Dear Body, WTF?

[lydy]

I got my flu shot yesterday. As always, it hurt, because needles. Ok, then. But it continued to hurt. And then hurt some more. So, I looked at it in the mirror. I have a red spot fully four inches in diameter. It's bigger than a baseball, dammit. And it's incredibly sensitive to any pressure.

I've never had this reaction to a shot before. Fascinating. There aren't any symptoms that worry me. No shortness of breath, red lines, or things like that. I did have some joint and muscle pain earlier today, but that's mostly gone, and is pretty typical with getting a flu shot for me.

So, really, WTF?

Comments

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

It sounds like you are developing an allergic reaction to the flu shot. If I were you I would call the doctor (or maybe a nurse line if you didn't get the shot at a doctor's office) and see what they say. Your symptoms don't sound life-threatening, but if you are starting to develop an allergy to this thing you might be advised not to get flu shots in the future. Allergies usually get worse with continued exposures.

Or it might be something unrelated, like a broken blood vessel under the skin at the injection site (?)

ETA: It turns out that "injection site hematoma" is a thing. That might be what it is. Mostly this occurs in people with some kind of bleeding disorder or people taking blood thinners. Were you taking aspirin, by any chance? I don't think the hematoma itself is dangerous unless it points to some underlying problem. Again, probably wise to check with doctor. If it's a hematoma it's probably a fluke and shouldn't stop you from getting flu shots in the future, but if it's an allergy you probably should stop getting them.

[lydy.livejournal.com]

I was planning to ask someone today, but evidently there wasn't clinic today, so no nurses or doctors.

So, the thing I don't understand is what about all those allergy shots they gave me as a child. As I understood it, they were giving me exposure to the things I was allergic to so that I would build up a resistance. Also, I know that one can become accustomed to a cat or dog over time, and develop a limited immunity to that particular animal against your allergic reaction. And yet, I am also often told that exposure to an allergen makes the allergy worse over time. So, um, confused now.

I have no idea how to tell the difference between a hematoma and an allergic reaction, and I am surely not going in to the doctor just for this, so I guess we'll just have to see if it happens again next year.

in the mean time, the sucker has stopped being entirely round and has taken on a somewhat more chevron sort of shape.

Weird bodies are weird.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

I'm a little confused about the allergy thing too. Does seem to be contradictory information. It may depend on the amount of exposure, or it may depend on the allergen. Bee sting allergies definitely get worse each time. So does poison ivy. Some pet allergies get better over time, but some get worse with more exposure. But I think that allergic responses to medication tend to get worse with each exposure.

After a little more googling I think what you have is an injection site hematoma. The recommended treatment seems to be cold compresses. If it really is blood under the skin, it will probably turn purple like a bruise before gradually disappearing. If that happens, you'll know it wasn't an allergy. And if you don't have any other symptoms of excessive bleeding, it's probably a one-off occurrence. But you might want to avoid aspirin around the time you get next year's shot.

[soon_lee]

Allergies are complicated.

I underwent immunotherapy treatment to try to rid myself of a wasp allergy. It involved getting injected with minute doses of wasp venom, eventually increased over time until I was getting the equivalent of two stings' worth. This was done in an environment where if I developed a severe reaction, they could treat me.

Initially, the smallest dose caused the injection point to swell up like a golf ball, but by the end, two stings' worth caused a barely discernible response. So dosage makes a difference.

With the flu-shot swelling, I would keep an eye on it & if it develops into anaphylaxis get emergency treatment. Otherwise, it should subside over time. Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional.

[sraun]

My understanding is that allergy de-sensitization shots start a dose that is low enough to not trigger a reaction, and then slowly increase over time.

If you get hit with an amount that actually triggers a reaction, then the next reaction may be worse.