allergic reaction to vaccine?

[Anonymous]

i got the vaccine today, and my eyes started itching like crazy. my eyes are now all swollen with dark circles underneath. no other symptoms. i ate my usual oatmeal for breakfast and potato chips and a green salad i made at home today. the only other thing i did out of the ordinary today was carve a pumpkin, so theoretically i could be allergic to the pumpkin (i've never carved a pumpkin before but i'm pretty sure i've eaten pumpkin before (pumpkin ravioli and pumpkin seeds) with no such reaction.

thoughts?

[Anonymous]

Have you ever gotten a flu shot before?

I am thinking it could be the pumpkin. Or a chemical that was on or near the pumpkin - a pesticide or preservative or something. My eyes and mouth and throat would itch LIKE CRAZY when I used to eat apples - when I would scrub them I would be fine, and a dr. once told me it sounded like a reaction to pesticide rather than the apple itself.

[Anonymous]

A friend of mine who lives in FL had a reaction to the seasonal flu virus that started out that way. She had a scratchy throat and her eyes swelled shut. She ended up going to the ER just to be on the safe side, but that's as bad as it got. Hope you feel better!

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP w/ the friend in FL, I should also add that the ER docs said that she was likely reacting to the vaccine, but it was an adverse reaction, not an allergic reaction. I can't remember why they made that distinction. She has had flu vaccines many times in the past w/ no problem.

[Anonymous]

Raw gourds contain enzymes that can irritate the skin - I discovered this for myself when my fingers got all raw and red after peeling and cubing a butternut squash. If your only symptom are the irritated eyes, I'm guessing the pumpkin is to blame. (Cooked pumpkin, like in ravioli and toasted seeds, does not have the same effect.)