flu jab

[Patw]

hi all how did people feel after flu jab. i have felt awful arm is killing but i even started bleeding from my feeding tube insertion. not sure if it had anything to do with it but it has not done anything like that in the year i have had it. probably nothing to do with it but I'm bit nervous

[denise]

I was ok after covid jab but flu jab had me shivering and my neck ached.

That doesn't sound right. I'd get that looked at if you are worried. Or phone up and ask for advice. Stephen never had bleeding even after original fitting and refit.🤔

[Patw]

I have rang the clinic they are not worried. but it still worries me just bizarre as I like Stephen had no problems with it

[denise]

Just keep it clean and try not to focus on it. If it doesn't clear up then phone back. I cant think what it could be. Usually there is like a dark discharge but I'm sure this is normal.

Elie should be here soon she might have a better idea.

[Patw]

thanks. yes Ellie will know she is a saint x

[denise]

i wouldnt go that far!!!

[Ellie]

i have felt awful arm is killing but i even started bleeding from my feeding tube insertion. not sure if it had anything to do with it

First off I need to say that I am not in anyway medically trained, am in no way a substitute for a doctor's or nurse's opinion, so I'm relieved to hear that you contacted your clinic and have been assured you that you have nothing to worry about Patw

When did you get the jab?

Is there much blood coming from your tube site, is it fresh/red blood, is the site painful?

If you don't recall the tube getting a bit of a tug, getting tangled in a T-shirt etc. and there is unexplained pain, bleeding or discharge, it's always advisable to contact your nurse/GP.

I got both the flu and Covid jabs together and had no side effects but a friend of mine who got the flu jab was vomiting for 2 days and felt so poorly that she stayed in bed - it's the luck of the draw. xx

[Christopher]

Patw

I am also wondering if you might be having a reaction to the plastics in the feeding tube itself? Having the flu jab would obviously raise your bodies sensitivity for a period and plastics do have constituents in them which migrate out. So for example to make a plastic flexible you put plasticiser in it (then you get the shore hardness of tubing you require). If a tube feels sticky or like there is a fine lubricant on it then it means that the plasticiser is not stable within the plastic (its nasty stuff).
When buying things for the children when they were young I would pick them up (the items, not the children). Then I would rub my thumb and finger together, if I had the feeling of smoothness between thumb and finger I would not buy the item as the plasticiser was not stable.

Just keep an eye out for sensitivity to the plastics.

[Ellie]

Having the flu jab would obviously raise your bodies sensitivity for a period and plastics do have constituents in them which migrate out.

I am intrigued. By what mechanism could having the flu jab result in plastics breaking down and/or leaching?

[Christopher]

Ellie

Sorry if I caused the wrong dots to be connected.

What I meant to say was, lets say you have a vaccination for something, in this case flu. This can cause a rise in your CRP (an inflammatory marker).

In most people it is below ten. If you go into hospital it is usually one of the tests they do. If for example you have cancer it can be raised to about twenty. So it shows your body is fighting something. I for example 18 months ago had a CRP of 280 (they had no idea what was causing it)

So your body is now more fragile for a little while as you have had the flu vaccine.

Plastics are constantly breaking down, when you make them you have to be careful how much plasticiser you are putting in. Too much and it is too sticky, too little and it is too brittle.

When you see the expiry date on a plastic medical product (lets say it's three years), you will test that aging process in two ways. You do oven testing which will try to simulate the ageing of the product over three years. You also put product on the shelf for three years and then test it again after that real time aging period.

If product is exposed to light and warmth then the aging process will be accelerated. Similarly certain solvents and wipes will break down the plastic.

Alcohol wipes for example should be kept away from most medical grade plastics.

Just the vapour from the bonding material used in medical products can crack polycarbonate.

What I was suggesting was inflammatory response caused by the flu jab (raised CRP), might have combined with some of the nastier effects of contact with plastics to give the reaction.

In one of the facilities that I worked there was a policy to wear crocks inside. My colleague on the first day got blood blisters on her feet through her socks. If she drinks from a plastic bottle she will get blisters on her lips.

In the home it tends to be the soft plastics that you find get tacky with the plasticiser. So for example for me recently I found some of my crutch handles had become sticky. This then caused blistering of my hands.

Just wondered if it could be a combination causing an issue.

Just theorising aloud.

[Ellie]

Having the flu jab would obviously raise your bodies sensitivity for a period and plastics do have constituents in them which migrate out.

On a forum where many of its members have life-saving feeding tubes and have life-saving vaccines, it's judicious not to scare the pants off people with statements like that 😋😉

[Christopher]

On a forum where many of its members have life-saving feeding tubes and have life-saving vaccines, it's judicious not to scare the pants off people with statements like that 😋😉

Have my next COVID jab next week on the same day as Speech therapy

They are trying to change the formulations of many plastics as the regulations are getting much stricter now than they used to be. I hate to say it, but the American FDA validation system for new medical devices is a lot stricter than the European system. Though we are in a a state of turmoil at the moment with all the regulation changes.

But yes, if you feel a sticky tube. Tell someone.

These regulation changes mean that a lot of medical devices that available now might not be in the next year or so.

I know one large medical company that is stopping producing 75 percent of its products due to regulatory changes.

The government are starting to realise the issues that have been created.

So for example because of Brexit we were no longer going to recognise the CE mark (that you will see on the side of medical products). This was being replaced by UKCA. On Friday the MHRA announced it was delaying the implementation of the new rules until July 2024.

Medical companies are also having to contend with the transition from MDD to MDR.

Enough of that. We all know that plastics are not the best thing around.

Right.

Time for more chocolate.

Then dream of the food delivery coming tomorrow with lots of extra chocolate.

[Patw]

thanks all. it hasn't bled since so hopefully it was not anything bad still struggling with arm ache and headache but getting a little better x

[Christopher]

Patw

Sorry I went on a bit.

Hope things will ease soon.

Every day brings its new challenges doesn't it.

Just had oil delivery, so I know the house can be kept warm.

Now waiting for food delivery and my youngest son coming home hopefully to put it away.

Though I might put the Magnums in the freezer (oh that needs to go on the dessert page).

Big Hugs xx

[Ellie]

Patw Don't scrimp on the painkillers, Pat.

Sending you 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗