AZ vaccination side effects

[Grubbypaws]

So many helpful posts here so I thought I would add my AZ vaccination experience for those who haven't had it yet.

As background, I have RA and currently take Plaquenil 200mg daily as a maintenance dose (I previously took methotrexate for about 18 months but had to come off it because of elevated liver enzymes).

I had my first AZ shot on Thursday lunchtime and had no side effects at all until the evening when I started to feel very cold and had a very mild headache.

I had a restless night and felt like I was having a RA flare in the morning with stiff joints and still feeling cold. Tried to get on with my daily chores but by 11am I gave up and took a maximum paracetamol. I had a physio appointment that afternoon and he said I had stiffened up considerably! Not much appetite but forced myself to eat some soup, took another paracetamol and went to bed early.

This morning I am feeling much better other than a sore arm (but no swelling or redness).

Just my experience. Hope it helps someone!

[sylvi]

That is exactly how i felt as well darling.xxx

[Marionfromhappydays]

Glad you are feeling better.

My experience was very similar , 2 weeks later I still have a bump on my arm and is a little tender but my RA isn't under control and think my immune system is crazy ! I feel really lucky to have had it and bring on the second 🙌

[Lolabridge]

Yes my experience was very similar. The good news is that there is growing evidence that any side effects from the second jab are usually much less pronounced.

[Grubbypaws in reply to Lolabridge]

Yes I read that too! I believe it's the opposite for the Pfizer.

[MadBunny]

I had a similar experience. My husband's been ok so I'm beginning to wonder if it was linked to having RA,

[KittyJ]

My husband has his vaccination today so I’m interested to see how he fares after it as I was not well at all for a few days.

[springcross]

I had mine about six/seven weeks ago and I had uncontrollable shivering (teeth chattering) about ten hours after and so did my hubby. It was gone by the morning but then had an onset of other side effects, bad headache, nausea, feeling completely exhausted and a couple of days later muscle aches and pains. I felt exhausted for a good two weeks after and then it cleared but I am left with an intermittent heavy ache in the arm where the vaccine went in. In spite of this, I will still have the second vaccine.

[Grubbypaws in reply to springcross]

My arm is also still very sore. Did you get your shot at a hospital? I'm actually surprised that there is not someone/somewhere to report side effects to. Surely it would be useful for further vaccines that will be developed.

[springcross in reply to Grubbypaws]

Ours were done at the local rugby club which I assume was organised by our health centre, as one of our GPs did mine - it isn't sore it just intermittently aches every now and then - most peculiar. You can report the side effects online to the Yellow Card Scheme - coronavirus-yellowcard.mhra....

[Grubbypaws in reply to springcross]

Fantastic! Thank you.

[springcross in reply to Grubbypaws]

You're welcome. x

[allanah in reply to Grubbypaws]

There is, it's called the yellow card scheme, you can go online and report yourself or ask your gp admin to report it for you x

[Grubbypaws in reply to allanah]

That's great thank you!

[allanah]

My son had his today ! He has auto immune disease too so I hope and except all will be fine x

[juliea793]

You can also report on the ZOE app also alongside the batch number.

[Golden87]

I was really poorly with my AZ vaccine. Although turns out I had a low neutrophil count before I had it. It made them drop even further. 2 weeks later they are starting to improve and have now reached 1.4 but I had a bad headache and felt as if I had a bad hangover. Feel a lot better now just hope my bloods improve as my liver test also came back elevated which is strange for me. Pleased I had the vaccine though. I take tocilizumab

[Grubbypaws in reply to Golden87]

I hope you feel better soon

[sueathome in reply to Golden87]

Sorry to hear you had a bad reaction. I'm also on tocilizumab, 4-weekly infusions. Did you get any advice about when to have the vaccine relative to the toci? They were a bit vague at the hospital and the GP was no help at all.

[adev]

I had a very similar experience to you. My sore arm last for around ten days. I had my second jab on Thursday 18th and I have been much better apart from aching joints and fatigue which is nothing unusual for me, so hopefully I will be able to get my Ritiximab in around four weeks. I hope your second jab is not as bad as your first xx

[Grubbypaws in reply to adev]

I won't have number 2 until June but I've heard that the side effects are not as bad. Good luck!

[London_Spud]

Thank you for your post Grubbypaws and everyone else too! I had my first vaccine 4 weeks ago (Oxford AZ) and a headache (bad, like a hangover) for about 3 weeks after and I still have all over painful joints which was really worrying me. So I'm glad it's not just me and hopefully will go away. Am due my 2nd vaccination in 5 weeks time - so that's 9 weeks after my first.

[LoneEra in reply to London_Spud]

Ditto. Still really struggling after mine - which I had on 5th March. Feel “toxic” for want of a better word and am totally exhausted. Also have this ongoing menstrual period (started 4th March) which the gynaecologist thinks may have been upset by a combination of steroids and the vaccine. Hoping it all improves soon