Covid jab whilst in AF?

[Sunnyday2022]

Hi all

I am due to have my Covid booster this afternoon and have had all the others with no issues at all.

However I started in AF at 10pm last night and despite an increase in my Flec dose to 100mg and 2.5mg of Bisoprolol the AF is continuing at the moment. Episodes often last around 12 hours for me so I am hopeful it will stop soon 🤞🤞

My question is, if it doesn’t stop, do you lovely people think I should still go for the Covid jab and just mention the episode to the nurse or postpone to another day completely?

🤔🤔🤔

[BobD Volunteer]

I've nver let AF stop me doing anything but I do suggest that you mention it to the staff at the vaccination clinic.

[Sunnyday2022 in reply to BobD]

Yes that is my plan at the mo …. Thanks 😊

[CDreamer]

You will get very different responses from people - I wouldn’t chance it but then I decided I’m having no more anyway so declare my bias.

[Eric48 in reply to CDreamer]

I have also decided not to have the booster, I have found that previous jabs have seemed to cause me to experience an apisode of AF

[Karendeena in reply to Eric48]

Me too!!

[Buffafly]

It would be interesting to hear what happened if you attended with AF? I was told to look out for palpitations which would feel different to my usual AF.

[Sunnyday2022 in reply to Buffafly]

Well my Afib stopped shortly after I posted on here so I decided to go along and see what they said. I was assured by two medics that it would be ok so I went ahead. That was at 2pm and so far so good….

If I had had a reaction to any of the other jabs I would not have had it but I have no reaction at all previously so figured it would be unlikely to cause problems this time either.

If I had still been in Afib I wouldn’t have gone ahead though!

[Autumn_Leaves in reply to Sunnyday2022]

I hope you stay AF free. You’re quite brave. I would have postponed.

[Sunnyday2022 in reply to Autumn_Leaves]

Not brave at all. Just more scared of COVID than Afib! I have been very ill with Covid and have no wish to go there again!

[Thomas45 in reply to Buffafly]

I have been in permanent AF for 6-7 years. It's asymptomatic but it's AF, every second of every hour every day. I've had one sigmoidoscopy and 3 colonoscopies,, treatment for a fractured fibula and damaged nerve, lots of COVID and flu jabs, and two major asthmatic attacks while in AF. The one thing which caused a problem was having my appendix out. The hospital knew I had permanent AF, and was on Warfarin, so the first 12 hours before the operation were bringing my blood back to normal. During the operation my heart rate rose to over 190 and I was kept under anaesthetic for 3 hours after the operation had finished. I remained in hospital until my heart rate had fallen below 70bpm.

[mjames1]

Since your afib episodes generally only last 12 hours, what is the rush for a jab? I wouldn't get the jab even if I had a cold -- doctor's advice. Give your body a break and let it deal with one thing at a time.

Jim

[Blearyeyed]

I would assume that they would suggest that you cancel today's appointment and rearrange it just because the jab can cause additional heart rate changes during the first 24 hours as a natural reaction to the vaccination triggering your immune response .

[Sunnyday2022 in reply to Blearyeyed]

I had the jab at 2pm yesterday and so far so good, no heart rate changes at all.

[Blearyeyed in reply to Sunnyday2022]

That's a relief , isn't it. Fingers crossed that things are settled down now .

[Sunnyday2022]

Well my Afib stopped shortly after I posted on here so I decided to go along and see what they said. I was assured by two medics that it would be ok so I went ahead. That was at 2pm and so far so good….

If I had had a reaction to any of the other jabs I would not have had it but I have no reaction at all previously so figured it would be unlikely to cause problems this time either.

If I had still been in Afib I wouldn’t have gone ahead though!

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

Hi

Well I'm in AF persistently. I still had my 5 jabs but we can have them by walking in.

In NZ.

What does your gut say?

cheri jOY. 74. (NZ)

[JefferyW]

I had both Flu and Covid jabs together last Saturday and apart from a bit of a sore shoulder for 24hrs the following day had no side effects or reactions whatsoever.

[Ppiman]

You'll have gone for it by now, I guess, but my friend has permanent AF and the jab has been fine with him each time.

Steve

[secondtry]

Sounds like you have been lucky.

I have read stuff about vaccine batches being different, so past benign experience may not be a guarantee for future jabs.

I haven't had nor will I have any mRNA jabs, seen too much negative Press from independent news sources not the MSM.

[Sunnyday2022 in reply to secondtry]

I don’t consider myself lucky just like the vast majority of people who have suffered no I’ll effects. I have had COVID twice and was extremely unwell the first time so I have no wish to repeat that experience! My young and very fit son has just had COVID and has also been ill. Each to their own I guess and I have no wish to enter into a debate but I know where my preference lies.

[Tomred]

As someone here said ,let your body deal with one thing at a time.

[2learn]

Hi, unsure, but would ask my GP and wouldn't have flu jab at same time. However, my personal experience last year was that I had goneback into AF, had my covid jab and AF stopped, probably coincidence, but maybe if covid jab can induce AF in some people it could work other way in others?

[Karendeena]

I would postpone, then again the covid vaccine started my AF!!

[doodle68]

When I had my Covid and flu vaccination a couple of weeks ago I was already in AF, I told the vaccinator who asked if I wanted to postpone it. I said no point I may well be in AF another time. My episodes now last 5 days with just a couple of AF free days and the high dose of steroids I am taking for temporal arteritis seems to have increased my in AF heart rate. To think I used to complain about 12 hour episodes.

I was ok after the vaccination apart from 2 sore arms.

[Sunnyday2022 in reply to doodle68]

5 days 😫 poor you! Mine are usually 12-14 hours and that is bad enough as I feel awful.

No after effects after vaccination I am pleased to report, even my arm is only slightly sore.

I do hope you feel better very soon 🤞

[doodle68 in reply to Sunnyday2022]

Thank you Sunnyday , I feel awful too breathless with hot sweats but I ignore my episodes as best I can otherwise I would have no life at all . I am on the list for an ablation and wish I had chosen to have one before Covid struck.

Health care where I live is poor, AF seems not to be a priority one reason I was so eager to get my vaccination and not add to my problems .

[Redactrice]

I'm glad you've had no ill effects from going ahead with the jab, Sunnyday. Very topical thread. I've gone into persistent AF for the first time (struggling to get an urgent cardiology appt) and have rescheduled my Covid booster + flu shot three times because of it. I'm now due for the jabs on Saturday and wondering if it's a bad idea.

Both the 'don't put your system under additional stress while in AF' and 'Catching Covid would put it under much more stress than a jab' arguments have merit. I caught Covid in May for the first time, despite still avoiding crowded places. The first 48hrs were scary (I woke up and could not move my lower body; I thought I'd had a stroke) and after that it was merely miserable for a week. I do wonder if that was what tipped me into persistent AF after years of infrequent paroxysmal episodes.

Really not sure what I'm going to do. Taking my chances is less appealing after being unable to get an ambulance when I needed one two weeks ago. Weekends are worse for emergencies, and the jabs are on a Saturday.