but also can't lie on it and hurts if I move it in certain directions. But to reassure you, I think the nurse said to me about 3 times that it may feel like you described!

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Stellabystarlight · 21/09/2016 07:11

Yes it was far sorer afterwards than any other vacc I've had. For this reason I tell pregnant friends not to get it in left arm as I couldn't lie on that side for several days (and although I didn't manage it all the time I was attempting to lie on left as advised).

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Nikki2ol6 · 21/09/2016 07:18

I got mine in my right arm but she didn't really give me a choice lol she just said my toddler has whooping cough and I need this jab right now. I'm glad it is normal though x

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AyeAmarok · 21/09/2016 07:28

Yes, it lasted a few days.

Apparently it is the other stuff in it (tetanus I think) that causes the pain as it has to go into the muscle, or something like!

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OvariesBeforeBrovaries · 21/09/2016 07:34

It is a sore one, it passes in a few days.

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PippaRose · 21/09/2016 07:40

Happened to me too!

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vallinnapod · 21/09/2016 09:48

Yes, agony. Had it with my last pregnancy - where it ached for a couple of days but this time its swollen, hot and I can't lift my arm. It is the tetanus in the 5 in 1 that causes it. On the plus side it means you are very immune to tetanus :)

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podmax · 21/09/2016 09:57

Yes! A horrible ache. Can't remember how long it lasted.

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Becciilouisex3 · 21/09/2016 10:36

YES! Couldn't lift it for a couple of days! It does seem to leave after that though so just stick it out!

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AudreyBradshaw · 21/09/2016 11:34

YES! Both jabs yesterday, both arms sore as balls now! My dh stroked my arm in a gentle and loving manner last night and I nearly hit the roof it hurt so much! I couldn't sleep properly because every time I moved my arms really really ached!

Don't do flu jab and WC on the same day! I am also attractively flushed in the chops and a slight temperature, but I'm cold! I've never had a reaction to any jab before so this has really surprised me! Wasn't expecting any problems because they're both dead vaccines!

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MyBreadIsEggy · 21/09/2016 11:37

I had mine last week and had a sore, dull-ache in my arm for a few days afterwards.
The nurse said it's because the whooping cough vaccine doesn't come as a stand-alone injection, it comes mixed with polio, diphtheria and tetanus vaccines, and it's the tetanus one that makes the arm hurt apparently!

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CommaStop · 21/09/2016 23:25

How long ago did you have it and how high up did they administer it? I think the whooping cough vaccine is more painful but, and I imagine this is very rare, in my last pregnancy when I had it I developed tendonitis from it. Weeks later I had limited movement in my arm, went back to gp and she advised me to get physio (disclaimer: I didn't follow up on this). It did get better-ish but honestly that was over two years ago and I still can't sleep on that side without developing an ache in my shoulder. I started looking into it a bit more recently as pregnant again and worried about getting it again and found something called SIRVA (shoulder injury related to vaccine administration) which is basically where the person giving the injection has injected it too high up and caused bursitis of the shoulder. It's not specific to the whooping cough vaccine but can happen with any vaccine inadvertently admininstered too high up/in the wrong spot. It's a bit legal thing in the states at the moment. Personally I have no desire to sue anyone but am a bit sick of it at this stage and would like to find a solution so may go to physio now and hope it's not too late. Anyways this is long and rambling - my point is if it's very bad or doesn't go away consider looking this up and going to your gp to seek further treatment. Here's an article about it: www.wired.com/2015/09/cases-shoulder-injuries-vaccines-increasing/

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AudreyBradshaw · 22/09/2016 00:29

I've got a big sore red lump just below where the jab was too now. The nurse warned me that might happen. Ouch!

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secretgirl · 22/09/2016 20:50

I had it 3 weeks ago today. It was extremely sore for a good few days after & I am amazed that my arm is still bruised.

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isittimeforarainbow · 24/09/2016 21:10

Yes! It was agony, my whole arm was throbbing and it kept me up all night. I was a sobbing wreck by the morning. I couldn't lift my arm for days. After about a week it was ok again.
just horrible

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Chinnygirl · 24/09/2016 21:18

This can happen with any vaccination. Massage and moving your arm a lot (go swimming or play tennis if you can) will make the symptoms go away quicker.

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Mummy2B1983 · 13/04/2023 20:57

@Nikki2ol6 I had mine yesterday and can safely say I thought it felt the worst jab I've had when the nurse did it and then the pain in my arm this morning was awful! Worst vaccine I've had by far so can relate!

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Moni81 · 14/04/2023 12:27

Yep....had one recently and arm was painful for a week, maybe not as bad as COVID vaccine but it was annoying, kind of heavy feeling.

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