Lingering fatigue following Pfizer vaccine - anyone else?

[littlepeas]

I had the Pfizer vaccine nearly 4 weeks ago and am still not right. I had a few days of being shivery and noticeably very tired. I now feel fine sitting down, working, etc, but every time I try to do something active, even a short walk, I am finding that I feel physically very tired, very quickly - like my legs won't work properly and I am wading through mud. I am also struggling at my usual pilates and yoga classes - very low energy. It occurred to me that this could be related to my vaccine - has anyone else experienced this? I am normally in good health, but am hyper mobile which can cause fatigue if I overdo it - I am definitely not overdoing it though!

I had my second dose today and I’m shattered! I was tired for quite a while after the first dose but I put that down to being back at work/college

I am so put off having my second now. I can’t go through this all over again (assuming this first round ever eases!) but I’m worried about the restrictions on not being fully vaccinated. I am not worried about bloody Covid at all!

I had mine yesterday. My arm was sore last night and this morning and today I have felt a bit tired and headachy and a bit like I do when I am coming down with something, but otherwise so far so good. My arm doesn't hurt now and I went for a walk around the block about an hour ago as I suddenly felt better. Fingers crossed that that was it!

I had my second at the end of March and I'm still not right. I had low grade fever, was in and out of bed for about 6 weeks. Weird fluctuating joint pain, pins and needles, night sweats. I had blood tests which came back clear. I'm much much better in that I can now function but I'm still physically tired. I'm struggling with exercise, my limbs/body just don't work properly. Oh and I frequently get sudden bouts of very low mood which equally suddenly disappear.

I have gradually got better over time and I think it'll eventually pass it's just so bloody tedious and wearing getting through it. And I'm not and have never been anti vax but I doubt I'll have a booster. I had COVID and I was done and dusted in 3 weeks rather than 3sodding months.

In my 50s, also hyper mobile and hypothyroid.

Ahhh I really don’t want my second vaccine. I wish I never got this one 😩

Can you please yellow card your side effects online? It’s really really important to document this

God the side affects are lasting a looooong time 🤨

@Roonerspismed

Can you please yellow card your side effects online? It’s really really important to document this

I did at the time. I'm really surprised to see other MNers reporting itching and rashes - thought I was special, given I hadn't seen that in the list of expected side effects!

Re fatigue - no idea. I've been constantly tired over the last year due to, well, everything , so no idea if I'm more tired or not off the back of this jab.

Oh and I had the itch thing! Itchy all over, no rash.

I seem to be further along than a lot of you as I had my jabs very early on and I have to say I'm sooo much better. I'm just not where I know I should be if that makes sense. So hopefully it will slowly get easier for us all. I have been in despair with it, now I'm just tired of it.

Is itching a thing? I mentioned to doctor about having itching all over my body a few days after the first vaccine that went on for several days but she said it was a coincidence.
Two weeks on now from my second vaccine Pfizer and I'm ripping my body apart I'm so itchy which is why I'm awake it started yesterday I think but has been constant today I'm itching everywhere driving me insane bit relieved though to hear other people have experienced the itching.

@unambiguousbeard you are a couple of weeks ahead of me. So glad things are getting easier for you now. How long would you say you were on your knees for?
@Roonerspismed I agree everyone should yellow card their symptoms. It's ludicrous that GPs won't consider potential side effects unless they are officially NHS sanctioned.

I have been told by a non-nhs professional that people who had covid are more likely to have this kind of reaction to the vaccine. I probably had it in March 2020, before they were doing testing.

I also have double vision.

It's been really helpful to see that it's not actually that uncommon to have lingering side effects, although obviously I don't want anyone to feel rubbish!

It's also really interesting to see that others are hyper mobile - I had quite a lot of symptoms associated with my hyper mobility in the past, but have learnt to manage my energy and how I move my body and have been in very good health for years now. I feel like I am in somewhat of a flare up - the joints in one of my hands are stiff and sore, as well as the fatigue I am experiencing. It may be a coincidence, but the only thing that I have done differently is have the covid vaccine! It's as if it has caused significant enough extra inflammation in my body to cause a flare up of symptoms.

It's so frustrating! I am usually very active and energetic and hate feeling restricted by my body. Sorry that others are experiencing this too. It makes sense to yellow card it - I will do this today.

@WhyDoIFeelAwful I had COVID at a similar time to you, pre testing.

I've found it a gradual lessening of symptoms. And also for a few days I'd feel much better then I'd go down again. If I overdid it I'd be back in bed. I am naturally very active so I cant rest and take it slowly. The minute I feel better I rush about again.

The joint pains have been very weird. Throbbing pain in a joint for a few days then moving to another one. Currently I've got neck pain which is giving me headaches and earaches. The previous place was really bad ankle pain. Makes no sense at all!

I guess it's like a version of long COVID/post viral fatigue but it's very weird. I think I'm over it then it hits me again.

@littlepeas it's never occurred to me I'd get symptoms (generally not due to the vax) related to my hyper mobility.

Haven't yellow carded but I will do. Mainly because other people keep telling me it can't be vax related so I start doubting myself.

@unambiguousbeard (incredible username by the way - I do love an unambiguous beard!) - hypermobility can cause lots of symptoms, or very few/none - if you are strong and fit you are less likely to suffer, as your muscles will support your joints better. Connective tissue is everywhere, so there are some odd symptoms that you wouldn't expect, like digestive issues, and it can cause anxiety too (because of lower proprioception in hyper mobile people - we find it harder to understand where we are in space).

I only started to have symptoms after I had 3 babies in 3 years by c section...the resulting lack of core strength/stability meant that my body struggled to support itself as it had before.

It's really interesting when you start looking into it.

It would be interesting to get a list of risk factors.
I have a thyroid condition, some hypermobility, I'm perimenopausal, and have an ongoing problem with my vision. Currently living in an extremely stressful situation. I think that's probably it for relevant info.

@WhyDoIFeelAwful

I have been told by a non-nhs professional that people who had covid are more likely to have this kind of reaction to the vaccine. I probably had it in March 2020, before they were doing testing.

DH possibly had it then too, and I had very mild symptoms, so we could have both had it. He has also had a strong reaction to the vaccine but mine each time has lasted longer.

Same. I agree with every single comment on this thread. This thread is great, very reassuring for me actually. I do have some monitored health issues (not hyper mobility) and don’t think I’m as fit as I could be. First dose far worse than second for me, but nearly 2 months later I’m fine now just stressed about things.

When you feel that way though, you don’t really think about reporting/yellow carding your side effects. Is it too late now?

Do think I’d already had covid anyway, yes.

I haven’t had Covid before. Another day of feeling crap here 🙄

I was carrying on with my fitness and I don’t want to stop it, it was one empowering area of my life but now I am going to have a weeks break to rest I guess because whenever I’ve felt somewhat ok I’ve gone back to the gym and now I feel terrible again.

I don't think I have had COVID, but it's difficult to be completely sure as there are so many asymptomatic cases. Dh had something resembling it very early on during the pandemic (before the first lockdown) - a cough and a temperature - nobody else in the household developed any symptoms of whatever it was he had (3dc and me). We'll never know whether it was covid or not - he would have antibodies from his vaccine now!

I feel ok when I am sitting down - it's only when I try to do something physical that I become very tired (very quickly too). The weather probably isn't helping either.

It’s never too late to yellow card it and please report to GP

Otherwise how will it ever be investigated or take seriously? We will be told that no one else has had these issues

Ok will yellowcard. Thought the GP would be far too busy for my complaining!

Re: the itching - can’t comment as extremely sensitive skin anyway