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Had my first COVID vaccine January 18th

starlily88

Senior Member
Messages
497
Location
Baltimore MD
Have been scared to get COVID vaccine. I have anaphylasis. CDC recommends anyone allergic to any ingredient in the vaccine to not take it.
Called Internist to see what ingredients are in it, which can give anaphylasis.
It's Polyethylene Gycol - main ingredient in Miralax.

Got Moderna vaccine on Monday January 18th. Have appt for 4 weeks for 2nd dose.
All I have felt first day was my lymph nodes aching off and on, not long.
Pain at both temples for a bit.

Best chance to live thru this Pandemic.
Starlily88
 
Last edited by a moderator:

vision blue

Senior Member
Messages
1,877
The pain in both temples sounds scary. I* was just yesterday talking to someone who got the vaccine and she's getting some stabbing pains in her head. She says she thinks she's had those before, but now that suddently flared up. (she is older woman, apperntly has CFS or at least a cfs doc told her so. )
 

starlily88

Senior Member
Messages
497
Location
Baltimore MD
The pain in both temples sounds scary. I* was just yesterday talking to someone who got the vaccine and she's getting some stabbing pains in her head. She says she thinks she's had those before, but now that suddently flared up. (she is older woman, apperntly has CFS or at least a cfs doc told her so. )


The "pain" I mentioned on right/left side of temple was absolutely nothing. I am a senior, have history of migraines - this was NOT a headache.
The pain was NOT scary - it was minimal - and perhaps happened 4/5 times for 3 seconds at most.
It went away as quickly as it came. I have migraines, Trigeminal Neuralgia, sinus infection problems, etc.
So this was absolutely nothing - it happened so few times, for a few seconds at a time, then went away.
Starlily88
 

starlily88

Senior Member
Messages
497
Location
Baltimore MD
Wow! I can imagine that this was a difficult and anxiety-provoking choice to make. I'm so glad you got your vaccine, and that overall you're feeling well. Thank you so much for sharing your experience!

Dear Rebeccacare - I assumed I might get vaccine around March 1st. So when my Internist early Friday morning January 15th told me I had to do vaccine on Monday January 18th - I went into tailspin, just not prepared.
Biggest concern is my Anaphylasis I have had whole life. This scared me the most.

Then my Dr told it was the Polyethylene Gycol in Moderna/Pfizer that did this, and since I do Miralax this is main ingredient to it. This put me at ease, but still not prepared to get it this fast.

I had little or no side effects - the lymph node pain was very brief, the head pain very brief, so I am doing great.
Looking forward to my 2nd appointment is February 15th, 4 weeks due to Moderna.

Thanks for your concern, I was indeed going thru great anxiety since I have never done the flu vaccine, pneumoccocal vaccine, or Shingles vaccine - and my long time ENDO asked me how I reacted to other vaccines.
Starlily88
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
So anyone as scared as I was - get it. Best chance to live thru this Pandemic.
Starlily88
Sorry to piggyback on your thread, but I got my first Pfizer vaccine today and it could be repetitive for each person who gets vaccinated to start a new thread. So, I was vaccinated today at a large hospital and I had wondered how they would handle infection control—very well! One way traffic through the corridors, sophisticated screening, they gave us fresh masks as we entered, no waiting so not long inside the building, 20 vaccination stations. They went through all our allergies, painless jab and they had about 15 rooms for the after-wait (2 to a room). They gave you a choice of cool bandaids and a peppermint. They also had us photograph a bar code for VSAFE, the CDC vaccine reaction tracker. Count me impressed!
So far, after 5 hours, just a slightly sore arm. I followed Nancy Klimas’s suggestions for prep.
 

perrier

Senior Member
Messages
1,254
Sorry to piggyback on your thread, but I got my first Pfizer vaccine today and it could be repetitive for each person who gets vaccinated to start a new thread. So, I was vaccinated today at a large hospital and I had wondered how they would handle infection control—very well! One way traffic through the corridors, sophisticated screening, they gave us fresh masks as we entered, no waiting so not long inside the building, 20 vaccination stations. They went through all our allergies, painless jab and they had about 15 rooms for the after-wait (2 to a room). They gave you a choice of cool bandaids and a peppermint. They also had us photograph a bar code for VSAFE, the CDC vaccine reaction tracker. Count me impressed!
So far, after 5 hours, just a slightly sore arm. I followed Nancy Klimas’s suggestions for prep.
Dear Sushi,
Would it be possible to please direct me to these preparations that Dr Klimas has suggested? Thank you.
 

starlily88

Senior Member
Messages
497
Location
Baltimore MD
Sorry to piggyback on your thread, but I got my first Pfizer vaccine today and it could be repetitive for each person who gets vaccinated to start a new thread. So, I was vaccinated today at a large hospital and I had wondered how they would handle infection control—very well! One way traffic through the corridors, sophisticated screening, they gave us fresh masks as we entered, no waiting so not long inside the building, 20 vaccination stations. They went through all our allergies, painless jab and they had about 15 rooms for the after-wait (2 to a room). They gave you a choice of cool bandaids and a peppermint. They also had us photograph a bar code for VSAFE, the CDC vaccine reaction tracker. Count me impressed!
So far, after 5 hours, just a slightly sore arm. I followed Nancy Klimas’s suggestions for prep.

Thanks Sushi. I was also at large hospital. I was there by 8:30 AM so had no wait at all.
After the shot - I had to sit in the same large room on folding chairs while others got vaccine.
It was fine at first - maybe 10 of us spread out.

But after 15 minutes the people seated after vaccine suddenly tripled, and I was feeling quite unsafe.
Especially when there was no more room to seat us - so they put lady in wheelchair right next to me.
I have never been this close to people in a closed room with heat on since last January 2020.

It should have been many rooms like you had, 2 to a room. Yours was done the right way.
I got so fearful - I told Nurse I had to leave right away, but she wouldn't let me go yet.
Although I asked if I could join VSAFE - I was handed a paper - and told just follow directions.

Thanks so much for the Nancy Klimas prep papers. Wish I had had it from before vaccine.
I did up my vitamin intake and took Benadryl as soon as I knew about vaccine appt.
Thanks again, Starlily88
PS Wish my ENDO and Internist knew what Nancy Klimas said, made copies, sending this to them.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
I had to sit in the same large room on folding chairs while others got vaccine.
It was fine at first - maybe 10 of us spread out.

But after 15 minutes the people seated after vaccine suddenly tripled, and I was feeling quite unsafe.
Especially when there was no more room to seat us - so they put lady in wheelchair right next to me.
I have never been this close to people in a closed room with heat on since last January 2020.
That doesn’t sound well planned! I have also not been inside with a group of others since last March. I had on two masks and goggles!

Re: the Reddit report, here is my experience after the first vaccination: By bedtime I had the aching arm and I slight headache but for some reason I couldn’t get to sleep and had an in restful night feeling a bit fluish and congested—not pleasant but tolerable. This morning the arm is more comfortable, the flu feeling is gone but I am still congested—but then congestion is my go-to symptom. I would guess that the reaction from the second vaccination will be more intense, though nothing like going through COVID.

I am glad that I had a reaction as it shows that my immune system is capable of responding somewhat normally. I didn’t have any sort of allergic reaction and will take Zyrtec for a couple of more days.[/QUOTE]
 

starlily88

Senior Member
Messages
497
Location
Baltimore MD
I have also not been inside with a group of others since last March. I had on two masks and goggles!
Sushi, I had on my normal 2 masks - goggles you wore, genius.
I should have worn my Face shield too.
Sorry you had that reaction - but it is good - shows vaccine working.

The Reddit report on the CFS person on 2nd shot- I truly hope we don't feel like we're dying, OMG, scary.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
Fauci reacted to the second dose too:
Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) Tweeted:
Asked if he had 2nd dose of coronavirus vaccine, Dr Fauci told us: “I did. I had it on the 19th. I was hoping that I wouldn’t get too knocked out. I did for about 24 hours. Now I’m fine.”

“Fatigued. A little achy. You know. Chilly. Not sick,” he told me, ahead of Biden remarks. https://t.co/Ob0Pb91rrQ

 

Rebeccare

Moose Enthusiast
Messages
9,064
Location
Massachusetts
The Reddit report on the CFS person on 2nd shot- I truly hope we don't feel like we're dying, OMG, scary.
I have several (healthy) friends who work in hospitals and have received their second shots. Nobody has said that they felt like they were dying, but just about all of them said that the side effects were more severe the second time around. So even though it's unpleasant it's not unexpected.

Hopefully having a few weeks to prep for that might make a bit of a difference? Unlike with your first shot, you have a little while to prepare your body (and your mind!) this time around. You can also prepare a good list of TV shows or movies to watch in bed as you recuperate!
 

gbells

Improved ME from 2 to 6
Messages
1,491
Location
Alexandria, VA USA
I have several (healthy) friends who work in hospitals and have received their second shots. Nobody has said that they felt like they were dying, but just about all of them said that the side effects were more severe the second time around. So even though it's unpleasant it's not unexpected.

Hopefully having a few weeks to prep for that might make a bit of a difference? Unlike with your first shot, you have a little while to prepare your body (and your mind!) this time around. You can also prepare a good list of TV shows or movies to watch in bed as you recuperate!

I had the new shingles active vaccine. It definitely is more painful (muscle soreness) than a flu shot.