Injections

I’m booked tomorrow for flu and Covid injections at my doctor’s surgery. They usually want to stick one in each arm.
So dear fellow Strokies, please does anybody know from personal experience of any problems having a shot in their stroke affected arm? I mean problems with recovery, not just usual flu/covid jab side effects, I asked my OT this morning, she don’t know and suggests discussing it with my GP. My guess is that even if I could ask him he wouldn’t know either.

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Strings. I have been wondering that too. Hope someone here knows the answer

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@apple @Strings

hope this helps!!

K

:polar_bear: :wink:

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@KGB @Strings. I didn’t have the last booster as I got it in my mind that the booster before caused my stroke. Have discussed this with my GP who says he doesn’t think my stroke was caused by the Covid jab but he can’t say definitely. I have booked to have the latest jab in a couple of weeks but still feeling a bit unsure

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Hi @Strings,

This is a very good question and I’m sure you’re not the first and won’t be the last to ask it, we do have some information on our website that might help here: Information on coronavirus for stroke survivors | Stroke Association.

For ease though, here is the section on that page that might help:

Can I get the Covid booster and flu vaccines at the same time?

Yes, it’s fine to get the Covid booster and your flu vaccines at the same time.

These come as two separate vaccines and you might not get them both in the same arm. So, if you’ve got one-sided weakness or an atrophied muscle in one of your arms, you should speak to your GP about where to have your vaccines. They might suggest having them at different times, or having one of them in your leg, which some people prefer.

Hope that helps! :slightly_smiling_face:

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@CommunityAdmin thanks, yes that’s more or less what I’d decided to do. It’s almost impossible now to speak to a real doctor so I was going to ask for one in my unaffected arm and one in my leg. Usually the nurses are not allowed to make decisions unless there is a box to tick, so if not I was going to have the flu jab and rebook for covid. It’s a load of messing about but I don’t want recovery problems. So I thought I’d get a lot better advice asking here than in the surgery. I might be worrying for nothing.

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I feel exactly the same. Whilst the logical side of me knows that the booster didn’t cause the stroke, a small bit of me thinks that the timing is iffy. I’m getting bombarded with texts and NHS messages about having the booster I just can’t make my mind up. I’d like to chat with my GP about it but’s he’s like the Invisible Man these days.

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@clibbers1 Im lucky in that I can see my GP and he also said that if I got covid because of the stroke it could be more severe so basically it seems sensible to have the booster but theres still this niggle at the back of my mind! Quite honestly I dont think anyone really knows enough about Covid and jabs and GPs wont commit themselves in case they get it wrong! Im afraid its all a lottery

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@Apple Unfortunately that’s how the cookie crumbles. Hardly surprising as we now live in this Blame culture where nobody anywhere dare raise their head above the parapet in case it gets sued off.

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Ive had a shot in each arm and my affected side was fine. Both arms were sore for 24-36 hours. I didnt remove the dressing they applied after for 2 nights. I did take painkillers before and after my injections. I did rest and took care for the next 3-5 days. No problems to report. Its the first time ive had both shots on the same day.

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Hi @Strings
I’ve got mine today too so we can compare notes

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@GavT great idea:+1:

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I’m getting both of mine next Saturday and it’ll be one in each arm. But my stroke was 2 TIA’s and although I’ve still some weakness down my right side, it’s compared to many here. I’ve never had problems with the boosters yet, fingers crossed for next weekend :crossed_fingers:

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I had my flu jab in my affected arm today and so far no issues. It may depend how affected you are though. I’ve had a couple of jabs in my affected arm thinking about it.

Do what you feel is right for you.

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24 hours after both the flu and covid jabs and no side affects at all, just a slight bruised feeling.

Individual decision though, so do what is best for you :+1:

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@GavT Same here.
I told the nurse I was recovering from stroke and I didn’t want a jab in my affected arm. She said if I want I could have them both in my good right arm. So that’s what I did and now nearly 24hrs later no problem.
As GavT says it’s a personal choice.

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I had both jabs in my affected arm about a month ago. My arm/shoulder was stiffer than usual for a couple of days, but no other problems. I had Covid back in March. It only caused me problems for about 4 days (I’ve had worse colds) but I’m sure it would have been worse if I hadn’t had a booster.

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You’r lucky! our doctor don’t them, you have to go 10 miles miles to community centre. !

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Ohh you had little plasters on yours.
No such luxury here😂

No side accents at all for me!

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I had mine yesterday. Flu in my right stroke arm and covid in the other. The covid arm (left) feels like it’s been kick by a mule the flu is fine. But it’s on my medical records so the covid was automatically put in my left arm.

And no sooner than I was walking out of the surgery I was getting a weird taste in my mouth, still have a touch of it. But I don’t recall ever having that effect with just the flu jab…weird. And hopefully that’s the side effect I’ll be having; I’ll have forgotten all about it in a few days as the soreness recedes.

And no plasters for me either :frowning_face: :wink:

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