Spring Covid booster

[jaycee444]

Have had text from my surgery offering me a Spring Booster for Covid. Have been on 4.5mg Prednisolone for a couple of months now. Would my immune system still be classed as compromised on such a low dose?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Whether it is or not - I think I would accept the offer!! And you qualify under the age criterion too if my arithmetic is correct - 74 when you got PMR 5 years ago?

[jaycee444 in reply to PMRpro]

Yep…..79 this year.. I also have Ulcerative Colitis and am at present having a flare up of that so am wondering whether to delay the booster. I dont want to make anything worse….🫤

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to jaycee444]

Possibly - maybe worth asking your doctors what they recommend?

[Koalajane]

I had an email today inviting me to make an appointment. Not sure if I will get the vaccine but worth a try and I shan’t be too upset if I get turned away.

[diana1998 in reply to Koalajane]

I got one too. I stopped having jabs before the last one was offered as felt uncomfortable about them. My cousin has had every one on offer and got covid really badly in January. I had just a light cold which tested positive surprisingly. No problem. My OH doesn't get jabbed and never knowingly had covid. It's a personal thing. 1st 7 years on pred, I never caught a cough or a cold. 😊

[AtopicGuy in reply to diana1998]

I had covid a couple of weeks ago. I'm constantly in pain anyway, so the additional extra aches and dry cough were very unwelcome. However, it all blew over in a couple of days and my wife showed no symptoms at all. So we'll accept every booster going. The estimated global death toll from covid-19 recently passed 7 million.

[Bcol]

I had a invitation from my doctors this week and am booked in for next Monday.

[Koalajane in reply to Bcol]

Mine is booked for Monday

[random901]

Similar, jaycee444. I'll be taking up the offer. I'm on 20mg pred.

[Meggie22]

Me too, no longer on pred but take MTX for RA, will book appointment as soon as finished antibiotics (2nd lot) for nasty cough, runny nose etc. 70 later this year offered because compromised immune system I believe.

[Doraflora]

well, I’m currently on 3mg, tapering slowly to 2.5, and if I get offered the vaccine I’ll definitely have it.

[Pixix]

It’s not an offer if under 75!! Then it’s only able to have it if still have a weakened immune system. I’m Now on 2mg so doubt I will get it this time due to PMR & steroids use. The invite is clear, You have to choose out of 3 options…I still have a weakened immune system….I don’t know if I have a weakened immune system…I don’t have a weakened immune system. They could not make it clearer. Under 75s only get this one if they definitely have a weakened immune system!! Some people have one for reasons other than steroids use. But I’ve read 10mg as the cut off. Under 10mg & your system is not considered weakened. At my last jab the guy looked it up on his Govt web site, as he wasn’t going to give it to me..I was on 6mg then… & let me read it for myself. I only managed to get it because I have other diseases, & a weakened immune system from them. I was refused on steroid taking grounds. Just for info….no doubt it will be a lottery. Some people will take a box of steroids with them & get a jab. Some will be turned away. All depends on where you go & do does the jabs.

[Exflex]

Apparently it’s soon to be made available privately (24/4/24 onwards) at £45 to £100 depending on the ‘brew’. I think I’ll wait until the autumn for the annual ‘free’ booster. I think once a year is sufficient as I’ve had six jabs already, and actual Covid once.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Exflex]

We get them annually too, in the autumn. Lost count, probably 6, haven't knowingly had Covid yet.

[Hulotsholiday]

I was on 5mg when I had November booster but I’m not having any more. It triggered a huge flare after I’d been stable and slowly reducing for months. Had to go right back to the beginning and I’m currently on 10mg. GP said it was likely the booster was the trigger and interestingly, my OH has inflammatory bowel disease and had a flare which is still being managed. The OBD had been stable for a long time until then and there were no other apparent stressors. It’s down to personal choice, but maybe your GP could advise; but they tend to toe the party line. We live rurally and don’t mix socially so the risk of most infections is low. There are numerous reports of boosters causing auto immune condition flares. Good luck

[Exflex in reply to Hulotsholiday]

We have four grandchildren so we’re always picking things up!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hulotsholiday]

I didn't even have a sore arm this autumn but the bivalent one a year before kicked up my atrial fibrillation somewhat rotten.

[Hulotsholiday in reply to PMRpro]

I hadn’t thought of an AF connection. I’ve had a few lengthy episodes in recent months after only a couple in the 12 months preceding the booster. That’s interesting.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hulotsholiday]

Didn't happen with any other one - only that bivalent one. The cardiologist I saw who approved an ablation wouldn't have it that the Covid jab was associated - despite the first prolonged episode starting within 4 hours of the jab and then progressively getting worse. No difference at all after this winter's booster. Then a few weeks after the ablation that felt as if it had stopped the AF, I had a bisphosphonate infusion. And at the post-ablation check last week with the cardiologist who had done the ablation, I discovered that the AF was gone but I now have ectopic beats and atrial tachycardia that I feel - due to the infusion! And SHE didn't argue at all about the vaccine and the AF. I know from reading it has been suggested to be associated. Just hoping the AT improves over time but it is annoying!!!!

[Hulotsholiday in reply to PMRpro]

That’s really interesting. I’ve just checked and my Nov booster was Spikeway; I looked it up and it’s bivalent. My bradycardia has changed too. I’m still predominantly brady, but over recent weeks it’s not dropping below 40 at night. Now I’m getting frequent…2 or 3 times a day and once a night tachy episodes. Suddenly spikes to 120 to 150 or thereabouts and thumps away until it drops again, back to 50 odd. I’m 2 months overdue review which isn’t likely for another couple of months because of backlog.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hulotsholiday]

The one that caused my problem was Nov 2022 and I think it was Pfizer, not sure. But eventually I was up to almost daily, up to 12 hour tachys. Not funny! Mostly in the day so at least I could sleep. My limit was 130 - much above that for more than a few minutes and I seriously considered calling an ambo. At least here I would get one! Though my reviews were annual pacemaker checks, nothing else. The post-ablation ones seem more often - she wanted me back end of July but I hope to be in the UK then and she is apparently off in August so it will be September. I'm to increase the bisoprolol - not sure about that, the first few days I tried it I have just wanted to sleep.

[Dinahmite in reply to PMRpro]

I have paroxysmal AF, a pacemaker, no ablation, & tachycardia that has been non stop since the end of December when it started out of the blue after 2 months of Pred for PMR. 7.5 Bisoprolol doesn't seem to help. Mostly it's been just under 100 but is going over more often now. Seeing GP on Monday.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Dinahmite]

It is a common effect of pred but my arrythmia was due to the PMR itself, or at least, the underlying autoimmune disorder that causes it - it started about the same time as the first PMR symptoms which was five years before I started pred. Later I started getting dizzy spells that never showed on a monitor until I had a third TGA (transient global amnesia) and collapsed with a dizzy turn, hit my head and ended up on hospital. I was agitated so they gave me i.v. diazepam which induces severe AF in me! So I was on a monitor - and seen to have bradycardias with 7 second pauses with no heart beat. That attracted their notice!!! Three days later I got a pacemaker and for several years the AF was nicely managed with medication. When it all started they didn't do ablations unless they had to because they were unreliable. Now they do them far sooner.

If I were you, I'd be wanting a referral to cardiology - sooner rather than later as no doubt it will take forever in the UK!! Though a friend of mine in the Portsmouth area only waited from October to New Year for her ablation, though she was already under the cardiologist for the AF.

[Dinahmite in reply to PMRpro]

I've had the AF for 25 years. It's been well managed. This tachycardia is the new thing. It's exhausting!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Dinahmite]

It is - it is as if you are running a race all the time.

[Wizardgood in reply to PMRpro]

I was interested in your mention of TGA that you experienced

[Wizardgood in reply to PMRpro]

I am interested in your mention of TGA that you experienced. Last week I attended a&e because for about 15mins,out of the blue I could not remember very familiar names and places. After CT and MRI which showed nothings I was diagnosed with TGA. I had a similar episode about 18 months ago. Since I have Gca which is in remission I wondered if this could be connected. Hospital had no idea if it was or not. I have been under a lot of strain in the past 2 years , losing both my son and daughter. Wondering if this could be connected. I would be grateful for your thoughts.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Wizardgood]

Do you have any form of arrythmia? The local hospital where I was treated after the last 2 are confident it was due to bradycardia episodes and assured me after the pacemaker was put in it was unlikely to happen again. So far it hasn't! In Durham, where I experienced the first, the only doctor who recognised what it was was the A&E consultant - the medical lot were utterly useless! They were quite convinced it was a TIA despite having fulfilled none of the criteria! Even suggested epilepsy and stopped me driving (totally unnecessarily) for 6 months which was extremely inconvenient for someone almost immobile due to PMR they also couldn't diagnose! Here everyone identified it immediately and did the CT scan to rule out a bleed or stroke and waited for it to resolve. In Durham they wanted to keep me in for a week to do tests and then told me it never happened more than once - which is also tripe as you know too.

Sorry to hear about your losses - both son and daughter seems exceptionally hard.

[Wizardgood in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for your reply it is really appreciated. It's such a scary thing to happen and I am finding as with GCA when I was first diagnosed some 7 years ago most medics knew nothing about it, some still don't!!So it leaves you feeling very alone.

I don't have any heart problems and just hope that it's not a regular occurrence.

Once again thank you.

[ladygigger]

My invitation arrived yesterday and I'm booked in for early May. Unfortunately they don't seem to be offering it at my local pharmacy (next village, only 2 miles) so am having to travel to the next town, about 12 miles. I was down to 6mg but am having a flare at the moment so have boosted to 11mg for a week (yes, it's helping). Although I'm on a lower dose, I accepted because I'm now 70 and also had half a lung removed last year so don't want anything that affects what's left!

[Indigo2417]

I just rang the surgery as we had a text message to book the Spring booster. They booked my husband in because he’s over 75, but I’m apparently not eligible being under 75. I asked about being on long term steroids, but she reeled off a long list of those who are eligible who are classed as immunosuppressed so quickly I could barely make out what she was saying. Apparently, having been on 15mg initially, for at least 4 weeks was not high enough. She also said that I got one last November because I was over 50! I thought that the criteria then was over 65. This is Wales by the way and we do seem to do things differently over here.