Age: 39.0
Sex: F
Vaccine: FLU3
Symptoms: Chills, Confusional state, Dry skin, Erythema, Exfoliative rash
Clinical narrative: Noticed small red bumps on upper thigh that itched this day (Wednesday), may have been there before 10/21 but not really noticable to me. Dismissed it as bug bite or poison ivy at time and as it got more noticible. But then, Friday morning when got out of bed, (this was Friday after the Monday I rec'd the vaccine) I noticed small red bumps on bottom edge of my butt (again thought it was from where your underwear edge rubs sometimes, but weird that it was even on both sides). Then as I was doing my morning yoga it spread all over my butt, back of thighs and back in a matter of 30 mins.  Looked hives up online and read to take a Benadryl and put cool compress on hives.  Did this, but it just made me very cold and for much time after removed cold towel I continued to have bouts of intermittent chills and sometimes my face and ears seemed hot or like heat was coming out of them.  One time I took my temp later that day and didn't have a fever.  After yoga when I noticed it spreading everywhere, I was calling family about my condition since I was alone... I got very panicky and almost confused and couldn't think or stay focused at times while on the phone and trying to figure out what to do, go to doctor, hospital, etc...not sure if this was part of the reaction or my reaction (a panic attack) to it.  Once the Benadryl kicked in and an hour or so passed I calmed down.  I never felt like I couldn't breathe other than when I was panicky and the person on the phone with me had to tell me to calm down and breathe slowly with deep breaths.  Never had swelling of any part of my face, other than the ears tips turning red and face just feeling hot several times then and throughout the day and the next. I still had to stay under a down blanket to prevent chills that day and the next some, but I couldn't get too hot either or it caused the hives to get worse.  They lessened after the Benadryl that morning but returned on my lower legs, feet and hands later that day after Beneadryl wore off or maybe because I got up and was moving around more.   The hives would come and go for the next 2 days, and on different parts of my body (arms, legs, feet, hands mostly) not on my back or backside again...they stayed away or didn't other me at night.  I kept taking Benadryl for Fri/Sat, then switched to Loratadine to be less drowsy and didn't have any more bouts starting that following Monday 10/26/09. Meanwhile the itchy spot on my thigh never came and went. It just stayed the whole time and continued to get more defined into a circle instead of misc. bumps...they moved closer together into a red whelp the size of a dime by that first weekend. Then it continued to get bigger to the size of a quarter and the center started to flatten and turn a bluish/then more regular skin color while the outer edge was more and more raised and redder as time passed.  It itched but was mild, was not tender..no pain. Since the hives hadn't returned even without taking any meds for several days, but this spot kept getting bigger I finally went to the dermatologist on 10/29/09.  They scraped it and it had fluid so they said it wasn't ringworm and based on what I told them and that I had had the vaccine they called it a fixed drug reaction or some sort.  They gave me Topicort to put on several times a day which I did. It slowly became less red and raised over the last couple of weeks.  Its diameter has stayed the same as it keeps fading away and as of today 11/17/09 it is still visable slightly like a little scaly dry patch, but doesn't itch anymore. I would like to know what part of the vaccine I was reacting to and what to do about this in the future and what to say I am allergic to since every medical paperwork out there asks this? I am not allergic to eggs and eat them all the time (one of the dermatologists suggested I might be developing an allergy to eggs).  I had the vaccine without preservatives...Afluria PF QTY. 0.5 RX# 0057830-12527. Went to Dermatologist Office on 10/29/09.