Will taking paracetamol for fever after vaccine reduce my immune response?

[Chillihat]

Just that really. Very grateful to have had the jab but now have a banging headache and 38C fever but feel cold.

This might be a stupid question but would it affect how my body creates the immune response to the vaccine to take paracetamol? I.e. would it reduce my immune response?

@SexTrainGlue

Try to do without. Fever is part of your body mounting a response

There is some evidence that taking antipyrexics reduces the response to the vaccine

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5027726/

but it does not occur to an extent that causes concern. So if you are in pain, do not refrain from using painkillers because they also bring down temperature

That study was about prophylactic paracetamol, and in infants.

I know it is advised not to drink alcohol for 2 weeks afterwards but this isn't publicised at all.

Never heard this one. For this vaccine or any other vaccine I've had.

Who advises that?

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-9177439/DR-MICHAEL-MOSLEY-reveals-simple-steps-make-effective.html

Daily mail link but lists 5 ways to improve vaccine response.

www.diabetes.co.uk/news/2020/jan/people-who-receive-covid-19-vaccine-should-avoid-alcohol-before-and-after.html

This is where I read about avoiding alcohol.

I've googled the alcohol claim and it appears to come from the DrinkAware charity, who says that you shouldn't drink for a couple of days before or a couple of weeks after. But none of the sites where they are attributed to saying it have any scientific backing or links from what I've read so far on their first 2 or 3 links.

It also appears to be more linked to heavy drinkers.

inews.co.uk/news/health/drink-alcohol-covid-vaccine-can-after-advice-safety-coronavirus-jab-vaccination-870149

The MHRA says there's no known issues with alcohol following the vaccine.

It appears to be just the DrinkAware charity it is coming from. They also say you shouldn't drink alcohol if you catch covid until fully recovered, though don't say what fully recovered means or give time scales.

Even then though the charity says that if you have had alcohol following the vaccine then you should still be fine immunity wise.

I am on the Janssen vaccine trial and had a temp after my first jab. I called the study doctor (as I had been instructed in case of any side effects) and they told me to take paracetamol. I can’t imagine that they would advise this if they thought it might affect the resulting immune response (unless they are studying this too!).

OK, well those are general measures to support your immune system and not specific to the COVID vaccines.

All good measures: eat fibre, don't smoke, don't be a heavy drinker, get enough sleep, and all connected, generally, with immune system health (researched to a greater or lesser degree).

I'm not sure about the paracetamol but would be interesting if they did research into it.

The alcohol seems common sense though. We know that alcohol affects the immune system (it is, essentially, a poison to the body) and if I ever have an infection, such as a UTI or sinusitis, the GP always says to avoid alcohol until I'm better. Just makes sense to me that if you want your immune system to have the best possible reaction to the vaccine avoiding alcohol is best. Its only for two weeks. Seems worth it to me.

I wouldn’t have thought so, I was advised to give my babies calpol after their vaccinations

I'd not even thought about this. I'm in group 6 and still waiting for an appointment but I take naproxen every day, among other things.

I was just coming on to say the same thing@Beeeees . I'm.in the same situation.

@Wakemeuuuup I've just mentioned it to my mum and she said when she had hers they told her she could have ibuprofen. Hopefully we'll be OK then...

@Beeeees Thanks. I hope so, everything I read suggests it will affect it

No way am I stopping my paracetamol it’s for arthritis and even the hospital let have at six in the morning for surgery, same day.

@Chillihat

I just took one paracetamol before bed and managed to sleep (although woke up frequently) for 10 hours! Spent most of the night covered in sweat but feel a lot better this morning and headache is much better.

The NHS is notorious for using paracetamol to treat everything. Both after a caesarian and having my appendix out I was just casually told just to take paracetamol despite being in agonising pain.

Anyway, that's beside the point. I really think they should research ways to improve the immune response after vaccines as it could make a real difference, especially at a public health level. I know it is advised not to drink alcohol for 2 weeks afterwards but this isn't publicised at all.

That's so bad. I wonder if it's something they fob women off with - I'm husband was given lots of strong painkilling drug after his appendix was taken out but after my c-section it was paracetamol only 😭 But in regards to your question the nurse at my vaccination said to take paracetamol even if I didn't have any symptoms to make sure I didn't get any!

You can test for the exact titre of spike protein antibodies after both doses. The doctor who did ours said he tested on himself and some relatives/colleagues. Most had titres of 15000 - 30000. The person that had the worst reaction after the jab had a titre of 80000. However anything above 4000 is more than enough to give you the protection required. So the advice against taking medication might be true in theory, but the actual numbers won't make a huge difference. The vaccine (this case Pfizer) is effective regardless of where you land on the scale.

@Chillihat

I'm not sure about the paracetamol but would be interesting if they did research into it.

The alcohol seems common sense though. We know that alcohol affects the immune system (it is, essentially, a poison to the body) and if I ever have an infection, such as a UTI or sinusitis, the GP always says to avoid alcohol until I'm better. Just makes sense to me that if you want your immune system to have the best possible reaction to the vaccine avoiding alcohol is best. Its only for two weeks. Seems worth it to me.

I assume that you were taking antibiotics for uti and sinusitis? The issue is with alcohol reacting with antibiotics rather than it being bad for your immune system.

It is absolutely fine to take paracetamol or ibuprofen to deal with systemic symptoms (fever, chills, achiness etc) after vaccination. They both work very effectively for that purpose. It is more important that you don't experience side effects unpleasant enough to stop you having the second dose than avoid a non-existent effect on any immune response. Your amazing immune system will do what it needs to do with the vaccine.

I had Pfzier yesterday but my arm is so painful i ended up taking Ibupofen as Paracetomol didn't help, now worried.

@Beeeees

I'd not even thought about this. I'm in group 6 and still waiting for an appointment but I take naproxen every day, among other things.

I take cocodamol and dicofenac most days. Doctor said it was fine to take both as normal.

Thanks @Abraxan. I also take cocodamol so that's good news too.

DH wasn't told not to drink alcohol when he had his so it's a bit late now if it's a problem!

Providing no official evidence about painkillers has been published I'll be taking paracetamol and ibuprofen if I need to after mine, I don't believe in suffering unnecessarily!

I tend to opt for 1 paracetomol plus sleep rather than 2 unless its (metaphorically) life and death. If 1 paracetomol helps you sleep and sleep is healing I can't see it making much difference.

I've never found 1 to make a difference, I always take 2 and often 2 ibuprofen either at the same time or a couple of hours later.