Age: 27.0
Sex: F
Vaccine: PER, TD
Symptoms: Injection site pain, Lymphadenopathy, Muscular weakness, Nasopharyngitis, Non-smoker
Clinical narrative: Within 24 hours of receiving the vaccine I developed flu-like symptoms including: headache, fever, sore throat, runny nose, body pains, weakness, dizziness, cough, and pain at the injection site. By April 30th I was in the doctor's office receiving a breathing treatment and my symptoms also included bronchitis, wheezing, chest pain, difficulty breathing, coughing violently to the point of gagging, along with a swollen lymph node in the underarm of the injection site. I was immediately placed on steroids and antibiotics. Over the course of 2 months these symptoms lingered and also came to include a rash. I have been in and out of doctors offices including ER's, urgent care clinics, immunologists, pulmonologists, and an allergy & asthma specialist. I have recurring respiratory infections that occur on average every 2 months and last anywhere from 1-2 months preventing me from working during these episodes and causing me to lose 2 jobs over the past 2 years. Each time I catch a cold I develop bronchitis and costochondritis (sharp pains in my chest, ribs, and back with each breath), headache, dizziness, muscle weakness, and joint pains which prevent me from performing activities of daily living without assistance. My doctors have repeatedly placed me on steroids (inhaled, oral, and injections) as well as, various antibiotics and inhalers and my body fails to respond or responds very slowly to the treatment. I have been recently diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease namely chronic bronchitis and I have never smoked.  Recent tests have also discovered lung scarring and lung inflammation (pneumonitis) even though my last episode of bronchitis(02/2009 - 04/2009) supposedly had been resolved. Follow-up: Since receiving the Tdap vaccine I have developed Atopy and have become allergic to things including food and medications that I have never been allergic to before. My IgE level is always elevated. I have recurrent bronchitis and asthma exacerbations requiring frequent visits and hospitalization. I get rashes now and I never had rashes before when growing up. I have been told that I have lung tissue scarring and at one point pneumonitis. Many of my PFTs show that I have a mild restrictive defect. Several of the physicians that I have seen have told me that my symptoms are as a result of a reaction that I had to the Tdap vaccine. My asthma has become so severe that I am sensitive to the smell of food cooking, perfumes, pet fur dust, air freshener and cleaning products, to the point that I have to wear a mask whenever I am well enough to leave the house. My pulmonologist has determined that my asthma is so severe that I need to start receiving social security disability. I become extremely short of breath walking short distances. I have asthma attacks so frequently that I have to keep a portable nebulizer with me at all times because my inhaler and controller medication not relieve my asthma symptoms. I have lost two jobs because I am home sick frequently and for long amounts of time. I have also developed Chronic Sinusitis, Allergic Rhinitis, TIETZE's SYNDROME, Chronic Urticaria, Vocal Cord Dysfunction, and Recurrent.