Which arm: Hello lovely people I am having the... - PMRGCAuk

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Which arm

Pippah45 profile image
20 Replies

Hello lovely people

I am having the Oxford Vaccination tomorrow and wonder about which arm to have it in. May sound a daft question but I am very right handed and have to keep a fire going and feed dogs and chickens etc. My left shoulder is in poor condition at the moment - I assume PMR plus old injury. Any ideas :)

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Pippah45 profile image
Pippah45
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20 Replies
Marilyn1959 profile image
Marilyn1959

Had mine yesterday and your question is really sensible. I don't normally get overly achy arms with jabs but have to say I have with this one. It doesn't ache until I go to lift it to use it and then feels like someone has punched me at injection site. I have a shoulder replacement on other side so chose good side to have jab. Was a bit difficult getting out of bed this morning with both arms playing up. I think with injection arm I am going to be able to use it for opening tins etc and think I could stoke fire using it. My PMR is playing up as well today and I have been stable for eighteen months.

Hope this helps.

Rosbud profile image
Rosbud in reply to Marilyn1959

Had mine yesterday and woke in the night with aching arms and this morning ache all over but was warned to expect this , I would have the injection in the left arm , in fact hey asked me which was my dominant arm before they injected me x

Pippah45 profile image
Pippah45 in reply to Rosbud

Thanks Rosbud - I have been thinking I could cope with extra trouble on the left as long as the right stays reasonable! I hope your aches soon disappear.

Pippah45 profile image
Pippah45 in reply to Marilyn1959

Thanks for the reply Marilyn - sorry your PMR is playing up too. It looks like I shall have to work today at getting in lots of fuel for the fire! It is quite possible that I shall be snowed in and not able to get there for the jab anyway. The council don't bother with the road that goes to my place so when the beast from the east struck a neighbour appealed on Fb and the chap who came with the tractor after 4 days said it was the worst he had done!

DorsetLady profile image
DorsetLadyPMRGCAuk volunteer

Had mine in right. Although right handed also have OA right shoulder, so sleep on left side! Thought as right side was iffy anyway - comfortable sleep position was probably more important😊

PS - arm only slight achy for 48hrs max (Pfizer)

Good luck

Marijo1951 profile image
Marijo1951

The nurse advised me to have it in my non-dominant arm. I'm right-handed so had it in my left. I had a slightly painful arm afterwards for a couple of days, but no worse than when I have the flu jab. The only other after effect for me was a mild but persistent frontal headache the following day.

jinasc profile image
jinasc

When I had mine, they asked was I right or left handed. Left Handed, so they did the jab in the right arm on the grounds that I needed that one the most and I did not even feel the jab.

BTW no re-action at all to AZ, no aching, no bruising etc and I slept like a log and went to bed earlier than I normally do as I was tired. I think that was because I was anxious as this was my first ever vaccination and the first time I had been out since pussy was a kitten.

MrsNails profile image
MrsNails

I was concerned about that too (as l have had the sentinel lymph nodes removed from my left side) so no injections, bloods drawers, BP etc but my right arm is the worst PMR wise so obviously l plumped for that arm but didn’t feel a thing & it hasn’t been a problem just a tad achy but not in the PMR Category......

Good Luck 🍀

Pippah45 profile image
Pippah45

Thank you everyone - I prefer to sleep on my right side too so I think I will go with that logic and not damaging my useful arm. :)

PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador

Up to you - but someone said to have it in the arm you don't lie on to sleep!

However - if it is a joint that is messing about why would it be a problem having the jab in that arm? It is into the muscle. They do like to use the non-dominant arm.

Pippah45 profile image
Pippah45

Thanks everyone Left arm it is then.

Slg17 profile image
Slg17

They will do it in your left arm because it can become sore.

Slg17 profile image
Slg17

They done mine in my left arm and I’m right handed. 👍

piggylovesgolf profile image
piggylovesgolf

Just a positive comment to add to the above---admittedly I don't have PMR (hubby does) but I had the Oxford AZ vaccine 3 weeks ago and it was absolutely nothing. Didnt really feel anything--just 2 days later I turned on my left side in bed in the morning and just felt a slight "sensation" but that was it. Hubby had same vaccine later --and he has a needle phobia---tends to lash out at anyone approaching with a needle!!!!---and he said it was fine. Just my 2 pennorth of positivity this morning. Good luck

Lyndaki profile image
Lyndaki

I had the AZ jab on Sunday in left arm....I’m right handed too. For me, no aching arm but tiredness. However I woke in the night shaking badly like I had the flu so I took my normal dose of prednisolone, 2 paracetamol, & went back to bed in dressing gown, socks & with a hot water bottle. I sleep till 8.30& just felt a tiny bit fluy so took another 5mgs as per sick days advice & another paracetamol. By evening I was fine & today, back to normal.

PMRsince2014 profile image
PMRsince2014

That's interesting. I had the Oxford jab on Sunday and also had the in bed shaking badly episode and chills plus headaches. Seemed to have cleared though in about 24 hours.

Pippah45 profile image
Pippah45 in reply to PMRsince2014

I am so glad I asked the question! All went well today - very impressive organisation on behalf the surgery. At least I shall know what the shakes are if I wake up in the night with them! Thank you everyone.

artfingers profile image
artfingers

We had to drive through so no choice - it had to be the left (for first dose). With Pfizer, I admit I was pleased the side effects were just about non existent. Second shot left me tired and achy day after but that was it. A week out after second dose, no issues at all.

Telian profile image
Telian

You’ll have had it done by now but when I had my vaccine the nurse advised to have it in the non-dominant arm. I didn’t have a choice of arms but the one available was my non-dominant one. Hope you okay.

Pippah45 profile image
Pippah45

Yes thanks I have had it done in the non dominant arm. So far the arm is ok but I feel a little grotty today! A mixture of a hangover and as though I had fallen off a horse! Nothing bad really! :)

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