Okay, so I went to my PCP for an annual and he asked me how long it's been since my last tetanus shot. When I sheepishly shrugged my shoulders, hung my head and said...."I don't know......" he decided to update that and ordered a tetanus booster. This is a new PCP for me so he doesn't have any previous records.
Anyway..............this was on Tuesday and my arm is KILLING me!!!. It's been almost 48 hours for crying out loud. It's a low grade undercurrent of pain until I move it at all or reach to pick up my purse or lift anything with my left arm....
I feel like I need a whaaaambulance............... > | <
my question you ask????????? how long can I expect this to last? I know that if this is the biggest of my worries, I should consider myself truly blessed but it hurts really bad........
come on moms........help a girl out. :-S
S.
You Ladies are Da Bomb!!
Thanks so much for all the wise and kind input. I am sorry for your negative experiences but grateful to be in such good company.
The doc put me on some new meds and I didn't want to cross them over with any pain killer but I agree with the consensus that a little Motrin never hurt anyone....Lord knows if it was my DS or DH I would have medicated them by now.
I've been neglecting my healthcare needlessly for far too long so this whole process of getting back into a healthier pattern is kind of bringing out the baby in me. Thank God for my supportive and understanding hubby. I know I'm doing the right thing...remembering my big girl pants is also an important part of it. I'll get there in time. Now to schedule that all too long overdue mammogram. I'm thinking a little Motrin prior to that may be in order as well.... :-)
Your support and perspectives are so greatly appreciated. :-)!! S.
Take something for the pain and stop trying to tough it out. It basically feels like someone punched you in the arm and that's totally normal for a tetanus shot.
Yes I know that's a painful one, I would just call the doctor's office and ask them what's "normal" in terms of pain and for how long.
Take some Tylenol and/or Advil.
At home you can try alternating ice and hot packs for awhile but you should already be through the worst of it.
The pain will go away soon.
If it makes you feel any better I've got a whole list of little aches and pains I've had to learn to live with that are just part of being in your 50's and working a fairly physical job.
Just last month I spilled some hot baked beans on my arm at work and spent a week growing some new skin.
Tetanus shots are relatively easy compare to some other things.
Hang in there!
dh whined like a toddler about his arm for about 3 days after a tetanus shot (following a deep cut with a rusty blade) he complained more about the shot than he did the cut..
Yep, tetanus shots hurt like the dickens. It's going to hurt for a week.
Take Tylenol for the pain. It's okay!
Love that line, "...need an whaaaambulance....."!!
damn...you just reminded me - I'm due for my tetanus shot! URGH!!
It last 48 to 72 hours. Take advil or motrin. If it's red and inflamed? hot to the touch? call the doctor's office today. If not? Advil/Motrin.
I'm sorry!! I know this is one of the tough ones!~
I think a couple of days is pretty standard. I think it should get better soon :)
added: I should add, mine was stiff and painful - but not agonizingly so. I was told it would be sore for a couple of days. Did you get in your dominant arm? That might make a difference in how much you're using it. Are you taking any pain meds for it?
A couple of days if normal for a tetanus. Your arm will feel sore and heavy. It goes away though after 2-3 days.
I didn't think it was that bad but my doctor did warn me to take some Motrin when I got home to ward off any pain. It just felt like a really mean spider bite and lasted a couple days.
I don't know. Like you, I haven't had a booster in a very long time (I don't think?). I know my husband got one after a car accident when the airbag deployed and the *shrapnel* from the cover scraped up his arm. I honestly can't remember if I got one after having a terribly allergic reaction to a giant horsefly bite a few years ago. (It swelled, blistered and turned red (the red extending to cover half of my calf) and get better until after several days on prescription antihistamines. I think they might have asked me about it or recommended it at that time, but I can't be sure, and I don't remember if they did, if I got the booster. :/ I know you are supposed to get them every 10 years.
I can't remember if the shot hurt when I got it last. But my son and I both got penicillin shots at the beginning of March. I felt it for a week, though only really hurt for a few days. When you get a shot, especially intra-muscular, it is really important to use that arm (or whatever they put it in). It helps the muscle handle it better and feel better a bit faster. We tend to not use something if it hurts.
I figure, I take care of everyone all the time so why can't I be a baby about something now and then. ; )
The tetanus booster hurts like a b*t** the day after, kind of like you got knuckle punched by a boxer. My booster arm hurt to move for about 5 days and the injection spot was a bit tender to poke at for about a week longer.
They are supposed to give you a data sheet about the shot that explained this issue. It is also why they ask you which arm, so that you can choose your non-dominant side.
it will be about a week of your arm hurting, but this time keep track of when you had it done so you won't need it again for another 5 to 10 years
Tetanus shots will do that to you. It'll probably hurt for another day or two longer, but should get slowly better after that.
First of all, I wouldn't hang my head for not remembering when I got a shot that people get every 10 years or so. No shame there!
Secondly, some shots just hurt like crazy. Have you put ice on the site of the shot and taken anything for the pain? I'd call the doctor and ask if one particular type of pain reliever is better for this - sometimes tylenol is better for some things, while ibuprofen is better for others. They may have other suggestions like elevating the arm or even wrapping it in an Ace bandage - certain types of aches respond to compression, but others don't if the circulation is impaired at all. So do ask what would benefit you.
I don't think it should last long but if it were me I would need reassurance from the doctor. I've never had a reaction from a shot where my arm was killing me, or even remotely sore, so that would concern me.
I assume that he gave you the DPT? When I got my booster a few years ago it hurt like a Bi&ch for like 3 days. I was so surprised because I am not a wimp when it comes to needles. Must be something about that shot.
LOL! I needed the whaaambulance after mine, too! We all got the DTP shot before my grandson was born to protect him from pertussis. It has the tetanus shot in it, too. My husband, daughter and I all felt bad for about a week afterwards. Now we know how our little ones might be feeling after their shots. :( Feel better soon!
