Freaking out after vaccine

[Cornishqween]

Can anyone help me calm down a bit? I have health anxiety so worth mentioning.
I had the jab (az) sat morning (so I'm on day 3). Most of the side effects have worn off, headache fever etc but my arm is looking angrier and angrier by the second. The injection site has a lump and very large red patch around it taking up quite a bit of my upper arm.
I phoned 111 who told me to speak to the gp, and gp called and wanted to see a pic of it. She's given antibiotics as she feels it's infected but I'm now convinced it's a blood clot. Anyone know what the symptoms of a blood clot are? This isn't just a bit red and sore - it's massive. I'm really really scared atm.
Thanks

I am sure your GP can recognise physical symptoms, if any, of a blood clot.

I know several people who had the same thing with their arms, and it went so it might not be anything serious. Just give the surgery a call or send them a pic.

Sounds more like cellulitis, a skin infection, if it's a large area of inflammed red skin that is slowly increasing in size. Will need antibiotics, if so.

I would call the surgery back and let them know that you’re feeling anxious and want reassurance.

Thanks all - that's helpful.

I know the GP knows what they're doing. I've started the antibiotics straight away to try and calm it down. I just keep thinking the worst, and wasn't given any info at the time of the vaccine to know what to expect. Reassuring that this has happened to others and I'm not alone because I'd not heard anyone else have this happen.

Think I need to stay off the news

OP I also had mine on Saturday and have a red bump also, and a kind of slightly weird rash and pain in the arm, also stressing and trying to be calm. I'm hoping it will improve soon. Best of luck

I alos noticed my inner arm is painful and arm a bit swollen as well, it is not very nice.

Hope yours gets better orange. It's scary when it's unknown.

Mine is very large and hot, it's not so much the exact point where the needle went in, it's spreading slowly around it. Have marked it with pen to keep an eye on it.

Ps sorry if that's gross

wow, that's gnarley

It's fine. It can be an unfortunate side effect of having any vaccine not just covid.

Take the antibiotics and might be worth reading up about possible side effects for any future vaccinations so you are armed with the info before you have it.

Hope it settles soon

THere's a briefing for health care professionals at www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/dhpc/direct-healthcare-professional-communication-dhpc-vaxzevria-previously-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca_en.pdf

The symptoms of concern it gives for a clot are chest pain/shortness of breath, leg swelling/pain, severe stomach pain. Also severe persistent headaches, blurred vision, dizzyness etc. As there's a risk of reduced clotting, too, the final symptom of concern is petechiae - that's like little dots where pinpoint bleeding spots are happening under the skin, all over the body or in patches, like a rash.

What you have looks like a localised infection in the skin, not a blood clot.

If you're worried it's always worth contacting your GP (I am not a doctor, you are not my patient) but I think your panic is coming from - your health anxiety combined with scary stories on the news.

@Motorina

THere's a briefing for health care professionals at www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/dhpc/direct-healthcare-professional-communication-dhpc-vaxzevria-previously-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca_en.pdf

The symptoms of concern it gives for a clot are chest pain/shortness of breath, leg swelling/pain, severe stomach pain. Also severe persistent headaches, blurred vision, dizzyness etc. As there's a risk of reduced clotting, too, the final symptom of concern is petechiae - that's like little dots where pinpoint bleeding spots are happening under the skin, all over the body or in patches, like a rash.

What you have looks like a localised infection in the skin, not a blood clot.

If you're worried it's always worth contacting your GP (I am not a doctor, you are not my patient) but I think your panic is coming from - your health anxiety combined with scary stories on the news.

That's so helpful thank you for sharing. This is definitely driven by anxiety (specifically health anxiety). Today has been a bad day emotionally since seeing the news this morning so I think I need to switch off for a while and try not to focus on it all. The antibiotics are managing the arm thankfully.

Really appreciate the advice anyway hopefully dh will be home soon to help bring me out of this anxiety bubble I'm in

Don't worry - what you've got is a localised reaction from your immune system to the injection site - not a clot. Can't see antibiotics will do any good, but it should calm down by itself relatively quickly.

It's like if you graze your knee you get the same kind of inflammation of the surrounding tissue - your immune system is aware of a breach and triggers a load of reactions to make the area as hostile as it can for anything that might try to get into your body.

That's a site reaction from a vaccination or injection. I inject myself with multiple things weekly and have done for years due to chronic illnesses. That's a very normal looking skin reaction. If it's infected (which I doubt ) then the antibiotics will obviously help, but if they don't I would buy some over the counter antihistamine as that will usually help something like that.

I get this quite honestly every week I inject my meds and have done for years

I also have a blood clotting disease and what you've photoed looks nothing to do with blood clots.

Thanks again for the advice.

It hasn't gone down at all unfortunately, I'm on day 3 of the antibiotics and it's still as large, red and as sore as it was when I started them no idea why it's just not getting better but It's also not spreading which I guess is a good thing.

I think I've just never had much in the way of jabs as an adult so nothing to compare to. Really hoping this settles on its own in time as it's bloody agony if anything touches it.

Thanks for the blood clot reassurance too...have avoided the news at all costs and it's making me feel less panicked.

Not a doctor or HP but wanted to say that to me it looks like an allergic reaction. I have had similar multiple times being allergic to dust, pollens and some animals if something I'm allergic to has grazed me.
Buy some hydrocortisone cream. It should help the swelling quickly.

I also have really bad health anxiety freak out whenever I’m prescribed anything and more often than not don’t take them etc, I had my jag this week too and felt really unwell after it but I just want to say I’m proud of you for going for it, I know how much of a big deal it was for you. I’ve had cellulitis and it did look like that so try to not worry, easier said than done I know. Proud of you

I had my first AZ jab 3 days ago and my arm is sort of the same. It was hot from the start. But now has an angry red, slightly swollen patch. The thing that’s bothering me is it’s so itchy. How is yours now op? Is yours itchy at all?

I'd show a pharmacist . Not because I think its a clot. It looks like a vaccine reaction. But maybe a cream treatment would be more appropriate.

Looks just like a local reaction to a vaccine.
I get this every year with the flu jab.

Eventually goes away

I am shocked that you were not given any information after the jab . I volunteer at a vaccination hub and everybody gets a leaflet and an explanation from the person giving the jab . We also survey patients leaving to ensure they have been given the info/explanation.

Oh wow. Your post could have been written by me! 3 days in and my arm was red, swollen, painful, only slightly itchy. It was just starting to get better and then all flared up again!! I called docs who said it was ‘odd’ but very doubtful that infected. Now 2 weeks in and, whilst redness is going, there is still a painful hard swelling on my arm. Also suffer from health anxiety so focusing on it far too much. Trying to get a grip. Feels reassuring when you hear others have had it too!

This is quite common after the moderna vaccine. I’ve seen a few articles about it on line.

@Heartpic

Oh wow. Your post could have been written by me! 3 days in and my arm was red, swollen, painful, only slightly itchy. It was just starting to get better and then all flared up again!! I called docs who said it was ‘odd’ but very doubtful that infected. Now 2 weeks in and, whilst redness is going, there is still a painful hard swelling on my arm. Also suffer from health anxiety so focusing on it far too much. Trying to get a grip. Feels reassuring when you hear others have had it too!

This is very very helpful thank you. Mine was ok but achy for first 2 days, then this lump and redness kicked in day 3 and I'm on day 6 and it's still the same.