I am currently struggling with the decision of when to take up the covid vaccine. I have now been invited but I am currently undermedicated and iron deficient and have some major symptoms including constant thrumming body with some palpitations, extreme fatigue and extreme lightheadedness - I cannot sit/stand up for long and only in short bursts, cannot climb stairs on my own and have to spend all day laying down. My body is extremely sensitive and I cannot handle even small mental of physical stress at all without my body going haywire and symptoms worsening for days after. I have been like this over a year and though improving my body cannot handle more than minuscule increases in thyroid medication so I am getting there slowly.
I am concerned that the potential vaccine side effects may affect me strongly and that the added strain on my body might impact on my incredibly slow progress. In my position would you wait until I’m feeling better to take the vaccine or do you think I’m being overly worried?
Any advice much appreciated!
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I'm unmarried, single, no children and my job is work at home, although I'm on a medical leave right now, so I wear a mask if I go to the grocery market and they also have free pickup so I can order online. When I go for walks it's out in the open and it helps to live in a less populated town. My friend walked me through his side effects after the first jab and I was like no thanks, at least not right now. His second was okay but I know others that posted their second jab was rough. I have another friend that got two types of flu and covid all at once. She rebounded quickly and the 10lb weightloss encouraged her to prep meals and further her weightloss. I'm doing my part by staying in my garden! If you live in a large household you may want to consider getting the vax.
Sounds like you are really having a bad time. It is such a difficult decision. I’d say talk it over with your doctor/endocrinologist and any medical experts you can find. My concern for you would be if you caught Covid, things would be much much worse. Not everyone gets side effects from the vaccine and for most of those who do they only last for a day or so. I was worried about the side effects as if I get ill with flu or the like I get it worse than anyone I know but out of my friends I had no side effects at all luckily. Good luck I hope you find a way through and get your symptoms under control.
Thank you for your reply! I have emailed my endocrinologist as he is very understanding so I think it will help to hear his opinion! This is what I’m struggling with as I know covid could be so much worse and the responses to this thread are making me feel a bit braver about taking it now! I’m glad you didn’t have side effects that’s reassuring to hear! Thank you for the kind words! 😊
If you decide to have the vaccine have some paracetamol an hour before you go ( if you are able!) and keep sure you are well hydrated that day. Not sure if it helps but it doesn’t hurt and cancel everything for the day after. I hope you get your symptoms under control soon
I suppose the question to pose is are you better off getting Covid or handling the potential side effects from the vaccine? The third wave is coming and the Delta variant is more transmissible. I had side effects but I very glad to have had my two jabs. Good luck with your decision. Its not terribly easy!
Yes this is my big concern especially as I live in a small house with 3 others who are visiting more spaces/people. The replies here have been very helpful and I’m thinking I should take the leap and just try to take it even easier than normal in the lead up to/aftermath! Thank you for your help! 😊
I’m sorry to hear you’re so poorly. Hang on in there. I’ve booked my first jab in a weeks time and Of course I’m worried about how my body’s going to react too. You could take somebody with you? Also, Get a stack of good books in to read in case you don’t feel great afterwards? I also listen to YouTube guided relaxation or hypnotherapy recordings - there’s some on there specifically focussing on the body and I find visualising very helpful. Good luck,
Thank you, it has not been the easiest time! Thank you for the good advice that’s a great idea! I think I might go for it and just try to take it extra easy in the run up - doesn’t help getting so stressed about it all is draining me and making my symptoms worse - maybe best to get it out the way now 😂
The Pfizer vaccine seems to cause less side effects (initial at least). So if you could get try to get that it might alleviate your concerns. I do hope your symptoms improve and that you find a way to recover your health so that you can function again; your symptoms sound awful.
Thank you that’s good to hear! That’s a good idea and what I’m leaning towards! Thank you for the kind words! I have seen slow improvement it’s just taking time but hopefully I will get there sooner rather than later 😊
There’s a new survey done by Dr Tess Lawrie director of evidence based medicine titled Urgent Preliminary Report of yellow card data up to 26th May 2021
I empathise as I’m in a similar situation. I’ve decided to postpone for a while, but your decision is your own personal choice and you have to feel comfortable with it.
I didn’t take my decision lightly, rather I looked into all the pros and cons from various reliable sources and from how family and friends were after vaccination. I must add that I’ve had various vaccinations throughout my life.
I reiterate, it is your own personal choice and don’t allow anyone to influence you. You must feel comfortable with your decision.
Hi, This is a decision I had to make earlier in the year. I have been under medicated for several years with many of the unpleasant symptoms. I'm told I am not absorbing meds as I should. I'm working with a consultant to try to resolve that. On top of that, I had Covid in February last year and I am suffering with long covid that simply won't go away. I always react badly to any meds I'm given. I definitely expected to suffer from the effects of the two jabs.It definitely was not an easy decision for me. I had the first jab in February. I had a very sore arm at the injection site and I was under the weather. These lasted ten days. I had the second jab in late April. I'm not sure I'm fully over it now. The jab went straight into my muscles and has stayed there. I had muscle aches in my neck and shoulders before either jab. They have been very much worse since and now include my upper arm. I also had flu like symptoms lasting over three weeks.
I am very glad I had the first jab - it has given me peace of mind. The second jab - I'm not so sure !! I want my life back to normal whatever that will be. The only way forward is for everyone to be vaccinated. I'd be liing if I said I wasn't dreading the annual covid jab when it comes in, but I will probably still have it. I'm just hoping I'll be feeling better before I'm offered it!! I had the Pfizer vacine both times. Personally, I think everyone should have the jab so that we can all get our live's back. Good luck. I hope you feel better soon.
From my own experience of having the Astra Zeneca vaccine it was ok. I had a bit of a side effect after the first one , headache, shivery but after a nights sleep I was fine. I took paracetamol before the second jab and about 4 hours after and had no side effects at all.The reasons behind having the vaccine were, I am asthmatic, I am a carer for my husband and I was more frightened of getting COVID than the side effects of the vaccine.
Hi purple64 , I had dreadful reaction to the first AZ. I have my second booked in next week. I have heard about taking paracetamol before hand. Did you take it just right before, or a couple of hours...?
Its a difficult one. I have hashimotos which is autoimmune. I reacted quite badly to AZ first jab, and was 'not right'/feeling ill for a few weeks after. But I am one of those people that seems to 'catch' everything going but not actually get properly ill. So if the kids come home with a full blown head cold, they will be ill for 2 days and then right as rain. I will just feel like I am fighting something for weeks and not coming down with anything specific. Just feel, groggy, tired and ill. With the first AZ, I did have full blown fever, body aches and migrane for the first 48hrs. I do remember thinking at the time there is no way I am going to have my second, I thought I was dying. For the next few weeks I did feel ill as above like i was 'fighting' something. Of course, that is exactly what my body was doing. So the first 48 hours was the innate immune system (reactive) going into overdrive and the couple of weeks where I just felt ill was the adaptive immune system creating antibodies I guess. Anyway, its like child birth, I seem to have forgotten how bad it was and am doing it all again next week! ha ha. A nurse told me to take paracetamol before hand for the second one. I was very nervous about the AZ as I had heard it could give bad reactions ( I was one of them), but I believe the aPfizer and Morderna can cause more confusion to an already confused immune system. If your are suffering from an autoimmune aspect I would suggest before you have any vaccine, take a week or so going really 'clean'. No alcohol, gluten, dairy, nightshade or grains. Eat lots of greens, veg, fruit, fish meat, just to give your body a bit of a break.
I haven't taken the vaccine, it's been a lot of deliberating as you can imagine. My partner works nationwide in hospital labs, universities and research centres, so you can imagine how worried I have been. I started disinfecting door knobs, light switches etc etc, but a lot more relaxed about it now. What we have both found helpful is keeping our vitamin D3 at good levels, taking 4,000iu's daily, plus zinc and vitamin C. Good nutrition and improving your immunity as much as you can.
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