My mom, 68 years old, at 3 hours after the first moderna jab, her heart started to beat very fast (150 bpm) and she felt strange palpitations. Lasted 5 minutes.
She went to see her physician who insisted it was just from anxiety and that she must do the second jab.
20 days later, she did the second moderna jab and again at 3 hours after, she started to have a very fast heart rate and she felt strange palpitations, but this time it lasted longer.
emergency services arrived and they said that my mom's heart rhythm is "chaotic". it lasted 2.5 hours.
we didn't know what it was. she went back to her normal life.
2 months pass by and then all sudden she experienced again , the third episode. emergency services arrived and this time the paramedics left us a copy of the ekg. episode lasted for 2-3 hours.
with that ekg, I went to a bunch of cardiologists. most of them said it's atrial fibrilation.
did anyone had their afib triggered by vaccine ?
thank you
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snak3eyes
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I did a survey when we here in UK had our jabs earlier in the year and a very small percentage of people did have short term reactions to the Atra Zeneca vaccine though Pfizer seemed sound.
I think we are lucky to be living in the time we are living compared to just as recently as 100 years ago say.? Can you imagine how people coped without vaccinations/ body scanners/ cancer treatments/ heart surgery etc etc the list goes on I know. I understand that before these things were here to treat us they didn’t know any different but still I’m glad we are able to receive this technology and I’m here to be able to receive it.
In my lifetime Smallpox has been eradicated thanks to vaccination and largely so too has Polio. In my school there were kids in leg irons from that and we saw photos of wards full of iron lungs. .
It might be a bit premature to assume that this was vaccine related. Taking the vaccinations out of the equation, this is pretty much how my own Afib started and it could just be a coincidence which was waiting to happen, inasmuch as any unusual event in life can set off an episode once you become prone to it.
I think that anticoagulant as a precaution is better than not taking it. Sadly many people get their afib diagnosis after a stroke has happened . If the tests say .. no need…. You can always stop taking it
I agree. I have the anticoagulant box ready, sitting on the kitchen table.Only issue I have to start the treatment before the other results come in, is the antidote.
The antidote for apixaban is andexanet alpha (drug Ondexxya). In case of emergency it stops the anticoagulant effect in a matter of minutes.
But it's crazy expensive. Wanted to order it, to have at home, but the price is 25000 $ for 4 pills.
I don't know if the hospitals have it on stock (my guess is that they probably don't at this price).
Apixaban has to be taken twice a day as it only works for a short time. in my local (teaching) hospital we would have the antidote in ITU for emergencies such as major trauma. It really isn't as bad a risk as it sounds. You will not leak all your blood if you have a small cut. It reduces the clotting or coagulating, it doesn't make your blood runnier. The risk of a stroke without it is far higher than any risk of bleeding.
If it would help calm your fears, get a medic alert or similar. I have an SOS talisman bracelet that I had Pacemaker engraved on one side. The top unscrews and there is a folded piece of paper where you can write medications, conditions and phone numbers.
I'm confused about your comment that Eliquis (apixaban) only lasts a short time after taken. I know people who have been told to stop taking it up to two weeks before a medical procedure. Makes me wonder if Drs really know what the drug does.Take care and be safe.
I was told its short life is why we take it twice a day. I was under the impression that it is stopped 2-3 days before big ops and 1 day before minor ones.
Apixaban has a half-life of about 12 hours which means that half of the drug dose (blood serum level) is present in your body 12 hours after you took it. For those “on” this treatment, it is taken twice a day to maintain effective anticoagulant serum levels in your body at all times. However before a surgery, for example, physicians want you off for three days so that the blood serum level in your body is approaching zero (after 12 hours 50%, after 24 hours 25%, after 36 hours 12.5%, after 48 hours 6.25%, after 60 hours 3.12%, after 72 hours 1.56%). With near zero apixaban presence in your blood, surgeries and procedures that may cause bleeds can be done without the anticoagulant concern.
Wrong advice. Before my last hip op I was told to stop by the anaesthetist 8 days before and bridging Lovenox injections were prescribed. These were twice a day and by the time I went to the clinic my entire belly was black from the bruising. This time my cardiologist has said that 3 days is plenty and he has written this in his report on my heart health. I hope the anaesthetist listens!
Apixaban is a very short acting anticoagulant and scarcely needs an antidote anyway. Bleeds can be managed until the last dose wears off and this is exactly what happened before an antidote was developed.
Given how safe abixaban is as an anticoagulant I'd definitely start it if it was me. It took me over four years to get a diagnosis of my own Afib during which I had a daily worry of being at risk from stroke. Five times more likely to have a stroke is hugely increased risk by comparison with the likelihood of having some kind of bleed. It's also permanently devastating to the quality of life.
I've had afib events off and on for the last 4 years. Within a few hours of having each of my two Moderna vaccines I went into the strongest and longest Afib events I've ever had. Since then the strength of the events has tapered down to my normal.
Most doctors will disregard any link between vaccine and afib events.However, my neurologist did mention the possibility of developing post vaccination tachycardia and a cardiologist I've been to yesterday expressed concerns about the vaccine impacting the thyroid gland which can trigger afib events.
Best wishes to your mother. As Callendersgal says the anxiety and the vaccine itself could have just pushed your mother over the AF edge. However, equally without the jab she may never have started AF (that's why I have postponed vaccination). Either way I would look at lifestyle changes asap.
Her episodes have been relatively short and assuming she is healthy, active and no other comorbidities I would say postpone starting anti coagulants at least until all the tests and consultations are done. I have no stats to back this up; just an opinion that there are many people with undiagnosed AF out there and if it was essential to be on ACs there would be many more casualties.
My mom had some heart problems, long prior to the vaccine (like high blood pressure, extrasystoles). She developed heart problems short after giving birth to me and my sister.
But she managed her condition very well with treatment. She didn't see a cardiologist in almost 20 years. Active person, never complained before about feeling unwell (I didn't even knew what her diagnosis was).
She wasn't scared of vaccination, she wanted to do this so that she can visit her grand children safely. Everyone in my family is pro-vaccination.
Her episodes started each time when she was laying down in bed, while she was almost asleep.
Life changes started a few months ago: she's on a diet to lose weight (lost over 10kg so far), no salt, no sugar, no caffeine, very low carbs, very low fats . Short walks (she can get tired quickly).
I heard this from a friend only yesterday. All settled down quickly though. I suspect anxiety might still be a possibility as that is a major trigger thanks to the adrenaline, but I did wonder whether a slight fever-type reaction might have set off a bout of tachycardia or fibrillation? It's far better to be protected from potentially life-changing covid infection, and what a relief that it seems to be so very effective at preventing the serious form of the disease.
No anxiety. I drove her to the vaccination center and she walked out with a smile on her face. She wanted to get the vaccine. Back home she was chill and laying in bed when afib hit.
It's sounds like a side effect of the vaccine or at least the vaccination procedure.
"Anxiety" might be the wrong word, anyway, since the whole "event" coming, as it does, after an extraordinary year surely will affect the mind. After our first vaccination, my wife and I almost felt like we wanted to shout out as we left the vaccination centre, a little as if on a cloud, such was the relief after that year of troubles and loneliness. That flood of relief is created by cortisol and other hormones being released into the body and those could well spark off ectopic beats which, in the prone, are a precursor of fibrillation.
It's a thought - but who can know? Thank goodness, in general, though, that all of the vaccines are proving to be exceptionally safe.
What I do know from my own experience and from talking to the cardiologist who treated me is that ectopic beats or "palpitations" start in the entrance to the pulmonary veins in the left aorta, the exact same place that fibrillation begins. These beats are usually harmless in themselves, and everyone has them, it seems - but the physical (or "electrical") "jolt" they cause to happen in the vein might well be enough to set off fibrillation in those of us prone to that. It sounds a fair explanation.
I am almost certain my vaccination will trigger my afib as I am so worried about it. I would not have booked it if it wasn't for going for my second hip op. The latest news from Israel and the CDC in America showing that delta is infecting jabbed people but most are getting no or very few symptoms so they are not staying at home decided me. I don't want to be infected by asymptomatic hospital personnel ! We went out for lunch today armed with our open sesame negative test passe sanitaire. Horror - restaurant staff no longer have to wear masks. We no longer had to wear masks when getting up to go to the loo.
Did you mean "hip hop"? I do hate that kind of music, myself, though, so don't envy you one little bit!
But yes, the same here. 1 in 75 people has the Delta variant in the UK at present, I read in The Times this morning. We went for our first restaurant meal in over a year last week. It was at a lovely local restaurant (nothing like the marvellous French restaurants you are lucky to have nearby) and - horror of horrors - none of the staff were wearing masks; all were young, too, and chatted to us as if there were no such thing in the world as covid. So, we were rather pleased to have been double vaccinated in those new and unexpected circumstances. The meal and service were exceptional, too, so much so that even the effect of being given ridiculous bill at the end was softened. How can three lunches cost over £100.00? Crazy world.
Thanks Steve. I am far more relaxed about this one as the last one went so well - except for the major relapse of my floxing symptoms . I put this down to the trauma of the op as relapses can be caused by all sorts of things but my surgeon thinks it might have been due to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Though not an FQ he says it is a synthetic and they will use something different this time. I am far more frightened of the jab as the word from the floxie community is mixed . Some people have had the standard reactions but others have had major relapses. I am getting the Janssen as it is only one jab . I know if I had a bad reaction to the first of a two jab vaccination I just would not go for the other and it would be a waste of time as I would not get the passe sanitaire. Did you have 3 course meals with wine? If so the bill does not seem that steep to me. We usually pay around €70 - €80 for the two of us. Today we had beetroot gazpacho followed by paella and the best cheesecake I have eaten in 52 years - since the very first time I ate it in Germany .
I forgot you'd had "floxie" troubles. Poor you. Luckily, I have no allergies or similar. I'm on amoxycillin and metronidazole just now, though, so no wine this week!
Diverticuli playing up again? Our lunch today was cheaper than usual just over €60 with a very good half bottle of Côte de Rhone which unfortunately we were unable to finish. You can eat out more cheaply. We go to a great place in Brive where the menu is €17 for 3 courses. There are 3 choices per course and the menu changes everyday. But they shut for most of August for the hols.
I wish I knew what it was. The antibiotics are an attempt to solve it in case it is h. pylori. 8 months and counting of nausea and varying "pressure-type" discomfort from a spot below and left of my sternum but scan is clear. Digestive troubles were my weakness until the arrhythmia and tachycardia came along to join them. There is a link, but what it is, well - who knows?
I've never been to your part of la belle France, only either side and below (Bordeaux, Lyon and Marseille). My friend is amazed that we don't go there as he has spent so many wonderful holidays south of Brive-la-Gaillarde in Cahors and waxes lyrical any time I let him!
I had nausea as one of my flox symptoms for years. Now it has more or less gone . At the same time it started ( after my 2nd exposure ) my rib pain started as well firstly in the sides of my ribs. About 10 years ago I started getting pain in my sternum and a tender area where you describe. I thought it was my stomach but after giving me a good poke the doctor said he was sure it was my ribcage -cartilage degeneration. It has got worse and now sometimes when I bend over I get an agonising pain as if something has torn or my ribs have criss crossed. It lasts about 30 seconds gradually wearing off as I straighten up. Rarely the pain comes on the right side but it is not as severe there. This part of France is great -quiet ,great countryside , fab restaurants but not pretentious beautiful villages with stone houses. The A89 puts us only 2 hours from the spectacular Auvergne and the valley of the Dordogne is about 90 mins. Flights to Limoges airport from Manchester, East Midlands and Luton.
You’re pretty much describing my symptoms, but the rib issues, which track through to my left back ribs seems to follow from the other discomfort which comes from below the sternum. It’s there all day, worse on sitting “scrunched up”, and a lot better in bed, thankfully.
It’s odd though as, when it spreads, it creates a single tender spot on my bottom rear left rib, and occasionally even my rear right rib. I’ve put it down to the diverticula issues. It isn’t worsening much, thankfully.
I envy you living in that spot. Leaving the EU was a stab to the heart for me.
Since I had 26cm chopped from my colon I have been on the whole OK even though the colonoscopy showed some divvis in the transverse and higher up the descending colon. I have adhesion problems round my hysterectomy scar which was reopened for the colectomy but I had those before as well. I also get the problems on the bottom ribs but my doctor said this is due to shrinking with age and the rib cage descending to rest on the hip bones. It is also a consequence of hysterectomy as the whole pelvic space is weakened from them cutting the ligaments . Ageing sucks! The pain in the bottom ribs is not that frequent . I avoid sitting and have done for 30+ years when my back started playing up . So we live in our bedroom which is more like a sitting room with tv , book shelves etc. Does not promote good sleep hygiene but my back is more comfortable. Leaving the EU was a disaster. Luckily we got French citizenship in 2009 . The rest of my husbands family are now dual national (Germans) as his father was a refugee in the war so at least they still have their European citizenship.
Maybe you have 2 separate problems - skeletal and digestive. The nerves sending pain signals to the brain don't distinguish. That's why costo mimics heart attacks.
I do believe AZ vac can cause tachycardia in more cases than known & aggravate existing AF particularly in people who get this effect with infection like myself.However I had the 2nd jab without any reaction & will have the booster. Wishing your mother well on her AFib journey.
I had the pfizer vaccine and this didn't happen to me. I have advised friends with AF to try and get the Pfizer if they can choose as it seems better for people with AF. It would be good to learn if any of the vaccines actually cause people to go into AF when they have not had AF before but it would be hard to prove it was the vaccine. Covid itself causes people to go into AF but also has many other serious long term effects so it is still safer to have the vaccine than not.
With my 2nd vaccine after about 10 days my heart was skipping and flip flopping for the whole day. It past and the next day, I was back to normal. Kind of worried if I need to take a booster shot later this year.
I've had aFib for decades but after the vaccine (AZ) I have been experiencing completely new problems. Immediately after both jabs I had my usual aFib which seemed to subside after a week or so, can't remember exactly, but I also developed tachycardia when doing nothing, which I have never suffered from before in my entire life. And the heart beat you hear when lying on a pillow has changed a lot.
I had my jabs in Feb and April.
Obviously, I can't say it's the vaccine, it could well be just coincidence. I went to see my EP last week and asked him whether he thought it could be the vaccine and he said anything is possible, in fact he said it twice!
I must admit that I'm concerned about having a booster in the autumn. I'm looking into whether I can have tests to see if I have some immunity before going down that road.
After being relatively afib free for 5 months, I had an episode after my second pfizer dose. In spite of 2 cardioversions and a 5 week course of Tikosyn, the afib has persisted. My pacemaker indicates that my afib burden is 99%. I'm now on digoxin. I'll see my EP in November to see what the next step will be for me. This may have been a coincidence but who knows. I'll probably have the booster shot when it's available since my feeling is that putting up with afib is better than getting covid.
Hi snak3. I hope you’re mum is feeling better and doing ok now. It may be just a coincidence I don’t know. Was mum anxious or worried about having the vaccine.?
There maybe a connection then.? We are all different so some folk may not get any reaction but some folk may well do so.?? I’m glad she feeling better now.👍x
Yes I suspect the Moderna vac increased my heart rate also. after getting shot heart rate was erratic and went up from usual 75 bpm to 110bpm resting rate . 10 days later it isn’t erratic anymore, just increased rate. I had ablation 6 months ago and everything was going pretty good. Concerned about getting second shot
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