SIRVA - i have it....

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rider73

Original Poster:

2,993 posts

76 months

Tuesday 28th April 2020
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an FYI more than anything -
So after revealing to me that i never had MMR as a kid - in January i decided to go and get it done.

As the Nurse jammed in the vaccine it was immediatley painful and from what i could see , very deep, and it looked like she was forcing it in
It also didnt help that i think being an elderly nurse she was shaking as she took ages to push it in.

I left with a very sore arm, and took paracetemol for a few days.

a week later i was still very stiff and my usual shoulder gym workouts were canned as i was in a lot of pain.

3 weeks later i had a total lockup of my shoulder while reaching for a plug under the desk - the pain was off the chart and felt like someone had grabbed a tendon and twisted it and kept twisting it even when i brought my shoulder/arm back to my side.

I had continual pain in shoulder, radiating pain to my fingers sometimes to my first 2 fingers, sometimes to my thumb, unbelievable pain when i moved in a certain direction, and constant feeling that i was "straining" a muscle - constantly being woken up at nights and on painkillers all the time.....

just as the lockdown begain i went to see a private chiro , who gave me some exercises and helped relieve some pain with a lot of work, mobility is better but still very resticted and certain movement very painful and nerve pain can still come on at any time.

i was thinking of going to my GP but held off because of COVID and not clogging up the NHS

2 more chiro appointments later (he was still working despite the lockdown, thank god!) and no change, i've remained at the level of , sometimes in a constant pain, sometimes relief, certain motions give me agony.

All lifting or gym work has had to stop!

i'm now considering going to the GP asap after doing some research around this - seems its a more common thing that you imagine :

"if a flu shot isn’t properly administered, it can result in an uncommon, underdiagnosed type of shoulder injury commonly referred to as Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration, or SIRVA. Here, experts explain what SIRVA is, how it feels, and what you (and your doctor) can do to prevent it."
https://www.health.com/cold-flu-sinus/sirva

Daily Mail (yeah i know, but only UK site i've found that mentions this)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3546519...

next on my list is trying to get into the GP and get an ultrasound and getting specific treatment if i can, want to try and avoid and reoccurance and shoulder "freeze".


Bluedeer

8 posts

38 months

Friday 15th January 2021
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I have also sustained an injury (SIRVA) - from my flu jab in December. I've now had pain and restricted movement for a month and have to be careful when I use my arm. I've heard of another person this year too, local to me, who has gone back to her GP with the same thing: ongoing pain and mobility issues post vaccination.

I have had to fight to get access to an ultrasound and orthopaedic appointment for diagnosis. My diagnosis is Subacromial bursitis and Rotator cuff impingement - both can be caused by trauma/injury and are among the conditions recognised as being outcomes of SIRVA. There are many other issues caused by SIRVA too such as bone and nerve damage! I'm now waiting for physio and if that doesn't work, a steroid injection. I read that these conditions often get better with treatment but there is a possibility of long-term issues, meaning long-term treatment.

I have been researching SIRVA and apparently it's rare - and often goes undiagnosed. However, it appears to me that it could be more common than is stated possibly due to the fact that it's difficult to prove that it was caused by the administration of the injection perhaps(?).

My experience was that the pharmacist at my GP practice seemed to inject higher on my arm and it certainly felt deeper. She also momentarily held the needle in, whereas my previous jabs (given by the practice nurses) were over in a flash. This time the jab was painful too. I had symptoms of pain and throbbing in my shoulder and arm (which went over the bicep to the crook of my elbow) within an hour. The initial throbbing subsided but I have been left with ongoing pain and restricted mobility.

GP's kept saying "it might not be due to the flu jab" but I know it is - when I walked into their surgery I was pain free and had full mobility (and have been this way for as long as I can remember) but I left with pain which worsened and restricted my mobility. I hadn't done anything to cause the injury, I hadn't exerted myself or done repetitive powerful overhead movements, nothing. I was fit and healthy. My problems occured immediately after the jab.

I'm hoping to be able to contact other people that have had the same experience because I found I really had to push my GP's in order to gain access to a diagnosis. They weren't willing to refer me. They told me they had never heard of SIRVA and tried to fob me off, no wonder SIRVA often goes undiagnosed. Don't give up trying to get access to a firm diagnosis, the more people that do this the more it will become recognised as a serious (and more common than they thought) issue and won't be ignored. I hope you have received treatment and are becoming fit again. Please feel free to reply to me as I'm on a sort of mission to find others that have been injured due to poor vaccination technique as I'm guessing there are probably people suffering with this that aren't being diagnosed and treated. Our NHS is there for us - and these SIRVA injuries are due to no fault of our own.

rider73

Original Poster:

2,993 posts

76 months

Saturday 16th January 2021
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Hi Bluedeer

Since April 2020 mine has finally cleared up , although it took a while - the physio did nothing and i paid for a private consult for a muscle specialist , who understood the issue, explained the nerve pain wasnt much he could do about and hoped it would clear up on its own and gave me different exercises to do , i was quite sceptical - but they did start to work - about 2 months ago i was actually pretty much pain free and able to get back into the gym (well, home gym) and enjoy working out again without worry.

the exercises given were pretty low key i thought - using the frame of a door i was told to L shape my problem arm, tense the arm and push against the frame with the outside of your arm, then do the same again with the inside of our arm , then put your back towards the frame and push against the frame with the elbow and push forward against the frame with your first on the opposite side - did these about 5 times a day, 10 mins a time - i thought nothing would happen but things started to "release" and the more bigger muscle pains went away and the nerve pains actually began to decrease....until as i said above, it became pretty much normal again....

finally after a trillion weeks and cancellations i got an ultrasound after the shoulder was pretty much ok , and got a similar diagnosis to you, but i am 47 and plenty of activity with the shoulder from mountain biking and skiing etc - so wear and tear was pretty much a given.....ultrasound recommended nothing actually wrong.


Foofan

2 posts

37 months

Tuesday 23rd February 2021
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Hi
I believe I have SIRVA too. I had my covid vaccine on 6 Feb & my upper arm, namely all around my shoulder joint is still very painful. Neither Paracetamol nor ibuprofen have any effect on the pain. I didn't have anything wrong with my arm until my jab and it came on within hours of having it done. I have a GP telephone consultation next week but I guess I'll be in for a fight with getting any form of referral!

posset

1 posts

36 months

Tuesday 2nd March 2021
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I am also suffering from SIRVA following my covid vaccine on February 9th. Had a telephone consultation with my GP who had never heard of it and gave me a prescription for painkillers. I don't think she believed me when I said that I thought the vaccinator placed the needle far too high on my arm, so I have little faith in even starting any treatment for this...............really fed up!

Bluedeer

8 posts

38 months

Wednesday 3rd March 2021
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Hi all,

Really glad you all posted your experiences (not glad that you've got this debilitating condition though). SIRVA is real and is completely avoidable. It is classed as rare. However, I keep hearing about more and more people that have SIRVA and so I do not believe that it's as rare as our health professionals make out. The medical profession in the UK is reluctant (to say the least) to accept SIRVA.

There are organisations that can help which I will list later.

I have a live complaint with my GP surgery as they have continued to disbelieve me. They continue to deny any connection between my flu jab and my shoulder condition - even though my symptoms came on very suddenly, post flu jab. I was absolutely fine before my jab. I have had to really 'fight' to get my ultrasound diagnosis and to see a shoulder specialist.

I am on a mission to get SIRVA properly recognised and will list my experience and what action I've taken in the hope that this helps you. By the way, I'm still in pain and it's 3 months since my flu jab.

1. Firstly make a written complaint about the person that gave you your vaccination. SIRVA is a completely avoidable injury and is due to negligence.

2. Request (demand if you have to) a proper diagnosis, preferably by ultrasound or MRI and ask see a shoulder consultant. You should then be referred for physiotherapy at the very least. My physio takes place over the phone. I'm asked questions and given excercises to do - the excercises get emailed to me as well so as I don't forget them or do them wrongly.

Note:. One of the first things my physiotherapist said to me was that she has sustained SIRVA from her flu jab last October 2020! It took 4 months for her to get well - but some people have very long-term symptoms from SIRVA. We're all different. This is why SIRVA should be taken seriously. If it happens to us we don't know if it will be gone in a few months or if we will still be having problems with it ten years later.

3. Report your symptoms, the adverse reaction you had to your jab, to the yellow card scheme. It's easy to do online. If you've told your GP about your post jab symptoms, your GP has a duty of care to report it to the yellow card scheme on your behalf. My GP didn't (and at the time I didn't know that they had a duty to report) and so I reported it myself. If your GP refuses to report your adverse reaction to a jab, then that's another reason to complain! Note: If people don't report these reactions to jabs, SIRVA will continue to go unrecognised and be classed as rare - and we'll all continue having a hard time being believed!

4. There are free advocacy services available, such as POhWER (0300 456 2370) who will support and guide you through the nhs complaints process. The Citizens advice bureau can probably provide other advocacy organisations too. C.A.B. are on 0800 144 8848

5. AvMA - action against medical injuries (0845 123 2352) is a brilliant organisation and can also support and help with complaints. They also hold a list of the most reputable medical negligence solicitors if you want to make a claim for compensation. There's "no win no fee" available if, like me, you can't afford lawyers. Check out AvMA's website.

5. I've spoken to a great solicitor (one that's recommended by AvMA) who has 30 years experience in medical negligence claims and who knows a lot about SIRVA. He's taken a lot of SIRVA cases on and they have been successful. He agreed to take my case because he believes my condition is so obviously caused by the vaccination (I was fine before my jab but pain and restricted mobility immediately after the jab) and so I stand a good chance of winning. To qualify for "no win no fee" funding they have to expect that you have over a 50% chance of winning in order to secure the funding for the case.

The solicitor told me not to expect a big payout though - but if your circumstances mean that you're losing money due to time off work or any other reason because of your condition, you can expect a bigger payout. For me it's only partly about money. I'm on a mission to make as big a noise as possible about SIRVA because it has been denied by the medical profession and classed as rare for far too long. Patients continue to be fobbed off and sent home with no diagnosis or treatment. I wish I could go back to the day I had my jab and change my mind about having it. I want my health back.

Finally, expect the medical professionals to continue to disbelieve you and to deny SIRVA. Just keep asserting yourself and insist on being diagnosed and treated - my NHS shoulder consultant claims to not be familiar with SIRVA! He's a shoulder specialist that also works in the private sector. And he's telling me that I couldn't have been injured by a vaccination and that he doesn't know anything about SIRVA? Give me a break!

If anyone wants the details of my solicitor let me know and I'll post them. It would be great to hear how you get on and how you're doing. All the very best.

rider73

Original Poster:

2,993 posts

76 months

Thursday 4th March 2021
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great post - thanks for that and taking the time to post it here!

PoloRolo

1 posts

36 months

Thursday 4th March 2021
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Hi Bluedeer,
Great post! I'm suffering badly from SIRVA after a private flu injection at Boots. They have told me that they have not referred it to the yellow card scheme as its still under investigation. Based on your post, I am going to raise it with this scheme.
I'm being assessed by the NHS but it's taking so long so looking at going private, just to get an ultrasound.
Can you post the name of your recommended solicitor please as I'd like to recover costs?

Many thanks for your help!

5041emma

1 posts

36 months

Sunday 7th March 2021
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I too am suffering from a SIRVA injury after my COVID vaccine on 1st February. I went to a mass vaccination centre that was staffed fully by the Army so have no idea what training the person who administered the jab had received. The jab felt different to any other that I’ve had in my arm before, so much so that I said this to the administrator. 4 hours later I couldn’t lift my arm and the pain was bad but because I was told my arm would be sore, I thought this was normal.
The pain got worse over the following week and I couldn’t lift my arm up sideways, the pain was excruciating. On day 9 I went to the doctor who told me it wouldn’t be the vaccine administration that caused the pain and something like that is extremely rare. I am 100% sure that it was the vaccine. I’m fit and active and usually go to the gym but haven’t been able to because of lockdown. I had not done anything in the days prior to the vaccine that could have injured my shoulder. For 48 years of my life I have had a pain free left arm then 4 hours after the vaccine I experience pain and reduced mobility that restricts what I can do and disturbs my sleep.
After about 10 days I started to feel a numbness in my hand which is still present over a month later. The pain has eased slightly but certain movements are still very painful and I’m still struggling to sleep.
I’m going to go back to the doctors this week as the Naproxen he gave me did help a bit but gave me headaches and I don’t want to be on medication long term.
I’ve reported it to the Yellow Card Scheme but will check that the doctor has also as I didn’t know until reading your post that they had to do this.
There is a good US forum, sirvastudy.org, with other people’s experiences of SIRVA and some helpful resources to print off and take to the doctors as many are unaware that this can happen.
This is the only post I’ve found, so far, in the UK so thank you for starting it.

Bluedeer

8 posts

38 months

Wednesday 10th March 2021
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Hi everyone,

I really feel for all of you suffering with this. It's appalling that this is happening to so many of us and it needs to stop.

I'm sorry but I don't have time to reply to you individually but try and take the actions I took (lots of advice in my earlier post).

My solicitor knows lots about SIRVA and is incredibly sympathetic - he knows SIRVA is real, and is very aware of how our medical profession is failing to acknowledge SIRVA or believe us.

I'm still dealing with my complaint to my surgery about this too. They've failed to take any responsibility and claim that it couldn't possibly have happened to me! I'm obviously unhappy with their response and so my complaint has now gone to the next stage - the Ombudsman. I'll take it as far as I can. Hopefully justice will prevail.

This will eventually come out in the open. Take all the neccessary actions that you can including legal if you want (Peter can work as "no win no fee"). AvMA keep a list of many reputable solicitors too.

DON'T GIVE UP!



Edited by chris.mod on Tuesday 16th March 15:41

Trailer Queen Restos

1 posts

118 months

Monday 15th March 2021
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Hi guys,

Just read this post and I have a Sirva injury too.

Had my Covid jab 3 weeks ago and the nurse had trouble getting it in,needle went in on the very top of my shoulder which instantly cause intense pain, but she couldn’t get the vaccine in almost like something was stopping the plunger from being pressed.
She said I was too tense and to relax whilst she rotated the needle in a circle motion whilst still in my arm and after a while it finally went in.
Got back to my car and said to my wife how painful it was and I wasn’t looking forward to my second jab
Pain continued that day but gradually got worse over the next couple of days and I started to lose movement in my shoulder and the pain increased too.
After 4 days I called up and got an appointment with my surgery nurse who immediately said the Covid nurse has put it in my shoulder joint instead of my arm and she’d done it way to high up. She booked me an appointment with the doctor the next day but he said he’s never come across ianything like it before and after a while said there’s noting he can suggest and to see how it goes for a couple of months.

Right now it’s been 3 weeks 2 days and I can only move my arm outwards from my side about 9” before I get an intense pain shoot through my shoulder and up my neck to just under my ear. Pains not going away and no improvement in movement at all

Lastly, my wife called Astrazenica themselves and they said they have no data on such an thing and couldn’t say whether the vaccine would be effective or not

Edited by Trailer Queen Restos on Monday 15th March 21:22


Edited by Trailer Queen Restos on Monday 15th March 21:23


Edited by Trailer Queen Restos on Monday 15th March 21:25

rider73

Original Poster:

2,993 posts

76 months

Tuesday 16th March 2021
quotequote all


your story above, is similar to my own when i started this post, including the neck pain too

do the door-frame shoulder exercises (isometric exercises) i think i put them above, (or just google them) dont go for power, its not doing it more powerfully that helps - i was told its all about the complex fibres and nerves in that area and trying to release the circle of pain-inflammation-damage-pain - so more often is better - i was up to 3 times a day doing the set, and the shoulder came on really well...




Bluedeer

8 posts

38 months

Tuesday 16th March 2021
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Hi

I'd like to add to what rider73 has written (thanks!). My physio, who has also had SIRVA, has advised:

1). Slowly roll your shoulders upwards and backwards, push your shoulder blades together, hold for 2 seconds, release and repeat. Do this excercise at various times through the day.

2). Whilst sitting, have your shoulders level. Rest the forearm of your injured arm on a pillow or soft arm rest on a chair, keeping your shoulders level. With your other hand gently push your injured Shoulder back slightly to 'open the area up'. You can also gently massage the pectoral muscle too.

3). Walk with your palms facing forward which again, opens up the area. My physio said try not to ever hunch forward at all as we need to create space in the shoulder for everything to heal. Hunching crushes everything together possibly causing more damage and more pain. Focus on keeping shoulders back.

4). Pendulum excercise. Lean forward holding on to a chair (for example) with your good arm. Let your injured arm just hang down loosely. Rotate your arm gently in circles (clockwise & anti clockwise) and then backwards and forwards. Do this for half a minute to a minute.

5). Tilt your ear to your shoulder. Hold for a few seconds and gently release. Both sides.

My physio emphasised that if anything hurts whilst doing these excercises, stop. Don't try to push through the pain. Keep everything gentle and do these excercises regularly throughout the day (I do them when I happen to think of them).

My pain has started to ease since my shoulder was injured by a vaccination last December and I have some mobility back. Perhaps it's a combination of rest, time, and physio excercise that's working for me.

These exercises are the best to start with. When the pain has lessened and healing as begun, you move on to other exercises.

All the very best everyone!

Bluedeer

8 posts

38 months

Thursday 18th March 2021
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I've just noticed that my post on 10th March has been edited by Piston Heads.

My solicitor had given me permission to post his name and contact details, which I did, but Piston Heads removed them.

Really sorry. Didn't think it would be an issue. Is anyone still interested in chatting to my solicitor? If so I'll have to try and find another way of getting this info to you. Peter Todd.

carol16

1 posts

35 months

Thursday 1st April 2021
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I too think i have sirva. got my covid vaccine 15th March. done by a dentit. she put the needle at top of shoulder and while the needle was still in i could feel an excrutiating tightening feeling. seemed like ages before she withdrew the needle. Next day onward I have suffered from severe pain in left arm, can hardly raise it, every day things are a struggle now i.e. putting tops on, driving/steering, anything that involves using my left hand. i did register with the yellow card myself then saw a doctor. I was given 30ml co codamyl but that is not helping, makes me drowsy but the pain is still there. The operations Manager of the P&J Live where the vaccinations are held, suggested I may have been tense but that is rubbish as this would only give you a painful arm, not loss in arm movement. I am still in terrible pain, was given few physio diagrams to do but nothing is helping and I am at at a loss in what to do next. I have had to go off sick so can't do my job. Would appreciate advice on solicitor or what to do next.

Lisa525

2 posts

35 months

Monday 5th April 2021
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Hi I had the Covid vaccine about 4 weeks ago, I am in terrible pain with my shoulder, it started to hurt 2 days after the vaccine, it aches and burns from my shoulder down to my elbow keeping me awake at night, I am normally a very active person but this has really knocked me, I was perfectly fine before the vaccine.
After reading these comments I now believe I have SIRVA
I had my vaccine in a mass vaccination centre, I was in and out within a few seconds , I am really regretting getting the vaccine done now,
Has anyone had a similar experience

nelliebligh

1 posts

35 months

Wednesday 7th April 2021
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I too have SIRVA - reduced mobility in arm and so painful especially at night, now 7 weeks after vaccination at large centre. I've had flu jabs in the past which were just a small sting, but the Covid jab felt different- very sharp and deep! Pain is in shoulder & upper arm but also sometimes in lower arm/wrist and sometimes pins & needles in hand. Been to G.P- of course he said it could not have been caused by vaccination and had never heard of it before. I've now got an appointment with private physio as I'm in too much pain to wait for my NHS physio appointment!
So terrified to go back to centre to get 2nd dose jab! Do I get it in same arm (cause permanent damage?) or other arm (cause reduced mobility in both arms- how would I cope!). Has anyone with SIRVA had 2nd jab yet?
I'm amazed how many people are suffering from this and the NHS are just denying it's happening! I already know of 3 other people locally who are suffering from the same thing ! I've filled in the yellow card as my GP wasn't interested.

Lisa525

2 posts

35 months

Thursday 8th April 2021
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Hi,
I had mine done at a vaccination centre, I was in pain after 48 hours, but it is getting worse and I am in agony at night time it wakes me up, even driving is hard eg changing gears.
I was very active before my vaccination exercising everyday so it is really getting me down.
I can’t get a doctors appointment I ring up everyday but they have no appointments, I’m not sure what to do as the pain is getting worse

Thanks

Blackpuddin

16,411 posts

204 months

Thursday 8th April 2021
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This story is shocking and needs to go public.

b.forber

2 posts

35 months

Thursday 8th April 2021
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Hi. I have just found this site and I too have SIRVA. I had my 1st Covid vaccine (AZ) on 15 February at a mass vaccination centre.I am used to having injections in my arm ( I have a Vit B12 every 8 weeks due to pernicious anaemia) and when I had the AZ vaccine I thought that it was put in very high up. A few days later I had a very sore arm which got worse until I was in excruciating pain and unable to move my arm away from my body. I had a telephone consultation with my doctor, then a face to face, but he said he’d never heard of such a reaction to a vaccine and maintains that it is just coincidence! I have been referred for physio but am still awaiting an appointment. Nearly 8 weeks later I am still in pain when trying to use my arm, struggle to even wash and dress myself and am completely unable to drive. Find I am becoming quite depressed by it all.