More on the flu shot

This probably makes me sound like a hypochondriac, but after describing my progression of symptoms following my flu shot to a coworker, she did some searching on the web, found out about Guillain-Barré Syndrome, and suggested I read up on it. It was a good call; everything I’ve read about it resonates with what I’m experiencing. From a variety of web sites:

… some patients have developed GBS after receiving an immunization… . It typically begins with weakness and/or abnormal sensations of the legs and arms. …causes rapidly progressing muscle weakness… . The signs and symptoms of GBS usually appear rapidly over the course of a single day.

I’m using this entry to document the symptoms I’ve been having in case I need to go to see a doctor. (I don’t have insurance, so I’m trying to gather as much information as possible before making the decision to do that.)

As I wrote last night, the first oddity I experienced after the flu shot was a strong metallic taste in my mouth.

Within 15-20 minutes, I was starting to feel woozy and a little weak.

The weakness persisted throughout the day (as did the metallic taste) and by the time I went to sleep last night, I was feeling very “off.” My body didn’t feel right at all, and the closest I can come to articulating that better is that my nerves felt like they do when I had a fever even though I didn’t feel feverish.

When I woke up this morning, I commented to Karsten that my arms and legs felt like mush, and it felt like it was going to be an effort just to stand or walk. I also said that I had a strange feeling like my body didn’t fit right. I still had the metallic taste, and I still had the heightened awareness of my nerves across my body.

Most of the web sites say there is no real treatment and it’s difficult to diagnose, so I’ll just be monitoring these symptoms myself until/unless I notice anything of an increasingly alarming disposition. I’m hopeful that it will just run its course and I’ll be done with it.