Odd thing happened today.

[Nagswoman]

I had the Spikevax booster last Thursday.

6 days later, today, I had tachycardia from 9.30am to 17.30pm. We had left for our aircraft grease monkey volunteering at 9am but I had to sit in the office all day while he got to work.

No GP appointments available but receptionist said someone had the jab and got covid the next day. I did a test when we got home. Negative.

It is now 19.00pm and my pulse has slowly crept down to 72bpm so I am not going to do as advised and call 111 to talk to a duty GP.

That was an exhausting day doing nothing.

Did I have a reaction to the jab, anyone? Did you? Did I get a wild immune response? Did the steroids delay the response?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I really don't think you can call something that happened 6 days later a reaction to a vaccine. I have a history of arrythmia - it has never happened in response to a vaccine.

You cannot catch Covid because of having a jab - the person was probably hatching Covid they had caught a few days earlier. it takes at least 2-3 days to incubate. It happened to my grandson with his first jab (he's training to be a nurse) - had the jab and the symptoms started a few hours later.

What was your pulse during the attack? If you have severe tachycardia again, don't waste your time with such an unreactive GP practice and the receptionist was also out of order making such a comment. You should have been fitted in as an emergency, not that the GP can do much - but the correct thing to do is call 999. Paramedics carry 12-lead ECGs and can diagnose if you require transport to A&E. You cannot predict how an attack of tachycardia will progress. It is a cardiac problem that needs assessment asap;

[Nagswoman in reply to PMRpro]

Between 107 and 123 for most of the time, averaging 115. I have attached a screenshot from my Fitbit app. This has never happened before. Internet Spikevax info suggests that a response can happen up to 14 days after. I had to laugh as it kept telling me that I was in the fat zone and cardio zone.

Fitbit screenshot.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Nagswoman]

If only!!!!! Mine are often higher than that and I don't call the ambo - they don't last long, I know what they are and when I have called 112 they had stopped by the time I got to the ED! But it is important to get them checked if they happen more often. I wouldn't have put up with it that long - 2 hours is about my limit.

[Ridge]

I recommend a Kardia. I was told to get one by a cardiologist. It gives you a reading on an iPhone that can be used by doctors.

[Nagswoman in reply to Ridge]

I have a Kardia and actually took it with me yesterday to show it to someone who has AF. I did a reading mid-tachy, attached. At 7.5mg steroids my heart is rock steady. I am on my 5th taper and am at 6mg. PVCs drop in along with palpitations but never anything like yesterday, which is why I suspect the Spikevax's palpitation side effects. My first ever cortisol test is coming up at 5mg. (Thanks, new rheumo).

Kardia 28/9/22

[Ridge in reply to Nagswoman]

Gosh. That looks strange but then I sent an ‘unclassified’ one to the cardiologist and he said it was fine! I think you have to really understand ecgs. I think I will turn down a Spikevax whatever it is. I thought we were getting Pfizer or Moderna?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Ridge]

Moderna IS Spikevax. Spikevax is name of vaccine , Modena is manufacturer.

I had my Spikevax bivalent booster yesterday -felt a bit “coldy” yesterday evening - but fine this morning apart from usual expected tenderness around vaccine site.

Have had 3x Pfizer, ,2x Moderna… no issues with any.

Mind you, no longer on Pred, and I always take paracetamol in the 24 hours running up to vaccine and 24-48 hrs afterwards. Whatever vaccine…

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Ridge]

As DL says - only the name has been changed to confuse the innocent! I've had 2x Moderna, 2x Pfizer, no problems really with either. Pfizer was better than Moderna if I was asked. The numbers are shooting up everywhere - I won't be passing up on my next jab.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

Innocent?..long time ago maybe😂🤣..

Mine was done in GP surgery by a "proper" nurse, didn't even feel the needle go in!

What was the most painful and time-consuming was filling in the info, she had to logon to the NHS site and fill it all in there... which took longer than the allotted time for appointment , so she was 25mins overdue at 10.40 in the morning.. as the day was all covid vaccines for her goodness knows what time she finished.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to DorsetLady]

Is that new? They use secretarial staff for that bit here!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

Previous ones were done at hubs (albeit the first 2 were actually at same GP surgery) - so there was a ‘meet and greet’ person who took basic details like dob, nhs no, recent illnesses etc…then on to a vaccinator and an assistant who input details online (either clerical or medical staff).

I was expecting to have to go to a hub again, but surgery have decided to do it themselves this time around…and only one nurse doing it ..so whether they were short staffed yesterday not sure. It was a bit like the Marie Celeste …. but it’s done, which is main thing.

[Bcol in reply to DorsetLady]

Apart from my first one, all others done at my surgery by one of the nurses, who are all brilliant. Flu and Covid tomorrow morning, no idea which version, will report back. 💉💉

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Bcol]

Should have had flu vaccine on Monday 19th -cancelled for obvious reasons so now next month, Didn’t want both on same day….

Good luck with yours

[Bcol in reply to Bcol]

Hi again, I had the Moderna Spikevax Bivalent and the flue jab this morning. Flu in right arm, Moderna in left. Six hours later still OK, with no aches or pains, but early days yet. 1st time with Moderna for me.

[Bcol in reply to Bcol]

Update to the update, flu jab arm absolutely fine, Covid jab arm sore and tender to touch near jab site, but nothing worse or to bad at this point in time. (early Sunday morning).

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Bcol]

👍

[Nagswoman in reply to Ridge]

They had the Moderna Spikevax bivalent and the Pfizer. I wanted the Pfizer but I am not under 12. Could not be bothered to argue.

[Hollybee21]

My daughter and sister in law had trouble with an irregular heart beat after their last Spikevax vaccine last spring both saw a specialist and was given medication for a short time which seems to have sorted it out for both of them. My daughter told me last week that someone in work with her went for her Autumn booster and was asked if she had had any heart problem after her Spring vaccine. So maybe they are aware there could be a problem.

[Nagswoman in reply to Hollybee21]

I think that I will Yellow Card it.

[Paradisso]

Good morning Nagswoman, that must have been very worrying at the time!

I had 2 AstraZeneca vaccines at relevant intervals when the vaccine started, i did not suffer with any flu like symptoms etc but did have raised BP and a slightly increased heart rate about 4/5 days after on both occasions that occurred on and off over a couple of days.

However 2 weeks after my 2nd vaccine I got a eruption of irritation on some skin tags and moles and my dermatologist didnt even ask me IF I had had a vaccine recently, she said looking at t his I am guessing you had your vaccine 2 weeks ago!! .

That was prior to July 21. Fast track forward to when my GCA first kicked off in October of 2021, and once the condition settled and the steroids did their work, my consultant suggested I got my flu jab and separately my vaccine booster shot. I had no reaction to the flu shot but exactly 2 weeks after I took the booster shot in mid to late December , I had a flare with my GCA and had to increase the dosage and stabilise before recommencing the taper.

Just saying in each case 2 weeks was the time line. Was it related ? I guess we will never be too sure, but I am at this very time struggling to decide if I should be getting the new autumn booster. My consultant has suggested I should, but categorically said I must not do the flu and covid booster at the same time and even suggested I upped my steroids for the period immediately after and hold off the tapering for a while after the respective vaccines.

Not sure we can compare too much here as we do have rather apples and pears to look at but just the fact that reactions did not occur until 2 weeks post vaccine which seemed the norm at least on the dermatological front.

Hope this was of help to someone.

[AyJayBass]

I had my autumn booster last Saturday, the Moderna Spikevax bivalent. I have had no reaction to it at all this time. I do have AF which usually manifests itself as a few minutes of tachycardia.

I am not always aware of AF but if I do feel it I try to quickly do an ECG using my clever Samsung watch which will confirm AF if it gets a good reading over a 30 second period. It sends a PDF of the graph to my phone which I can print out to give to my GP.

I had an AF review with him recently and when I presented the graphs to him he said that AF reviews are generally not very productive but in this case it was good to have data which he would send to Cardiology for advice on changing my meds.