Question about Covid Vaccines

[RootsToots]

Hi folks, I'm new here. I have question about the covid jabs. I have had 2 AZ so far. Both caused my RA to flare up. The second put me in bed for 3 days and caused rashes on both feet. I'm considering the booster because of omicron but I'm worried. Is this common ?

[MadBunny]

I had AZ for the first two and had a mild flare up after them.I decided to still have the booster - Pfizer, no choice, and had a bad flare afterwards.I don't regret it though. Of course, we all react differently: this was just my own experience, and it could have simply been a coincidence .I wasn't taking my meds either as the rheum nurse told me to stop them to give the vaccine the best chance to work, so this probably contributed. I'm back on them now and I'm ok.

[AgedCrone]

I was very poorly for months after my first 2 AZ vaccinators…& waited from May until until I felt better to have the third primary…in November.Then I had the Pfizer….& apart from a very slight achey arm the next day I had no reaction at all.

So if you are feeling OK….I’d get a third jab !

[Mmrr in reply to AgedCrone]

Pleased to hear that you got your 3rd primary AC.

[AgedCrone in reply to Mmrr]

Yes…I only waited 6 months! So if I do the same for a booster…….next May will fit in nicely with my infusions.

[Runrig01]

I felt very rough after 1st Astra Zeneca vaccine, not too bad with 2nd. The 3rd Pfizer dose floored me, and I was Ill for 2-3 weeks, with nausea, lightheaded, headaches as well as a flare in my AS. However I have severe adrenal insufficiency and my body does not produce cortisol in response to any stress the body is exposed too, and I feel the flu like symptoms and nausea were due to this. Saying that I would still have further vaccines to protect me from covid, as these symptoms are far less to deal with than covid. I’m scheduled to have my next dose 5/1

[AgedCrone in reply to Runrig01]

That was my reasoning…I decided when the new variant popped up…I’d rather be as poorly as I had been with the two AZ jabs….than contract Covid.

There was & still is no test to track why some people get such nasty reactions so it is up to us to decide!

[nomoreheels]

Hiya RootsToots, welcome. Personally I'd be more worried about not having your next jab. Unfortunately there's no way to know how you'll respond, if you'll flare or not as we all appear to have not reacted the same. I tend to work on the premise that I’ll be fine, I do generally, though I have been bitten on the bum occasionally. It's odd but I heard yesterday than a family friend was fine with her first AZ but her second nearly took her life. Her GP thankfully new what her symptoms suggested so called an ambulance to take her to hospital where she was for 6 weeks & since every other week. She's going ahead with the booster as she's been given no reason she will react the same with a different vaccine. I admire her for that with having been so very poorly, it's the team that treated her who have recommended she's fully vaccinated. She had no ongoing health issues prior to the vaccines, excepting breast cancer which was over 7 years ago.

My first two were AstraZeneca, which just gave me an aching arm for a week around the injection site. My third primary (not the booster, a top up) was Pfizer which I had no ill effects from. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. I think I’d have preferred to have some reaction from my RD as that, rightly or wrongly, suggests to me that my immune system had responded. I'll be called for my booster in 4 months, or next month if they reduce the time after third primary to 3 months. Your next vaccine will be different to the first two too, either Pfizer or Moderna.

Have you not already been called to have another jab? If not I'd check anyway if you should have, whether it be third primary or booster, you may have been missed, as I was with the first jab.

If you've not asked the question of your Rheumy or Nurse I think I would do. Even if it's only to see if you have been overlooked for your third primary or booster, whichever is appropriate for you & the meds you take for your RD or other health problems.

[MadBunny]

I was thinking that , too. Was the flare a sign that my immune system was reacting to the jab and that it was working🤔I have no idea

[Blodynhaul]

HI Roots,sorry can't say if your experience is 'normal', there seem to be many different accounts from people. I've been all this year without a long-term med working (DMARD & Biologic failed) but with very active RA, so had 2 x AZ during this period, but had no adverse reaction. I then had the 3rd vaccine recently and had a horrid reaction to it, though it only lasted a day and a half the worst bit (and lymph swelling lasted a week).

I don't know what medication you're on, if any, but as I said above, that was my experience without being on meds, but with active RA. The WEIRD thing was that during the 3rd vaccine horrid reaction my RA joint agony felt 'switched off' ! (then rushed back).

Hope you can find out more about your reactions to the vaccines. Perhaps you'll be fine with a Pfizer 3rd one. I was quite shocked to have a reaction to the 3rd one, after not being affected by the first two. Take care & hope you'll be OK X