Pandering to my hypochondria.......

This weekend has been pretty much wiped out.

Thank goodness we had cleared our social calendar otherwise we would have been cancelling events left, right and centre.

I felt absolutely dreadful all day yesterday, and the limit of my endeavours was to lie, Camille-like on the sofa, swathed in fleecy blankets, dozing fitfully while watching wall-to-wall Film 4 all afternoon.

This morning I feel marginally more human, but I have no energy whatsoever and my arms and legs feel as if they're made from boiled spaghetti. So another restful day is in order.

Rampant hypochondria aside, I was really quite worried yesterday, as I've never had such a bad reaction to any seasonal flu jab before, and I (wrongly) assumed that the swine flu vaccination would have no substantial ill effect other than a sore arm for a few days.

HA!!

I checked out the vaccination website, and discovered that each person who has the vaccine, should be given a leaflet to read BEFORE the shot. And I'm not talking about the useless NHS leaflet which extols the virtues of the vaccine but says not a word about the possible side effects.

Anyway, the official Pandemrix vaccine leaflet cites the following potential side effects:

The frequency of possible side effects listed below is defined using the following convention: Very common (affects more than 1 user in 10) Common (affects 1 to 10 users in 100) Uncommon (affects 1 to 10 users in 1,000) Rare (affects 1 to 10 users in 10,000) Very rare (affects less than 1 user in 10,000) The side effects listed below have occurred with Pandemrix in clinical studies in adults, including the elderly and in children aged from 3-9 years:
Very common:

• Headache
• Tiredness
• Pain, redness, swelling or a hard lump at the injection site
• Fever
• Aching muscles, joint pain

I had all of the above

Common:

• Warmth, itching or bruising at the injection site
• Increased sweating, shivering, flu-like symptoms
• Swollen glands in the neck, armpit or groin

I had all of the above.

Uncommon:

• Tingling or numbness of the hands or feet
• Sleepiness
• Dizziness
• Diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pain, feeling sick
• Itching, rash
• Generally feeling unwell
• Sleeplessness

I had 1,2,3 and 6. Although tingling and dizziness I experience frequently due to MS so those could have been due to an exacerbation of my normal MS symptoms rather than the flu vaccine.

The leaflet continues....

These side effects usually disappear within 1-2 days without treatment. If they persist, CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR.
The side effects listed below have occurred in the days or weeks after vaccination with vaccines given routinely every year to prevent flu. These side effects may occur with Pandemrix.

Uncommon

• Generalised skin reactions including urticaria (hives)

I don't have that one, although my arm is extremely painful and has developed a hard area around the vaccination site.

The keep the best till last, and it is 'comforting' to know that these can occur up to a few weeks following vaccination.

Rare

• Allergic reactions leading to a dangerous decrease of blood pressure, which, if untreated, may lead to shock. Doctors are aware of this possibility and have emergency treatment available for use in such cases.
• Fits
• Severe stabbing or throbbing pain along one or more nerves
• Low blood platelet count which can result in bleeding or bruising

Hmmm. I have no. 3 on a regular basis too, again MS-related, so the jury's out on that one. However they keep the best till last.

Very rare

• Vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels which can cause skin rashes, joint pain and kidney problems)
• Neurological disorders such as encephalomyelitis (inflammation of the central nervous system), neuritis (inflammation of nerves) and a type of paralysis known a Guillain-Barré Syndrome

If any of these side effects occur, please tell your doctor or nurse immediately. If any of the side effects gets serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor.

So, quite an extensive list of possible side effects, a mere 13 of which I have experienced over the past 48 hours. Let's hope it stops at that and another 'duvet day' today will see the rest of the symptoms off.

I'm off now to reclaim my spot on the sofa from Small Dog. I shall make a cosy nest and continue my convalescence with the aid of the TV remote and my laptop.

PP is preparing a restorative home-made soup for lunch.

I might even finish off my Christmas shopping online.