Age: 49.0
Sex: M
Vaccine: HEPA
Symptoms: Hepatic enzyme abnormal, Hepatitis C RNA increased, Hepatitis C virus, Pain, Sinusitis
Clinical narrative: Blood pressure elevated from normal to 172/121. Disorientation soreness inside and all over. Where I use to be able to work a normal day, up to 16 hours/day, now if I do for a couple of hours, it makes me feel bad and I have to lay down and sleep 2-4 hours. I first went to health department to have an infection under my scalp looked at. Later I was told that I had a "magic liver" (tests returned normal). I told nurse that I was a recovering alcoholic (with 2 years sobriety in November 10th) and that I needed badly to get back to work. I also told her that the pain had lessened greatly because of the Prednisone she had given me and that I had taken my last dosage that morning. She said that she had a shot for me. She said it was a Hep A shot. She didn't inform me of any of the possible side effects of it. I went ahead and took the shot. After they gave me the shot, the nurse that gave me the shot walked in and threw the Hep A information sheet into my lap and left the room. I didn't even think of it with any concern until later when I started experiencing all of the problems. It was then that I got a PDR and looked up Prednisone. It stated that, "most important fact about this drug: Prednisone lowers your resistance to infections and can make them harder to treat. Prednisone may also mask some of the signs of an infection, making it difficult for your doctor (or RN practitioner) to diagnose the actual problem. What side effects may occur? Prednisone may cause euphoria, insomnia, mood changes, personality changes, psychotic behavior, or severe depression. It may worsen any existing emotional instability. Special warnings about this vaccination: Do not get a smallpox vaccination or any other immunizations while you are taking prednisone. The vaccination might not take and could do harm to the nervous system. This is aside from possible problems which may occur from the drug itself which include relapse for recovering alcoholics/drug-addicts, suicidal tendencies, death (this was listed on the paper thrown in my lap). Every doctor that I saw from the health department would not do anything to help the condition that I was in except to give me a sheet of psychiatrists phone numbers. Even my probation is now effected since I cannot work any length of time; 1 hour or more with a great length of time of sleep and worsening of my condition. I have to have a 40 hour a week job and I cannot hold any kind of schedule while my condition is as it is now. It is barely possible for me to make the 3 AA meetings per week and do the little things I must do to maintain myself. I called a pharmacist (of over 20 years experience) and he alerted me to the fact that the shot and/or the combination of drugs could have caused glandular damage which he said could take 6-18 months to recover from with treatment and diet adjustments. After the shot, for the first 24 hours, I felt strange kinds of surges at times and a little different all of the time but absolutely nothing compared to when it all hit me full force the next day. I sleep around 18 hours a day for about 2.5 weeks. After the shot, I haven't felt or been the same. A pharmacist told me there were two types of Hep A vaccines and that it was an inactive virus that activated when it entered the system of a persons body. My present doctor told me that he admits she should not have given me the shot. There are two types of Hep A vaccination the people in the office didn't even know which one. It seems that everyone involved knows there is a problem but no one will do anything about it. When the first doctors told me to see a psychiatrist, my liver enzymes elevated from normal (at the time of the shot) to 750 and over 900 (Doctor gave me a blood test). The doctor told me that they all know each other from medical meetings and that the nurse wondered how I was doing. I don't know about the other doctors. One doctor told me I needed to see a psychiatrist. He wouldn't do anything to help. He asked me if I wanted to hurt myself and I said no he stood up and walked over to an open door and yelled, "Well, he doesn't want to hurt himself." Another doctor showed me attention and seemed to be concerned more. I have been told that I will have to pay for any specialists if I want any further help. I have been taken off of insurance and cannot even work to afford one. It's not even my fault that I am in this situation. I have been trusting individuals to help be but I am getting nowhere and in trouble financially, legally, physically and I am mentally draining myself to find and try options to help myself. Can you? Right now, I have disorientation at times, nausea, low energy level, depression, and when I do things, I wear out quickly and have to rest. Then I fall asleep although I feel so bad I don't think I can. I feel like I am going 1,000 miles per hour and hurt everywhere. The doctor put me on Klonopin and it helped slow down the feeling but didn't help my energy levels or quality of sleep. It just helped me to relax. When I first took it, the Klonopin would knock me out and make me feel like I couldn't stay away but that got better. I have been off of Klonopin for a few days now and the feeling is coming back some. I guess because it is leaving my system. I have a lot to deal with at this time physically and mentally....Hep A, Alcoholism, Degenerative Disk Disease, Bipolar (Manic depressive) and the effects of that shot and/or mixture of medications (which are many) along with premature digestion, anxiety, occasional itching (with and without whelps) I am now taking Metoprolol, Prozac, and Hydroxyzine Pamoate. At this time, I am in jeopardy of going to jail because my current condition is keeping me from carrying on a normal work schedule. For whatever time I exert myself to work (in any way), I never know when my body will go out on me and it always takes a long time to recover and makes me worse. If I can work on recovering from this condition and only focus on that then I think there may be a chance for recovery. I don't want anyone to get in trouble. I just need help.  8/29/08 Reviewed PCP office notes of 10/17/2006 FINAL DX: accidental fall w/RUQ pain; hepatitis C; & bipolar. Records reveal patient experienced inability to work since 5/18/2008 when received vaccination & prednisone.  C/O diarrhea & fell 6 days prior, hitting right chest/abdomen.  Exam revealed tender abdomen & hepatomegaly.  9/2/08 Reviewed health department medical records & vax records.  Records include 5/25 visit for cellulitis of scalp.   Patient 5/29 w/complaints of excessive sleepiness, fatigue, feeling terrible, dizziness, diffuse chest pain, cold feet.   Had completed steroids 1 week prior.  Seen in clinic 5/30 w/irritability, nausea, HA & diarrhea, mental confusion, burry vision, feeling of heaviness,  which started day after vax.  Dx w/vertigo & acute sinusitis.  Unable to work. Developed panic attacks, aggravated hypertension, anxiety.  Follow-up: Slept 18 1/2 hrs for 3 1/2wks- After the next day I could not work. After the 3 1/2 weeks I was finally able to see a health care doctor. They told me to see a psychiatrist. These are not all of the problems that existed.