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Covid

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Original poster

Did the vaccine make your hay fever symptoms worse?

21 replies

WatermelonSocks · 19/06/2021 10:58

I’m looking for some advice or possible reassurance that this is just a phase and will go away.

Years ago I used to suffer terribly from severe hay fever symptoms. Even with medication it was just awful all year round, but still I can’t drop daily antihistamines or it will be hell. It took me 6 years of living like that until I decided to have another child and wanted to stop any chemicals. I was over the moon when my body responded well to the gradual weaning off antihistamines and I was symptoms free throughout pregnancy and also 3 years after that! No sneezing, no tears, no headaches, no runny nose, no itchy throat.

I had the first dose of Moderna vaccine 3 weeks ago and I thought I was lucky that I got a bit of swelling the next day and that’s it. However 3 days after, hay fever symptoms came back with revenge! Constant sneeze attacks, runny nose and itchy mouth which wakes me up at night. I went back to antihistamines again and wearing a face mask when outside but I’m feeling terrible about having it again. Any scientists here who can explain why did it happen? Is it because the body is adjusting to the vaccine and will get back to normal?

People have been telling me that hay fever is worse this year since March and I’ve been totally grateful that I don’t have any symptoms and didn’t feel it al all! I woke up this morning with a total of three hours of sleep and I can’t describe the headache now.

OP posts:

DotsandCo · 19/06/2021 11:03

Complete opposite for me OP. I'm a severe hay fever sufferer and have been hospitalised three times in previous years due to the severity of my hay fever. Tree pollen is my nemesis 😱

This year...barely a sniffle! I had my first AZ jab in February. I'm 57 (not sure if age is a factor).

kimlo · 19/06/2021 11:08

mines been better this year, normally I suffer badly.

TheSockMonster · 19/06/2021 11:12

Vaccines cause an inflammatory reaction in the body, so hopefully this is just a temporary blip and will die down once your body has recovered from the vaccine.

I know there has been talk of vaccines causing autoimmune conditions but, as far as I am aware, it has been extensively studied and a causal link has never been found.

I had AZ and my period was 8 days late, with my next, current cycle 5 days over and still waiting. I googled and apparently it’s likely to be caused by the body’s inflammatory response and nothing to worry about.

Strange thing the immune system!

Stevenage689 · 19/06/2021 11:14

Or it could have nothing to do with the covid vaccine. Grass pollen has been unusually bad this June. My hayfever hasn't been bad at this time of year for over a decade. Last three weeks have been awful. Correlation isn't always causation and all that...

WhenSheWasBad · 19/06/2021 11:16

I teach in secondary schools.

The kids seem to be struggling with hay fever this year. More than usual I think. Maybe it’s just a year with particularly high pollen levels?

Lamentations · 19/06/2021 11:17

Yes I was just going to say that my (obviously) unvaccinated children are suffering hay fever symptoms like never before this year.

noblegiraffe · 19/06/2021 11:19

Yes, kids in schools have really struggled with hay fever, particularly at the start of this week when classes were full of crying sneezing kids.

They’re not vaccinated so no link there.

ikeepseeingit · 19/06/2021 11:19

It’s probably not the vaccine. To the commenter earlier saying their tree pollen isn’t bad, I am allergic to tree pollen and haven’t had anything at all this year. It’s because tree pollen is normal in spring time and it rained the whole time. If OP is allergic to grass pollen (which comes out in early June) then we have had absolutely no rain since spring. It’s been hot and windy and the pollen has blown all around maki bc it worse for everyone this year.

PurpleDaisies · 19/06/2021 11:19

The pollen has been particularly bad this year. I doubt it’s anything to do with the vaccine.

TheLovelinessOfDemons · 19/06/2021 11:21

Nope, had both doses and my hay-fever's exactly the same.

Shellingbynight · 19/06/2021 11:44

No, my hayfever was much worse last year because the weather was so hot dry and windy. This year it's just been 'normally bad' - we've had quite a bit of rain to dampen things down.

I had the AZ in March / May.

ComDummings · 19/06/2021 12:03

I don’t think it’s to do with the vaccines because most people I know have hayfever symptoms this year, including many children, especially very young ones. I think the weather this year has made the pollen more intense or something, I read an article about it

Littleone638 · 19/06/2021 12:50

I think the pollen count is just unusually high - I’ve had bad hay fever and am double vaccinated but my two year olds hayfever has also been really bad as well and obviously she hasn’t been jabbed. I read somewhere it’s to do with having a very wet April/early May

Original poster

WatermelonSocks · 19/06/2021 13:08

Thank you everyone for taking the time to respond to my query. I really hope it's just the season this June and doesn't mean the return of full year round misery for me! Yesterday I had a sneezing attack whilst driving and was very close to be hit by the incoming traffic! Drivers honking the horn when I slow down because I just can't see anything with watery eyes and violent sneezes. Hay fever may you go to the lowest place in hell!

OP posts:

Moonlaserbearwolf · 19/06/2021 13:23

My hayfever has definitely been a lot worse this year at certain times. It will be really bad for a few days and then (usually after heavy rain) it will be better for a while.

Given the timing of my jab, I can say for certainty that my symptoms are nothing to do with the COVID vaccine. Hayfever is just worse some years than others.

HayfeverSea · 19/06/2021 13:27

Ds hayfever has been horrendous this year. When he had a doctors appointment for it the GP said they are seeing a lot of people who have got it bad which, she said, could be due to lockdown and people not being as exposed to pollen last year.

Wakeupin2022 · 19/06/2021 13:29

No! My hay-fever symptoms were bad because I was lulled into a fall sense of security for this year and didn't take my medicine. No issues at all until last weekend when normally it starts in March / April.

Moonlaserbearwolf · 19/06/2021 13:36

@HayfeverSea

Interesting theory. For us it would be the other way around - in lockdown last March/April/May it was unusually hot and we went out for many more countryside walks than usual. Despite this, our hayfever symptoms were light last year.

We had an unusually wet and cold May this year, which delayed the flowering of plants. As soon as the weather warmed up dramatically a few weeks ago my hayfever has been off the chart.

Blooter · 20/06/2021 08:06

My tree pollen hay-fever was the worst its ever been this year and started I'm February as soon as the snow thawed!

PracticingPerson · 20/06/2021 08:12

@WhenSheWasBad

I teach in secondary schools.

The kids seem to be struggling with hay fever this year. More than usual I think. Maybe it’s just a year with particularly high pollen levels?

Yes it is, and some overlapping due to cold Spring and delayed flowering.

Don't randomly attribute everything to the vaccine!

Dontforgetyourbrolly · 20/06/2021 08:16

Yes ,probably a coincidence though. My hayfever has always been bad but Wednesday night I couldn't breathe and now apparently I have seasonal asthma .
I have also had hip and leg pain since my jab .
Who knows , I'm peri menopausal as well so not much hope for me lol

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