United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hi everyone.....Sarah just received some of her needed immunizations before she starts college in the fall. She said she could barely feel the shots in her BPI arm but definitely felt them in her good arm. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced the same thing.

Hi

I am right obpi and I am 62...

I never had a shot in the right arm. I was told as a child not to. The poor circulation and also the veins are smaller that nourish the muscles... I am not a doctor but I think mine was a person ahead of his time. No blood pressure either.... ever! Besides the blood pressure would be different on the bpi side. Since circulation is poor. My arm is always cold and when I want to warm it up in some spots I can feel heat and on others spots I don't feel it at all. My arm is super sensitive to cold.

Read the adult/obpi board the message on Sensations... many of us report the same thing.

I have feeling on some parts of my arm but not on others.
I hope this helps
Kath

EEK!! We were told to never allow immunizations in the injured arm because of the difference in blood flow and circulation.
I never allow them in my son's uninjured arm either because some shots like Tetnus can cause a lot of pain and swelling. I don't want him to have no use of his arms even for a day!!!
I always ask them to give it to him in the leg. A few nurses have given me a hard time and I just tell them fine then we won't be getting him immunized and they say hold on let me talk to the doctor and the doctor always says of course you can put it in the leg! They just aren't used to doing it that way...I say too bad. They had better get educated fast!! You'd think people in the medical profession would know better!
T.

Tessie

They have known since I was a child not to give shots in the arm..... Yet! I have to argue with doctors all the time... No blood tests... No IV.... No blood pressure.

Thanks to my stubborn nature... the last time I had surgery (not for bpi - I never had surgery) they put big red tag on my arm and also warning notes on my chart... and I had to explain why....

Yet as a small child ( remember I am 62) the doctor always told me - NO SHOTS in that ARM!.... boy was he smart...

Read this on Adult/obpi board about feelings in our arms...

http://ubpn.org/messageboard/thread ... thread=840

Kath

Thanks for all the info. I never thought about circulation, etc. We were never told much about Erb's when Sarah was a child. Because she could move her arm it was always "she's ok" and never was anything mentioned about not getting immunizations in that arm.
She just left for school and thankfully says her arms feel good (especially her bpi one). I was certainly worried last night. Sarah told the nurse who gave the shots about her arm and expected to have to explain, as we usually do, what Erb's palsy is BUT this nurse kind of knew. Her 2-1/2 yr. old stepdaughter has it. The nurse said she believes it is Erb's and they are going to Boston soon for evaluation. She had lots of questions for Sarah and said this little girl has a lot of trouble moving her arm but they hold hope she will be ok.

Thanks again for all the info. I wish I had asked my question before Sarah got the shots but I never thought.