Brachial Plexitis following tetanus shot? Please HELP!

[admin]

Beth,

Did you get my reply? I didn't see it posted to the site.

Christie

[admin]

Hi,

Boy, this site is a God-send, because I thought I was the "only one" having these weird symptoms. I, too, had a tetanus booster (td) on April 18th, 2003. I had the "severe, deep aching pain" in my right arm a few hours after the shot. I wasn't "babying" the arm after the shot. I was using it and all, but the pain got so bad that I couldn't even sleep, so I went into prompt care. I was given some pain meds. The deep, aching pain lasted three days. My arm swelled all the way down to my elbow. I was also feverish, weak (thought I was going to faint a couple of times), and nauseated. I felt like I had the flu.

A week later, I'm much better. The flu symptoms are gone. The arm is no longer giving me deep aching pain. I can sleep at night. BUT, now I have pain up in my shoulder on that arm. It hurts to even have my bra strap resting on it! I'm having to carry my purse on my other arm. The arm is also slightly numb...even going down into my fingers. It's also tender around my elbow. It also hurts to raise my arm. I feel the pain up in my shoulder.

Now so far, I don't have the pain around my collar bone that I've been reading some of you have.

I'm going to follow up with my family doctor, so they get this reaction to the tetanus shot in my medical record.

I'll post a follow-up letting you know if the arm gets better or worse.

Lori

[admin]

Hi,

Boy, this site is a God-send, because I thought I was the "only one" having these weird symptoms. I, too, had a tetanus booster (td) on April 18th, 2003. I had the "severe, deep aching pain" in my right arm a few hours after the shot. I wasn't "babying" the arm after the shot. I was using it and all, but the pain got so bad that I couldn't even sleep, so I went into prompt care. I was given some pain meds. The deep, aching pain lasted three days. My arm swelled all the way down to my elbow. I was also feverish, weak (thought I was going to faint a couple of times), and nauseated. I felt like I had the flu.

A week later, I'm much better. The flu symptoms are gone. The arm is no longer giving me deep aching pain. I can sleep at night. BUT, now I have pain up in my shoulder on that arm. It hurts to even have my bra strap resting on it! I'm having to carry my purse on my other arm. The arm is also slightly numb...even going down into my fingers. It's also tender around my elbow. It also hurts to raise my arm. I feel the pain up in my shoulder.

Now so far, I don't have the pain around my collar bone or breast bone that I've been reading some of you have. Mine is concentrated in my right arm and shoulder.

I'm going to follow up with my family doctor, so they get my reaction to the tetanus shot in my medical record. I'll be bringing the postings from this group to validate what I'm feeling!

I'll post a follow-up letting you know if the arm gets better or worse.

Lori

[jerrinjason@yahoo.com]

Wow this is a scary thing. I hope you can figure this out quickly.

[admin]

Hi back,

I just wanted to let you know that two weeks later, my arm and shoulder are back to normal. I'm certainly going to think twice about getting another tetanus booster. Thank goodness I have 10 years, and hopefully I don't get cut before then!

I hope the rest of you are feeling better.

[admin]

Hi back,

I just wanted to let you know that two weeks later, my arm and shoulder are back to normal. I'm certainly going to think twice about getting another tetanus booster. Thank goodness I have 10 years, and hopefully I don't get cut before then!

I hope the rest of you are feeling better.

Lori

[admin]

I got a tetanus shot a week ago and each day the swelling and soreness has gotten worse. It aches deep inside. I plan on calling the doctor tomorrow and telling him what's going on. I can't believe so many are having problems. This is too scary! I'll let you know what happens.

[admin]

Hi, Sorry I haven't been checking in lately. I am still doing testing, going to PT, numerous Dr. appts.
Saw a neurologist in Chicago last week, he is a peripheral nerve expert, Dr. John Ratliff, think he does a lot of TBPI surgeries. Anyway, he says all the pain, numbness/tingling and cold hand are still due to the effects of the neuritis and could last 3-6 months or more longer. Have also discovered I have severe osteoporosis, and thoracic scoliosis, probably due to
compression fractures. Now I am small-framed, white, female and a smoker, but as I am only 41 and not menopausal, this was a big shock!! Kicker is the ortho tried to tell me I had scoliosis from childhood, always leaned to the right and just never noticed it! If I hadn't told my GP I wanted a bone density test, we would never have found the osteo until I broke something! So stay with your gut impulses, Dr's are fallible too!

I also have a trap injury which, along with the neuritis, has caused my rt shoulder to drop considerably. Dr Ratliff said the asymmetry I have is worse than if the Spinal accessory nerve was severed due to surgery. Some may be from my leaning due to the scoliosis, which became more apparant after the neuritis weakend nearby muscles that were compensating for the lean. I still think there is compression at the BP, the armpit, possibly both, as I still have lots of discomfort there. The hand coldness has progressed from just last 2 fingers to whole hand, this began 2 months after onset of neuritis, and the neuritis peaks at or soon after onset, for symptoms to progress 2 months later I think indicates nerve compression due to the dropped shoulder. According to PT my scapula is winging mildly, the scap is rotated and depressed. Anyway, have shoulder blade and back discomfort as well as continued shoulder, elbow and hand pain. Am to have more EMG testing, first one they only tested the trapezius muscle in the shoulder girdle, and a few arm muscles, am to get entire arm, shoulder-girdle and neck tested. Not looking forward to the procedure, but WAY anxious to finally get better idea of damage.

It has now been 3 1/2 months since tetanus booster, and am having to accept this is not going away soon. May resign from my teaching position at least for fall semester, it has been a real strain to finish this year,even though I work part-time, 4 mornings a week. I teach 2-3 yr-olds, and they require lots of energy and a cheerful outlook, which are in short supply. Plus I don't need to be lifting any weight right now, even a child, am really apprehensive I will cause further damage to my back and shoulder.

School is finished tomorrow, then I am going to relax and figure out what is next. I will likely look into compensation from the Vaccine Injury fund, but think it will be a long and dirty battle, my Dr's still don't mention the tetanus booster as the aggravating incident.

Am doing very little of the PT exercises at home as they tend to flare the shoulder and make the neck muscles so tight I cannot turn head in any direction more than a little. If there is nerve impingement, the strengthening exercises with Therabands are the wrong thing for me to do, don't want to get worse!

Feel free to email me, addy is bjones@npoint.net, it helps to talk to others who are going through the same thing!Take care,

Beth

[admin]

If you haven't run across it already, folks might be interested in this article (by a physician) quoted from The International Vaccination Newsletter (September 1996):

http://users.pandora.be/vaccine.damage. ... on/tetanE1

It's a review of the medical literature on reactions to tetanus shots. His conclusion:
"The overwhelming amount of literature on tetanus toxoid vaccine adverse side-effects and the severity of those complications make it absolutely impossible to ridicule them as rare and benign. Doing so could only demonstrate a profound lack of knowledge of the literature concerned...."