yes i get them ..just asked rhuemy yesterday about if it is safe now with RA drugs ..yes ..injection and no on nasal form ...i actually felt better after flu shot last year ..wierd but true ...goodluck

Thank you guys. It's good to know. I guess it is time that I start getting them. I don't usually get the flu, but then who knows what this winter might bring.

I don't get the flu shot as I am usually down for the count for two full weeks after getting them (yes, I have been told that it does not make you sick but it is odd that all four times I've had it, within 12 hours I run a slight temp and feel like crap and miss two weeks of work from it). Not to mention the injection site always turns into a golf ball for some reason on me.

So me and my doctors came to a truce by giving me the pneumonia vaccination as from what I gather it isn't so much the flu itself that kills you but the follow on pneumonia and complications from the flu that does.

If I didn't end up missing out on work after taking it I'd probably go for it. LOL Heck I went for three times after the first. As that just had to be a fluke right? ;-)

I get them every year and I insist my whole family get them too. I work in a hospital and am required to get one anyway, to protect our patients. Those of us on RA drugs are at high risk for complications if we do catch the flu, so I figure I will take every precaution available. I also wash my hands like crazy and try to avoid touching door handles and railings in public places. RA has turned me into a total germophobe.
Caren

I used to get a flu shot all the time, but quit a few years ago. I will ask my rheumy what he thinks. I know with the meds the immune system is compromised. I have heard the sooner you get them before October the better it is to let it settle in system for better protection.

I am really careful to get one every year, my office has the only copy machine and EVERYONE uses it (and now the radios are in my office too) which means EVERYONE comes in my office pppfffttt :P

As others have said, it is important to get the flu shot. Being immunocompromised is even more of a reason to get it, and it doesn't interfere with RA medications. Ddon't get the nasal spray version since that is alive and if you are on immunosuppressants you won't get the full protective benefit from the nasal spray. It takes about 2 weeks to obtain protection from the flu shot, so its possible to get sick before your body has learned how to protect itself.

Smith - the shot itself is dead so it can not give you the flu, but it sounds like you may be sensitive to one of the ingredients if you are routinely getting those symptoms after the shot.

Yes, I get it every year. I am also very careful and a stickler for good handwashing. Last year I came down with the flu in spite of having the injection. I was so sick in February that when I went to the PCP's office she evaluated me and sent me straight to the ER. I was dehydrated, my B/P was too low, I was having fevers on and off, and received a liter of IV fluid. I can imagine how it would be without the vaccine. I would suggest it highly, and carry Purell around.

I get a shot every year and still got the flu. Last year, I spent 4 days in the hospital with double flu... I'll still get one this year. :)

I have had the flu injections for the past 4 years but in 2012, I had a RA flare straight afterwards which was the worst since diagnosis and which lasted for weeks. My haematologist told me not to have it this year and my PCP agreed with him.
I did have the pneumonia vaccination 4 years ago and the whooping cough inoculation almost 3 years ago (before our youngest grandchild was born).
I haven't had the flu as such this Winter but I have become paranoid about handwashing and staying away from big crowds as much as possible.
Will wait and see what next Winter brings.

I have had the flu shot 2 of the last 3 years and had no problems. I think it is a good idea for people in our condition, but for the general population the vaccination is way over rated. If not for the big push by government and the chain drug stores that make a fortune administering the flu shot you would not hear so much hype about the shot. Chain pharmacies give the pharmacist or pharmacy intern a 8 hour course them make them administer shots in the retail stores. The store in turn can bill medicare for not just the prescription, but additionally for the same "labor rate" as a doctors office, while not paying the pharmacist an addition dime.

This will be my first year.
My RA doc wanted it done but I've never had it before so put it off.
I've been sick more since being DXed with RA then I've ever been.
So might as well give it a try.
My PCP said the flu is much more likely to land people like us in the hospital that gave me the final nudge to give it a try.
Sammy

As a nurse, the flu shot has been a hot topic at work since a majority of hospitals across the nation have started requiring anyone who is in patient care to have a flu shot.

Prior to being diagnosed with RA and my employer mandating a flu shot, I never chose to get one. Was a very healthy person and missed work on the average of 1 day a year and not prone to flu.

My rheumy, for whom I am forever grateful, strongly suggested it due to the immune suppression from both MTX and the biologics. This will be my 4th year getting a shot. The hospital where I work will be offering them starting October 1st. To date, I have had no issues post injection.

Thanks everyone. I guess I will get one next time I go to town. I appreciate all of your input!