Vaccinations & medications

SFangel · 08-30-2003, 02:43 PM

Hi,

I take a lot of medications for different health problems. I need to receive some vaccinations such as tetanus, polio, diphteria, varicella, and hepatitis B. I am a 28-year-old female.

I am worried that these vaccinations might interact with my medications, making them less effective. Do you have any idea if this will happen?

Thanks.

kiki lou · 08-30-2003, 08:39 PM

And why do you NEED a vaccine? Since you are already using meds, it would seem likely that your immune system is not working properly. Adding vaccines to the mix, especially all at once could cause HUGE problems for you. If your job is pressuring you to do this, you might want to know that California has an exemption from vaccines due to personal beliefs. If I were you, I'd USE it.

Good luck,

Kiki

SFangel · 08-30-2003, 10:59 PM

Hi, kiki

I live in the U.S. but I do not have legal status there yet. I just have an expired non-immigrant visa.

I won the Green Card Lottery so I will get legal permanent resident status in the U.S. Among the many requirements to get this status, there is the vaccinations requirement: diphteria, tetanus, polio, hepatitis B, varicella, etc.

I do not think there is a way for me not to get these vaccinations. I have a choice: either I get the vaccinations to immigrate OR I do not get the vaccinations and the U.S. Consulate will not let me immigrate. I really want to immigrate, so I guess I have to get the vaccinations.

I am just worried that these vaccinations might interact with the medications I am using.

You said: "Adding vaccines to the mix, especially all at once could cause HUGE problems for you." What kind of problems are you talking about?

Thanks.

Sarah68 · 08-31-2003, 06:03 AM

What kind of meds are you taking and what conditions are you taking them for?

It is just that if your immune system is lowered already, then giving you these vaccinations very close together could definitely cause you more problems. Diptheria, tetanus and polio vaccines given together can give you a reaction afterwards and make you feel quite ill.

Also, with polio vaccine you do need to be very careful for at least 6 weeks following this, as it lives in the gut and within a 6 weeks period it can be spread quite easily. This means that you have to ensure that you wash your hands thoroughly after using the restroom. The polio vaccine is normally given directly onto the tongue or on a sugar lump, so it is given internally, which is why it continues to live in the gut for upto 6 weeks.

Did you have chicken pox as a child? If so, then you definitely do not need a vaccination for it. This is the varicella vaccine and if you had it, then you still have immunity to it. Also, chicken pox vaccine is not effective either and once you have had it you can spread chicken pox to others if you happen to react to the vaccine.

Anyway, I would seriously look into whether you really need to have these done as you could well be causing yourself problems in the long run.

Good luck

SFangel · 08-31-2003, 07:07 AM

Hi, Sarah68

Thanks for the information.

The meds I am taking are: Accolate for asthma, Antivert for nausea and dizziness/vertigo, Colace for constipation, Compazine for nausea, Duragesic for severe chronic pain, Marinol for nausea, Neurontin for seizure disorder, Phenergan for nausea, Protonix for peptic ulcer disease, Reglan for nausea, Restoril for insomnia, Soma for muscle spasms, and Vicodin for moderate to severe breakthrough pain.

How can I tell if my immune system is lowered?

I often get two shots at a time. One shot might contain several vaccines, such as is the case for the diphteria, tetanus, and polio shot.

The polio vaccine I will receive is in a syringe together with the diphteria and tetanus vaccines.

I unfortunately did not have chicken pox as a child. I wish I had because I would have had lifelong protection.

This is what I put in the previous post to explain why I had to get these vaccinations: I live in the U.S. but I do not have legal status there yet. I just have an expired non-immigrant visa. I won the Green Card Lottery so I will get legal permanent resident status in the U.S. Among the many requirements to get this status, there is the vaccinations requirement: diphteria, tetanus, polio, hepatitis B, varicella, etc. I do not think there is a way for me not to get these vaccinations. I have a choice: either I get the vaccinations to immigrate OR I do not get the vaccinations and the U.S. Consulate will not let me immigrate. I really want to immigrate, so I guess I have to get the vaccinations.