Overcoming booster anxiety

[Rainfern]

I had my covid booster jab this morning and everything is fine right now. I’m aware some people have had ill effects so I had to work on reducing anxiety. I practiced box breathing for 15 minutes during and after the jab and had a relaxed day reading. Also rewarded myself with a large lemon and raisin Danish pastry so at least I could transfer any residual anxiety towards the potential impact of heightened blood sugar, weight gain and the ills of high processed food!

[mjames1]

Tp reduce anxiety, instead of focusing on the slight chance of "ill effects" try to focus on the greater chance of being better protected from Covid.

Jim

[Rainfern in reply to mjames1]

That too 😊

[Sweetmelody]

Brilliant! My choice in similar situations is an Almond croissant, but a Danish works, too!

[Pommerania78]

I'm curious. If you truly believe that the vaccination protects, why are you anxious? Thanks.

[Rainfern in reply to Pommerania78]

Because of the small risk that it could trigger AF - for which I believe there is some evidence. Obviously I don’t want a return of my persistent AF but have found the vaccination to be a great protection against Covid and I really don’t want long covid. Plus I have family members who are vulnerable. Things are never black and white, if they were anxiety wouldn’t be a human feeling!

[jondeanp in reply to Pommerania78]

I have zero anxiety due to not taking any Covid vaccines

[Auriculaire in reply to jondeanp]

Me too but my anxiety was off the scale when I had my one and only Janssen covid jab. I refused any subsequent jabs and I have never been anxious about not having them.

[Letofeyd in reply to jondeanp]

Which only proves that you have zero understanding of the science of Covid infection and vaccination.😏Catching Covid has significant health implications. That is proven.

You are choosing those risks over the vaccine risks.

Fair enough.

But don't pretend you are choosing a 'safe' option - you aren't.

[Rainfern in reply to Letofeyd]

I purposefully set out to keep this a friendly and open-minded discussion in the spirit of this forum. I would ask people to let comments pass that they disagree with. Jondeanp was talking for themselves, not everyone else!

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

Hi

OH yes REWARD YOURSELF.

I drink plenty water prior, I eat 1/2 banana and drink plenty after.

You won't like the CT Scan I am having towmorrow with odine infusion.

The PET scan back in July followed an earlier CT Scan and the dye flushes through you - feeling warmth where it goes!

The 2nd (I have had 8 COVID) jab wasn't put in properly so flooded the surrounding tissue I ended up with a big red itchy and sore spot. Dr gave me Doxycyclone.... a skin antibiotic to stop the itch.

After that and learning that it can cause inflamation around the heart I talked to my Dr. I have an antibiotic before and after.

It got scary when No.8 3 days later and on 4th day I got 2 heart flips and then 1 flip. But on day 6 my urine sample test results were acknowledged (after giving sample on the day of the jab and I saw Dr prior) that I had a UTI. Nw it has left me with a ? what caused the flips to my heart. That was a real shock. Dr and Chemist say it could be either.

Next one due in January. Will I or won't I.

cheri JOY. 75. (NZ)

[Ilovedogs12 in reply to JOY2THEWORLD49]

I hope all goes well with your CT scan Joy x

[Rainfern]

Sorry to hear the vaccines have given you such a hard time Joy. It’s a difficult decision particularly as Covid seems to be less severe in its impact these days. Having said that my sister had covid recently and it dragged on for weeks, positive testing and continual exhaustion.

Anti biotic cover seems a good idea in your case.

Good luck with your scans. I think I had that same infusion- made me feel like I was wetting myself!

[Redactrice]

A year or so ago I looked up the risk of a blood clot from a Covid booster vs. the risk of a blood clot from Covid -- I found a clinical study, not some random source on social media. It was a no-brainer, something in the order of 0.02% (booster) to 20% (infection). I'm not particularly anxious but I thought it was worth checking. Last month, for the first time, my winter Covid jab (fifth or sixth jab in total?) did put me into extra-symptomatic AF for a couple of weeks. It's calming down now. Enjoy that pastry.

[Rainfern in reply to Redactrice]

Glad the AF is calming down now. Thanks for the research info.

[Gfern]

That’s the best cure for anxiety I have heard, and a great excuse when my wife catches me eating a danish, the new anxiety excuse thanks for sharing.

[Rainfern in reply to Gfern]

😂👍

[Afibflipper]

Hi there Rainfern, how are you? Well, I was anxious, I had the flu jab & a week later the covid one. Then 5 days later got a chest infection & the AF too. In a quandary as to whether I picked something up at the theatre a couple of days before or was it the vaccine - I know it’s not a live vaccine but, I’m wondering - as the body thinks it is thus produces a reaction is it an inflammatory response that set of the asthma, in turn the lungs get irritated ……….. I have no idea & no idea as to whether the AF will stop itself etc - currently not well or happy (2 years this month since last ablation) Hope you are ok xx

[Rainfern in reply to Afibflipper]

So sorry to hear this Flipper. Hugs to you, I hope the AF soon settles. One of the reasons I posted this thread is because there does seem to be a risk, and I wanted to clock up the risk I was taking for the record. The longer I’ve been on this forum the more I’ve heard similar stories to your own, and yet the nurses seem to know nothing about it. I’ve never been anti-vax, but do think we should be informed to know the risks and make the right choices. Sadly old age itself is something of a risk so just about anything we do comes with hazard warnings! We can’t do much about that, but I’m enjoying worrying less about what other people think!

[Afibflipper in reply to Rainfern]

I had it because a friend & her family actually caught covid this year, they have no medical history so don’t have the jab - they were however really ill with it, one of the family got breathing issues & needed an ambulance! Therefore I thought I was protecting myself - hmm I now am in 2 minds - I think next year I may just baracade myself indoors 🤷‍♀️ xx

[Shopgal67 in reply to Afibflipper]

I have had covid 3 times in 3 years and it’s never triggered Afib however a chest infection in May did and it lasted 18 hrs my longest episode!

[Shopgal67]

I completely know how you feel , I haven’t had it the last two years because I’ve let people and social media get the better of me .

My anxiety is awful so I could convince myself I was dying by the end of the day or I’d be waiting for that heart attack to happen!

[Afibflipper in reply to Shopgal67]

Hi I’m sorry I only just saw your reply-I had 3rd ablation & 2 CVs 2 yrs ago, it seems I may be in persistent AF/AFl again which I’m gutted about to say the least. Since then apart from the odd day or two I’d been fine, retired from work so anxiety was away elsewhere (I did so much mindfulness back then I think I have it all boxed). Thought of more interventions doesn’t thrill me, I’m just waiting to see if it reconverts itself which it did after an episode this time last year fingers crossed 🤞

Try to put things in perspective re your anxiety - I always look at the alternatives to what causes your anxiety - easy to say I know but I have been there - look at the Box Breathing online - when anxious you need to regulate blood oxygen - during panic poor breathing increased carbon dioxide which in turn raises anxiety further as the body panics to get oxygen around to organs & brain. Control that and then analyse - anxiety is AF friend - if you can control that you’re part way there. Boost your immunity, I’ve heard (don’t know how true it is) if we feel anxious, depressed etc it affects immune system - I actually found a few years ago when really depressed that my vitamin D was extremely low - I was prescribed it by GP then take supplement & since then I have bee a whole lot better on that front.

Sorry for the long mesg but hope it’s useful x

[Shopgal67 in reply to Afibflipper]

I totally agree about low mood , anxiety and low immunity, I used to do a qigong clas a few years ago and we always did a minute of laughing as it is said to boost immunity, I’m thinking I may start again , it certainly wouldn’t hurt .