Should I Get a Flu Shot?

Since having tinnitus, I am very afraid of becoming sick, especially with the flu, as it is well known that viruses can potentially permanently worsen tinnitus.

I am rarely sick with the flu, but when I do get the flu I get VERY sick. Last time was 6 years ago, and I was so sick I wanted to jump out the window, it lasted for 3 weeks, and I lost about nearly 20 pounds because I couldn't eat anything.

I'm scared of the thought of having such a severe flu with tinnitus, so I have been thinking about getting a flu shot? Can you recommend it? If not, are there any supplement which boosts the immune system and keeps viruses/bacteria at bay? I already eat fairly healthy.

 

I say get the shot. Just like you I got sick a while back and couldn't even move enough to get out of bed. I won't do that ever again. It might spike your Tinnitus for a few days, but eventually it will go back down.

 

Some people have reported that their T became permanently worse, sadly. Tinker Bell on this forum has T from a virus.

As of now I have become very dependent on hand sanitizer and always carry some with me when I am on the go. I use it several times a day to keep those germs away

 

No do not disturb your body. I never get the flu shot, due to never get a cold, but i do have severe allergies. And I take stuff for that. I would just take care of yourself.

 

But with respect, doesn't allergy medicine disturb the body also?

I get a cold usually once a year, and it is often fairly mild. I actually had a cold just a few weeks after T onset

 

Take the shot! If you get the flu, you are at risk for pneumonia and that is bad! Flu shots don't make tinnitus worse!

 

My husband and I both have tinnitus and we got a flu shot last year and will get one this year as well. It had absolutely no affect on the tinnitus.

 

We're all susceptible to getting flu, no matter how healthy we are, how well we eat, or how many supplements we take. I got the flu shot 2.5 weeks ago and it had no effect at all on my tinnitus.

 

I am on singular montelukast 10mg for years and it helps me so much and does not bother tinnitus and I also take when needed Tylenol for severe sinus problems and my head and body feel great. No side effects. I've never taken a flu shot and I'm 52. I also never get the flu and I drink orange juice with water a lot. It's a tough choice.

 

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/am-i-okay-to-get-the-flu-jab.24120/

Your odds of catching the flu and having it make your tinnitus worse are greater than the odds of the flu shot making your tinnitus worse. Have you had one before with no reactions? I'd go ahead and get it.

 

No, I have not received a flu shot before.

Looks like people are in favour of getting the shot, so I think I will go ahead and get it.

Can you experience any temporary symptoms from the shot?

 

Soreness at the injection site is very common.

 

I had an HPV vaccine a couple years ago, 3 shots all together, and soreness at the injection site was very common with this vaccine, but I had no soreness or other symptoms, so maybe I will be as lucky with the flu shot.

 

@TheDanishGirl I went to all the drug interaction reporting sites and the flu vaccine is very safe. Only 0.08 with reported T or increase of T.

 

To add: Most government reporting sites worldwide have a two week window. So who's to say that a person didn't receive T or an increase from something else during that time. It could be only one in a million or one in ten million or none at all.

There's even reports of toothpaste or anything being reported as causing T. With T medical reporting from anything, there is a disclaimer.

 

I have had flu since having tinnitus and it made no permanent change to my tinnitus.
There are folk who state that the flu vaccine itself gave them hearing loss.
I guess there is a risk either way.

https://forums.webmd.com/3/cold-and-flu-exchange/forum/3991/1

http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/can-swine-flu-shots-cause-sudden-hearing-loss/

 

There's many PubMed articles with hearing loss - flu shot
It's very rare, but possible

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27026733

 

Had my flu jab last week, no problems.

 

I have a flu jab this Wednesday. I have had the flu before and that has made my tinnitus worse, so i’d rather take the jab!

 

I got the flu shot last weekend. No issues except my arm (where I was jabbed) was sore for the rest of the day.

 

It seems there is always that slight risk, but personally I feel the risk of having a bad flu make T worse is a bit greater then the flu shot, So I have decided to get the shot

 

Let us know how you get on

 

Yes, I would recommend it. I got the flu real bad in the mid 90's. There are different strains and some are worse than others. It was a really bad one that year. That's why I've been getting flu shots ever since. They've never caused my T to spike. However, when I got the flu, it sure did!

You probably already know that it won't completely prevent a person from getting the flu but it can significantly reduce the severity of the symptoms. For me, after what I experienced, that's good enough.

This is from the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/vaccineeffect.htm

"Flu vaccination also may make your illness milder if you do get sick. (For example a 2017 study(https://www.cdc.gov/flu/spotlights/vaccine-reduces-severe-outcomes.htm) showed that flu vaccination reduced deaths, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, ICU length of stay, and overall duration of hospitalization among hospitalized flu patients.)"

 

this year when I got the flu shot my T stayed the same. I think it was two years ago when I got it that my T spiked for a few days. I think it depends on how badly the shot affects you and I think now that I take it every year regularly the symptoms seem to be less and less and I don't notice any affects on my T.
Agreed T with the flu is 100x worst than T with a flu shot. As always, just don't pay attention to it as much as possible. Don't go looking for it after the shot. Just carry on with your normal activities. If it does spike you don't pay attention to it and it will quiet itself back down.

 

I am 70, and have never had noticeable tinnitus. I have had a flu shot every year for at least the last 10 years. I got my latest shot yesterday, and woke up this morning with major crickets in my ears. It seems a little better this afternoon, but it's still very noticeable. I'm thinking that it's not just coincidence that this has suddenly happened the day after the shot. Any thoughts?

 

Flu shots are safe. There are a lot of myths surrounding them. There are far more benefits than risks.

 

Yes, please let us know how it goes. I am currently contemplating if I should get one or not.

 

I am gonna get one on oct 26., hopefully it goes well.

 

I wish you the best of luck!

 

Thanks!