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? 😢

Was your jzb a bit close to your shoulder joint? I had an horrendous week if pain after a clumsy flu jab.

I had possible covid in apr. Breathing issues etc but a couple of months later i had numbness of hands when sleeping.- Little and ring fingers (i also get muscle twitches, in legs mainly .).
It can be cubital tunnel syndrome. Maybe try sleeping with arms straight. The nerve runs down through elbow i think

Or thyroid issues.

This has me worried for my relative having the vaccine this morning. She has RA and is on methotrexate so her immune system is already shot to pieces. I HATE this virus!

Myalternate, don't worry about your relative. I have more wrong with me than just my arthritis. Everyone else I know has had perfectly normal and expected side effects, and that includes a lot of complex cases with multiple issues too.

Afaik my jab was in the normal place pickachew. Easy to tell as I have a tattoo on the top of my arm

Thanks eyes - from what I've seen you're more likely to have side effects with your first dose of AZ but otoh with the second dose of Pfizer.

I've had cubital tunnel syndrome in my right arm before, but that was caused by something in particular. It was why I assumed it was due to swelling impinging the nerve in the first place though. My legs are increasingly jerky and weak, however my legs are pretty weak anyway- I use a wheelchair.

I hate to sound ungrateful for the support, so I hope it's not taken that way... but I understand flu/fever/headache side effects occur with both vaccines and in a lot of people. Yes, some people can be "hit by a truck' for a few days, and what I'm talking about here is something really small and minor in comparison. But there is a lot of support online for those who have predictable side effects already - I just want somewhere to talk about the ones I am experiencing.

The tingly feeling also now reaches above my left elbow btw. Only just - maybe an inch or two - but it's there.

@mumsiedarlingrevolta

please would someone tell me what "yellow carded" means? I only know the sporting one...

yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/

Anyone can use this system.

My sister 40 had the Pfizer injection (she’s a nurse) in good health it completely floored her for 24 hours - then completely fine.
I was worried my MIL would be the same and as she lives alone quite a distance away she in her mid 70’s had the AZ one and it absolutely fine had no reactions. Same with my FIL all ok .

I can’t remember what vaccine I had (it was for travel) some years ago & I remember I couldn’t lift my arm for days without being in great pain! I guess the nurse nicked a nerve. The pain and dead weight feeling in my arm I’ll always remember!

My sister had a similar vaccine reaction once nohome, I remember as we went on holiday after and she had her arm stuck by her side for two weeks - in all the photos!

Hmm... I definitely have numbness in my right hand now too, however it's bloody cold today so that could be causing it 🤔

I realise I'm using the thread as a bit of a stream of consciousness, I figured that would be useful if it did progress to have it all written down.

New thing, shooting pains in the back of my right hand. Not massively painful, but enough to catch me off guard.

I'm trying to hold off calling my GP back til the morning, so I can leave the emergency drs free to deal with actual emergencies.

My throat is tingling. I am so paranoid (please tell me someone is reading who understands this) that this possible progression is just a nocebo. I've been told I'm just a hypochondriac and drama queen for all of my life - I've been left unable to trust myself when it comes to illness. Fwiw in recent years my doctors have made up for this, but the leftover thoughts of paranoia are still there.

I'm so worried about being labelled a hypochondriac that I go too far the other way. Last time I minimised an acute illness, it was sepsis and I was in hospital for a week. Even knowing that, I'm paranoid it's in my head.
Being told there was nothing wrong with me for 20 odd years has fucked my head up.

@BeyondAZParanoia is it worth you ringing 111 and requesting a chat with an out of hours gp? This way they can make a assessment if this is something which will pass in a few Sars if if someone needs to check the symptoms out?

It sounds like you've been having quite a time of it, and are experiencing a lot of weird symptoms, some of which are possibly related to the vaccine, some are possibly hyper awareness of your situation, ie, if you asked me how I was today, I'd say I'm OK, a little tired and a bit cold. But if I take a stock take of my whole body going through each part in turn, the arch of my left foot feels uncomfortable, my right thumb aches at the bottom of the joint, my throat is a bit scratchy, my right nostril is a bit drippy, my temples are a bit achy and if I turn my head to the left, the muscles in my neck ache. But it's only by focusing in and doing the stock take that I notice all of those things, if I was busy at work rather than bored on the sofa I wouldn't even think twice about them. It's worth picking out red flag symptoms whereby you will seek medical attention, ie, tingling in your throat - can you swallow OK, eat OK, breathe OK? If the answer to any of those is no, seek medical attention. With regards to the numbness/pain/tingling in your arm, is it stopping you from completing everyday activities? Is it progressing or just moving around? If it's progressing and the original parts are still affected but it's moving up your arm seem medical attention. If a pain that you cant explain the origin of lasts for an extended period of time or ranks above a 7 on your pain score then seek medical attention. Of course everybody is different in how they experience things, and sometimes anxiety about our health can make symptoms worse, so my red flags might not be the same as yours due to how your medical history affects how you experience things but do call 111 today if you think there is something wrong that may need urgent investigation/treatment

At the moment I'm still comfortable to wait til the morning. If I get to the point where I'm not sure, I'll call 111.

It's hard to take stock of how badly I'm affected as I'm not coming from an able baseline; my hand function is already impaired for eg, as is my walking, my balance, my breathing, everything.

The numbness in my hands is progressive, not changing. It started in two left fingers, then my left hand, then up my arm to just above the elbow. That is the same now. Same with my right hand now too, it is currently only my two fingers but that has stayed since it first appeared. It is the pins and needles and the pain that changes. The shooting pain is all over the shop.

My throat is noticeable, I'm not just sat here bored and trying to find things that are wrong. That list would be significantly longer. However at the moment it doesn't stop my doing anything, so isn't a problem for 111. It can wait.

I want support here but I also want everything written down in one place, in case I do get ill enough to need help. Having been in the position many times of whoever is with me trying to guess what my symptoms were and when.

@BeyondAZParanoia

If I get to the point where I'm not sure, I'll call 111

Yes, don't hesitate to do this if you get to a stage where your symptoms merit a call

@BeyondAZParanoia

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.

Starting in the Ring finger and little finger? That's the symptoms people have when they get a crick in their neck/tight neck & shoulder muscles.

As I said, I've had my ulnar nerve impinged in my right arm before, I know what it feels like. This came on following the vaccine, and if you RTFT you’ll see isn’t now confined to the one arm anyway. Also read what AZ have to say on the subject. If I had a headache you wouldn’t be arguing that I’d slept awkward 🙄

Btw, my feet are now numb too - HOWEVER, it’s bloody cold so I’m having a bath in the hope that they at least are heat related.

@BeyondAZParanoia

As I said, I've had my ulnar nerve impinged in my right arm before, I know what it feels like. This came on following the vaccine, and if you RTFT you’ll see isn’t now confined to the one arm anyway. Also read what AZ have to say on the subject. If I had a headache you wouldn’t be arguing that I’d slept awkward 🙄

Why not? I get horrendous migraines when my neck muscles are tight/arthritis or EDS is being an arse to me/I haven't used my shaped pillow - including more specifically pins, needles and shooting pains, along with a spreading coldness going up my forearm, starting from my ring and little finger, then the percussion side of my hand; during the worst ones, it travels to both sides, but it all stems from my neck.

As you've got a chronic condition, like me, you're very likely to be hyperaware of something 'going wrong' of feeling 'different'. But, it's also possible that it's not actually vaccine related and is physical/coincidental.

@BeyondAZParanoia

As I said, I've had my ulnar nerve impinged in my right arm before, I know what it feels like. This came on following the vaccine, and if you RTFT you’ll see isn’t now confined to the one arm anyway. Also read what AZ have to say on the subject. If I had a headache you wouldn’t be arguing that I’d slept awkward 🙄

I don’t think you have to be rude to people who are just trying to help.

I’m sorry you’re feeling so terrible. Is there a reason you haven’t sought medical assistance now after two days?

Oh absolutely re that last bit, I don’t know right now that it’s the vaccine and not a coincidence. All I know is that it came on afterwards and that my dr says it sounds like it’s a side effect. Obviously that may change over time if it lets us know it was something that was already there/was gonna happen anyway

I’m not trying to be rude. And I’m waiting for the morning to speak to my gp.

Good luck with the GP. If I were you I’d probably call the OOH just in case.