Concerned I am having an adverse reaction to my vaccine.

[BeyondAZParanoia]

I've only namechanged as I've posted about it on fb and don't want these linked. Ask mn how long I've been here if you think I'm making it up.

I have a metric fuck tonne of comorbidities, I'm CEV, and had my vaccine this week (AZ, clues in the name 😂)

Since, I have had neurological symptoms in my arm. Pins and needles, neuralgia, numbness in my fingers and hand. No other side effects. I have yellow-carded and spoken to my GP (advised to keep an eye on it and call the emergency number if anything increases and makes me concerned), but I just want a support thread while I wait for this to go away :( my concern is that I don't want to scare people into not having it, so I've been wary of mentioning it. But then on the other hand, I'm paranoid that I'm just being a hypochondriac and there is nothing abnormal anyway. Anyone who has had long term health problems and had them minimised like I have will hopefully understand this.

So, I know that if I'm having a dodgy response (AZ say neurological symptoms have existed in trials, but are believed to be unlinked to the vaccine itself), it's probably as I'm the only person in the UK with my exact combination of health problems and medications, and at my age/sex etc. That doesn't mean it's a problem for anyone else, but doesn't exactly placate me either. Iyswim.

Could I have a handhold? 😢

Also can I say that it made sense to me that these symptoms would be due to swelling in the arm putting pressure on the nerves. What first made me actually worry about it, was AZ saying it isn't a side effect.

Handholding. You've done the right thing yellow carding. Is the numbness in the arm that got jabbed? If so I think there's a good chance it's just down to swelling as you say. Hopefully it passes soon.

Do you think it could be anxiety related? I get this when I’m anxious and having a panic attack and convince myself it’s not that and that I’m dying. You sound stressed by the whole thing so it could be.

Hope you feel better soon

I know a few people who've had reactions to the vaccine and been a bit off colour, tired, temp etc but only for between 1 and 3 days. A couple have been in bed for a few days.

They've all said that it was worth it to get the vaccine though.

My mum had hers last week and felt like she’d been hit by a truck for a good few days - neuralgia, back pain and muscle aches, flu-like symptoms without an actual fever. She’s fine now but felt dreadful at the time. She has the flu vaccine every year and has never had a reaction to it. She called her GP and apparently lots of women are having nasty side effects. My stepdad has had both doses and was absolutely fine.

Still better than getting covid, though!

Yes symptoms are in the arm that was jabbed, but I have no obvious adverse reaction at the site - no redness, visible swelling or rash/itching. Only other issue is shooting pains in my legs and feet, but that could just be my body doing it's usual weird playing up! 😂

It's possible it's anxiety, but I don't feel anxious. The problems started the day after the vaccine and I shrugged (one armed 😉) and assumed it was just normal side effects. It was only when the numbness had progressed (it started on ring finger and little finger, then spread to all of my hand) that I read up on the leaflet and saw it wasn't an expected side effect. That was the point when I started to get anxious about it.

I had mine on Wednesday, woke up a bit flattened on Thursday, and come to think of it, pins and needles in my toes, went back to sleep and woke up as right as ninepence.

I am extremely CEV, in fact I struggle to decide which of my health box issues my lovely GP ticked.

I haven’t had Covid jab yet, but I have regular B12 injections. They’re normally a bit unpleasant when administered, and a tiny bit of a sore arm after.

One of my jabs last year was completely painless when administered - I came away thinking “hope I get that nurse again”. Within a couple of hours my arm was really bloody painful - could hardly lift it up, couldn’t use it to pick anything up, the discomfort lasted just over a week. I think the needle must have hit a nerve.

Absolutely better than covid - even if (worst case scenario) my arm is actually fucked, it's still preferable. Like I said, I have other health issues so my arm isn't anywhere near 100% anyway

I have no tiredness, temp, headache, unusual muscle aches. I feel fine (for me) as I'm on a course of steroids atm, following a flare up of my autoimmune condition.

"I struggle to decide which of my health box issues my lovely GP ticked"

Haha me too 😂

I used to get that with low folate levels. Hemiplegic migraines without the pain. Stress was also a trigger, and muscle tension.
Lots of rest and fluids, eat well and hopefully you'll feel better soon

I had AZ on Tuesday, and had swelling of my hands and feet on Wednesday to the point I didn't wear my usual work shoes. I also felt like I'd been hit by a truck, ached all over, had a headache and fever all day. I also had a tingling/burning sensation across most of my skin but in particular the small of my back. The burning sensation is a usual immune reaction for me (my sisters have the same feeling whenever they are unwell) so I didn't yellow card it but I did the swelling. But I did have some soreness in the injection site, quite near my shoulder, and have had inflammation around the shoulder joint previously that led to tingling sensations/pins and needles/loss of sensation in my lower arm, so I wouldn't be too concerned about the side effects you're experiencing. You've done the right thing reporting them, and being aware of them/monitoring them, but our immune systems are amazing things and are really busy after receiving a vaccination to a virus we probably haven't had (I'm fairly sure I haven't already had covid). Put your feet up if you're able, get some rest, plenty of fluids and let your immune system do its business

Have you reported it to AZ as a possible adverse event? Please do so if you haven't and don't worry about whether it might turn out to be nothing. Adverse Event Reporting is a key element in the ongoing assurance that drugs and vaccines are effective and safe. Here's a link to AZ's Adverse Reporting page:

www.astrazeneca.in/adverse-event-reporting.html

Also speak to your GP if you haven't done so already.

I had mine on Wednesday. I was fine until last night when I felt so tired I was in bed at 8.45 and slept for a whole 12 hours. My injection site is itching like hell today and there is a lump under the skin as well. Some of my colleagues were absolutely floored on Thursday though, they felt like they had the start of the flu, but were fine yesterday.

@TooTrueToBeGood

Have you reported it to AZ as a possible adverse event? Please do so if you haven't and don't worry about whether it might turn out to be nothing. Adverse Event Reporting is a key element in the ongoing assurance that drugs and vaccines are effective and safe. Here's a link to AZ's Adverse Reporting page:

www.astrazeneca.in/adverse-event-reporting.html

Also speak to your GP if you haven't done so already.

I've yellow-carded it and spoke to the GP (who from what I remember then does it from her end too), will that be passed to AZ already, or do I need to fill that out too?

You do sound very anxious.

My DH (ECV) had the AZ vaccination last Monday. Like @ageofexploration 's mum above, he had sudden onset hit-by-a-truck flu-like symptoms starting on Monday evening, and which persisted for about 48 hours. By Thursday morning he was totally back to normal.

We looked at the leaflet they give you, and he had every single thing listed.

But he's fine now. And I am so, so, grateful for these vaccines and to everyone that has made them possible.

"let your immune system do its business"

Haha, given autoimmune problems, that's what I'm afraid of! 🤣

It's my manner I think rather than anxiety - I'm autistic

Like I said I'm concerned, but not massively worried and panicking

Do you think maybe the needle hit a nerve?

Sorry missed the bit about your autoimmune condition! But I stand by putting your feet up, getting some rest and letting your immune system do its best (with the steroids keeping it in check)

One of the British participants developed inflammation of the spinal cord, known as transverse myelitis, according to a participant information sheet for AstraZeneca’s vaccine from July. The condition can cause weakness in the arms and legs, paralysis, pain and bowel and bladder problems. AZ then stated she had an undiagnosed case of multiple sclerosis....

Transverse myelitis can sometimes be the first sign of multiple sclerosis, which involves more complex symptoms. But the myelitis alone can also occur after the body encounters an infectious agent like a virus.

The company said it had not confirmed a diagnosis in the second case, a participant who got sick after the second dose of the vaccine. A person familiar with the situation who spoke with The Times on the condition of anonymity said the participant’s illness had been pinpointed as transverse myelitis. The trial was paused again on Sept. 6 after she fell ill.

The condition is rare, but serious, and experts said that finding even one case among thousands of trial participants could be a red flag. Multiple confirmed cases, they said, could be enough to halt AstraZeneca’s vaccine bid entirely.

“If there are two cases, then this starts to look like a dangerous pattern,” said Mark Slifka, a vaccine expert at Oregon Health and Science University. “If a third case of neurological disease pops up in the vaccine group, then this vaccine may be done.”

AstraZeneca’s trial in Britain lumped the two volunteers’ cases together, stating the illnesses were “unlikely to be associated with the vaccine or there was insufficient evidence to say for certain that the illnesses were or were not related to the vaccine,” based on safety reviews. The next day, AstraZeneca announced that it had resumed the trial in Britain.

But the F.D.A. has so far not allowed the company to start up again in the United States.

A spokesman for the F.D.A. declined to comment. The National Institutes of Health said in a statement that it “remains to be seen” whether the onset of illness in trial participants was coincidental or tied to the vaccine, adding that “pausing to allow for further evaluation is consistent with standard practice.”

Reported on 30th Dec 2020 in the American Times.

That may in time turn out to be relevant... I have trigemimal neuralgia which is often the first noticed symptom of MS, but as yet I don't show MS lesions. My autoimmune condition is an arthritis.

Thanks for the story btw, I'll file it under "fingers crossed this is not relevant, cause that's a scary thought" 😄

@BeyondAZParanoia

That may in time turn out to be relevant... I have trigemimal neuralgia which is often the first noticed symptom of MS, but as yet I don't show MS lesions. My autoimmune condition is an arthritis.

This is one of the reasons I am not having the vaccine as have symptoms of MS, no lesions though, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as multiple allergies and chronic respiratory issues and another autoimmune issue. So I fully understand your concern!

Good luck.

Thanks, mother