Hep B vaccine can cause CFS?

[hunter1899]

Take a look at this link. It’s old so folks around here might already be aware. But this hits close to home for me. I had a mild case of mono. Felt mostly better after 6 weeks. It made my liver enzymes elevate. So my gastro has me get a hep vaccine just in case. I’ve had bad fatigue and PEM ever since. Funny enough I’m supposed to get my third and final phase of the vaccine this week and I’m a little gun shy to be honest....

 

[wabi-sabi]

I've had the hep B series twice. No effect on ME/CFS.

 

[Hip]

Hepatitis B vaccine is the one most commonly linked to triggering ME/CFS. You can search the forum for more info.

See also the vaccination section of the roadmap to ME/CFS testing and treatment.

 

[wabi-sabi]

But if you already have ME/CFS then the vaccine isn't going to cause what's already happened. Also, you've mentioned having liver problems, so it sounds like protecting your liver from hep B would be a wise idea. You might mention these concerns to you gastro as well.

 

[Hip]

if you already have ME/CFS then the vaccine isn't going to cause what's already happened.

It sounds from @hunter1899's statement below that he mostly recovered from mono, but then after the hep B vaccine developed fatigue and PEM:

I had a mild case of mono. Felt mostly better after 6 weeks. It made my liver enzymes elevate.

So my gastro has me get a hep vaccine just in case. I’ve had bad fatigue and PEM ever since.

So it could be that the hep B vaccine played a role.



Dr John Chia found around 1.5% of his ME/CFS patients appeared to have their disease triggered by vaccination. Ref: 1

One study found 5% of ME/CFS cases followed hepatitis B vaccine. Ref: 1

 

[wabi-sabi]

I understand what you're saying, but I also felt better after getting mono and still came down with ME/CFS, despite not getting any vaccines in the interim. It was just a slow and steady decline for me, even though I felt the mono went away completely.

I'm not sure we can say the hep B vaccine is triggering or worsening the ME/CFS in @hunter1899 's case for sure without a control group.

Isn't it important to protect the liver in a person who is having liver issues? Surely a case of hep B on top of ME/CFS would be quite bad.

 

[hunter1899]

I understand what you're saying, but I also felt better after getting mono and still came down with ME/CFS, despite not getting any vaccines in the interim. It was just a slow and steady decline for me, even though I felt the mono went away completely.

I'm not sure we can say the hep B vaccine is triggering or worsening the ME/CFS in @hunter1899 's case for sure without a control group.

Isn't it important to protect the liver in a person who is having liver issues? Surely a case of hep B on top of ME/CFS would be quite bad.

agree. For what it’s worth my enzymes have since returned to normal in two different t blood tests over the past 6 months. Though I do feel it slightly enlarged from time to time with my PEM.

 

[wabi-sabi]

agree. For what it’s worth my enzymes have since returned to normal in two different t blood tests over the past 6 months. Though I do feel it slightly enlarged from time to time with my PEM.

What I'm really saying here is if I were you I would get the whole hep B series and protect my liver. But, I am not a doctor, so what do I really know? Take my advice, if you want, as a concerned fellow patient and nothing more.

But at the very least talk to a sensible doctor (yes, I know those are had to find) so you can get a clear understanding of risk vs benefit for you.

 

[Hip]

I'm not sure we can say the hep B vaccine is triggering or worsening the ME/CFS in @hunter1899 's case for sure without a control group.

Certainly. In a one-off situation like this, we cannot conclude that the hep B vaccine played any role in hunter1899's ME/CFS.

But if we want to take a cautionary approach, we can look at the studies and anecdotal accounts of hep B triggering ME/CFS, and then with the help of our doctor, decide whether we want to take further hep B shots.