Covid vaccine

[Stone17]

Hi, had my vaccine ( AstraZeneca) on Monday. Thankfully no immediate side effects. Arm slightly swollen and painful two days later and a headache which may not be connected. Now 4days later arm still tender to touch but no worse than flu jab. Was very anxious before and took Cetirizine as recommended. Also carried my epipens! Vaccinators not terribly interested but I had filled in an on line form asking mainly about anaphylaxis and alkergy to other vaccines.

[Jess-UKMasto Partner]

Very glad to hear things went so smoothly! Good news. In another day or two it would be great if you could fill in the survey smartsurvey.co.uk/s/UKMasto... in another day or two!

[Stone17 in reply to Jess-UKMasto]

Survey done. Hope I wasn't premature.

[Jess-UKMasto Partner in reply to Stone17]

It's fine. If you're already feeling better we'll hope that all stays as it was. If it turns out something lingered you can let us know when you fill in the one about the second vaccine as we will ask you to think back as well. (Not that most of us are great at remembering-- but you can make note of anything that you notice over the next 11 weeks or so if you think of it!)

[mickyb in reply to Stone17]

Hello .....did you have to stop any of your medications before or after the vaccination ??

[Stone17 in reply to mickyb]

Hi, no I took all my usual drugs plus the cetirizine as an added precaution.

[watercolour1 in reply to Jess-UKMasto]

Yes, I take cetirizine. Wouldn't be without it. It gives me stability with Mastocytosis. I still have flare ups but on a day to day level it keeps me pretty normal.

[watercolour1]

Hi Yes I take certerzine

[Kay-UKMasto Ambassador]

Hi all, I had my vaccination last Sunday (the Oxford-AstraZeneca one) and had absolutely no side-effects at all (except just possibly a related headache over 2 days later). I was amazed. I took two ketotifen beforehand and carried my two epipens. The staff didn't seem that interested in my saying I could have a reaction (and I didn't get the option to fill in anything on line beforehand) but reluctantly agreed that I could sit in a corner for 15 minutes afterwards, then sit in the car outside for 15 minutes, having told one of the marshalls where I was (and toot the horn if I needed help). At the time I indicated to the nurse that it was the least intrusive vaccination I've ever had - I didn't feel a thing (and almost wondered whether they'd actually injected anything) - she said she'd be practising for 40 years! I filled in the survey after 72 hours.

[Stone17 in reply to Kay-UKMasto]

Hi. Kay. Your experience is very like mine. Glad it went well for you. No one seems to understand how worried some of us were about the vaccine. Oddly enough I had a sudden reaction ten days later when my arm itched and flared up really red from the injection site to my neck. Took Fexofenadine and an ice pack and it calmed in about an hour. This is an unusual area for my flare ups but not unlike others.

[Topnumpty]

All good for me too, following the AZ vaccine three weeks ago. I completed the survey, too.

[GrowingTrees]

I’m having a terrible reaction to the Astra Zeneca vaccine. It’s what brought me to the MCAS. I didn’t realise I had it until I began to get poorlier and poorlier after the first vaccine. I have EDS Hypermobility and had never heard of MCAS but my pain triggers and flares began to happen within twenty minutes of an activity and I couldn’t stay upright in my wheelchair. After the second vaccine I had such a flare that I ended up in A&E where they gave me fexofendadine by my request as they wanted to give me opioids for the pain.

My main flare is all over body pain which makes me feel like I’m being crushed. I’d managed to persuade my gp to give me Famotidine for before the vaccine but I didn’t have the right H1 or dose. I couldn’t believe how different my body felt on the one day of those meds before the vaccine it was like my pain had been switched off.

I had the pain for nine days after the 2nd vaccine before I had the fexofenadine that lifted the pain but left me with brain fog, fatigue, inability to sit upright for long and my voice had gone and it was a struggle to talk. These symptons lasted another week before they began to lift. I’m now waiting to see an immunologist. As this is all new territory for me. I’ve had these symptoms for 35 years but I just thought they were linked to the pain of my EDS Hypermobility.

[floating_]

I had mine in January (I'm CEV) and had a pretty bad reaction despite medication for my MCAS, have had to wait for ages for the second one despite the go ahead from my Allergist to have the second one months ago. Will be getting it at a hospital instead this time and will have to wait half an hour. Obviously will be taking my Epi-Pens with me too.