User Reviews for Pneumovax-23 injection

Got the shot on Wednesday and I still can't move my arm 3 days later. Pain is excruciating! Maybe they need to mix xylocaine in with this vaccination, this is more painful than Rocephin!

I am a 65-year-old woman in general good health. My doctor recommended this preventive vaccine during my annual check up yesterday. Within 2 hours I experienced enough pain at the site (upper right arm) to make driving very difficult. Sleepless all night because of excruciating pain. Unable to dress myself or do any activity which requires me to raise my arm. Tylenol and Advil don't touch the pain. When my doctor's office opens this morning I will have a neighbor drive me to get something to make the pain more manageable. Cannot sleep or rest. Cannot drive. Cannot work. I have never had a reaction to a vaccine before. Read More Read Less

I was given this shot because my bloodwork came back as having a low immune system. I'm always having sinus infections, so my ENT doctors recommened this shot. I didn't have any pain on day 1. The middle of the night is when I started to expirence the pain in the arm. Horrible pain, couldn't touch it, couldn't raise my arm to do anything. Day 3 I have reddness and some swelling, it's hot. This is no where near the shot site, it's under my arm, I don't know if this is normal or not. I also have chills. I would never get this shot again.Read More Read Less

I am a 71 yr old female in excellent health; had this 'booster' following annual physical yesterday, to prevent possible pneumonia. Within one hour after injection in upper left arm, site of shot became hot, red and swollen. Swelling spread to nearly elbow, and, site became hard. Called MD office immediately on noting symptoms, and they recommended: Tylenol, ice the arm, elevate it. Did all that, helped the pain somewhat. Pain is still pretty severe on this the second day. Called nurse at MD office today; she said 'sometimes people have bad reaction' and MD will call back this afternoon. I want to get this info on the record. I am grateful to read others' experience, it helps to know that mine is not particularly an abnormal reaction, but I surely feel sorry for all of us who have had this kind of pain. Also, grading an immunization by using the stars is not an entirely accurate method of judging this drug. I don't know if it will be effective or not. God knows I hope so, after the discomfort! This has been most unpleasant, and I did NOT have this kind of reaction with the intial shot five years ago; at that time, I just felt a general malaise as it is termed. This arm pain feels as though I have pitched 40 games in a row... Read More Read Less

Had annual physical 01-13-10, and felt great. As precaution for overseas travel took Pneumo-23 in right arm, and varicella in left. By afternoon right arm hurt, was hot, and changing color. Next afternoon had 103.4 fever. Arm hurt from elbow to shoulder. Also red color for most of upper arm. Laid up in bed for next 3 days with ice packs on head. Two days of 103.4, and one day of 101 fever. Naturally this occured over a weekend. Went in to clinic Monday morning and started an antibiotic. Likely the sickest I have been as an adult. The previous 3 years I had not been ill with anything. I normally don't take any medications. I am in generally good health, low blood pressure. Scared the bee gees out of me. I wonder if with the high fever either vaccine was effective. I sure won't take it again. Maybe not any vaccine.Read More Read Less

Had vacc 12 hrs ago in L arm, no discomfort for first 8 hrs. Since then, my arm has been increasingly irritated, swelling increased to width of arm, not just injection site. Hot to touch, irritated, itchy, tender to touch, not discolored.

I am in my mid-50's, have a congenital heart defect. I had my first pneumovax in 2003 and I have not had one bout of pneumonia since! I used to get pneumonia 2-3 times per year. I just received another vaccine yesterday and my arm is extremely painful and swollen - my entire arm all the way down into my hand and fingers. Warm compress has helped a bit.

I had the shot Oct 2. 4 days later my left arm pit lymphnode swelled followed by a lymph node in my cheek. Then the shot site hurt. Dr gave me Doxycyline. Following day my left calf and quad muscles starting getting tight. I reported the change in symptons. Next day could not walk due to both leg muscles being too tight. Went to ER. They gave me steroids and reported body inflamation being 2x and white cell count being high. Steroids took care of symptons, muscle relaxers took care of muscles. However the steroids gave me a yeast infection and I am male!! This is a terrible vaccine. I only recommend it to my enemies. Merck should be ashamed of themselves. Read More Read Less

I had extreme pain and swelling in my arm to the point I couldn't move it or use it to lift anything and woke up several times throughout the night in extreme pain that couldn't even be relieved by opiate pain meds. I iced it, I tried hot compresses, nothing helped. I also had a 101 fever from the vaccine. It has been 3 days and I'm still in severe pain but the fever is gone at least. Hopefully this horrible vaccine will at least prevent pneumonia!

Extreme Pain swelling in the arm inability to move right arm, injection site, inability to sleep, Feels like someone ripped the bone out of the socket, Fever and Nausea never take the medicine again

The day after the injection my arm is still sore, and I begin running a fever, nausea, vomiting and slept for over 24 hours straight. Bruising easily day 3. Still sick with fever/nausea day 4. Sure hope it keeps me from getting pneumonia and makes it worth all this.

Three days after I had a pneumovax injection, I began having a very strange symptom every night in bed, before going to sleep. Every minute or so, as I'm lying there, I feel a sudden jolt, much like an electric shock, that feels like it makes an arc through the middle of my brain. It lasts only about a second and strikes every minute or so, until I fall asleep. I've now had this symptom every night for 10 nights. I googled "brain zap" and found many descriptions of this symptom but almost all of them written by people trying to wean themselves off antidepressants. I've never taken antidepressants and don't take any drugs other than an occasional aspirin. I'm a very healthy 68 year old woman. I've never experienced anything like this before and it came on suddenly and with intensity.Read More Read Less

Received shot on 8/26/09, Severe arm pain on night one. Develop a fever on day two 100-102, day three fever went to 103+, went back to doctor and my heart went into a-fib. Spent the day at the hospital. Now I'm on a lifetime heart drug. Day four fever finally broke. I a 49 year old male in great health and this is the first fever I've had in 15 years. I will never get a prevented shot for anything.

WHETHER THIS VACCINE IS EFFECTIVE OR NOT I HAVE NO IDEA. I RECEIVED THE INJECTION O8-25-09. NO PROBLEM WITH PROCESS OF INJECTION. NO PAIN UNTIL ABOUT SIX HOURS LATER. INTENSE ACHE INTERFERRING WITH SLEEP; CANNOT LAY ON MY LEFT SIDE WITHOUT AGGRAVATING PAIN DOWN TO ELBOW. DAY TWO ALSO INCLUDED A HEADACHE. DAY THREE ADDS NAUSEA AND HOT EYES, PAIN IN BUTTOCKS. NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO DAY FOUR.

On April 27, 2006 my husband a heart patient received this shot for the first time. About a week later he got a cold from it and on May 17,2006 he died. I don't know if it was from the shot or his heart.

Havent had a cold or sinus infection in 5 years since taking it... Including flu. Might have been unable to fight it off with a constant sinus infection. Now clear as a bell and that includes the winter when everyone else is sick.

May 3, 2007 my 10 month old son received three vaccines. One injection intended for the right thigh caused the needle to shoot off the syringe and the vaccine sprayed me and the clinic wall and floor. Seven weeks later the right femur could not support his weight, and he continued to cry the next morning. To cut a long story short, the surgeon who investigated the bone said it was the consistency of cheese. full leg cast for 3 months, two surgical investigations, CT and NMR scans, no evidence of microbe histopathologically although one culture grew (common) microbe found in mouth. Unclear which vaccine was injected into the periosteum and box not checked on vaccination card for whether it was PCV or PPV23 nor for the previous pneumococcal vaccination. Doctor told me nurse was let go on a later visit. Neither the surgeon, nor the clinical immunologist believed he experiences a microbial infection. I suspect my sons 3rd pneumoccocal vaccination was probably the 23valent and it caused a massive inflammatory reaction in the periosteum which spread to the femur. Read More Read Less

Started with managable pain and swelling at the site but day two brought severe pain that was made worse by touch and stiffness. The pain had spread from a site reaction up my arm to the shoulder and down to the elbow. Day three has also included nausea, vomiting, and low fever. Ibuprofen has helped only slightly to reduce the pain.

Pain at the injection site was manageable with massage & Ibuprophen. You must massage the injection site 4-5 times in the first 24 hours after injection. This minimizes the amount of medication left in the arm, and helps 100% with the swelling. I've had 3 of these shots in the last 14 years, all with the same effect. I'll continue to use it as long as I can.

I have now had two of these vaccinations. Injection site became quite painful about 6 hours later, interferring with sleep, dressing, and my generally sunny mood. My upper arm is quite swollen and movement is limited, but I have no other side effects. Ibuprofen helps a little, as does a cold compress.