Some long-haulers say symptoms subsiding after vaccines - Washington Post March 16, 2021

[Wayne]

This sounds encouraging... -- EDIT: -- Of note, Eisenberg received the Moderna vaccine.

Some long-haul covid-19 patients say their symptoms are subsiding after getting vaccines

Arianna Eisenberg endured long-haul covid-19 for eight months, a recurring nightmare of soaking sweats, crushing fatigue, insomnia, brain fog and muscle pain.​

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But Eisenberg’s tale has a happy ending that neither she nor current medical science can explain. Thirty-six hours after her second shot of coronavirus vaccine last month, her symptoms were gone, and they haven’t returned.​

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“I really felt back to myself,” the 34-year-old Brooklyn therapist said, “to a way that I didn’t think was possible when I was really sick.”​

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Some people who have spent months suffering from long-haul covid-19 are taking to social media to report their delight at seeing their symptoms disappear after their vaccinations, leaving experts chasing yet another puzzling clinical development surrounding the disease caused by the coronavirus...​

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[Mary]

@Wayne, thanks for posting this. One of my kids texted me a link to this this morning, and I was going to post it, but then found your post

@bensmith , tagging you here FYI -

 

[Hip]

Another thread on this topic here.

 

[bensmith]

Thanks, I’m still waiting but i hope i get lucky if i take it!

 

[Strawberry]

I’m assuming this refers to the Phizer or the moderna vaccine? (Since it says 2nd shot)

 

[junkcrap50]

Which vaccine is reversing it?

 

[Abrin]

What an interesting plot twist!

 

[Wayne]

Which vaccine is reversing it?

@junkcrap50 -- I just tracked this down from the article:

"Eisenberg ... received her second shot of the Moderna vaccine on Feb. 5."​

 

[junkcrap50]

@junkcrap50 -- I just tracked this down from the article:

"Eisenberg ... received her second shot of the Moderna vaccine on Feb. 5."​

Moderna in this case. But the other reports of reversing symptoms? Is this exclusive to Moderna or other vaccines having success too?

 

[bensmith]

Both i am fairly sure.

 

[Abrin]

Do you think if all the Long-Covid people end up getting better quickly that they will circle back once they are healthy again to help all us with ME/CFS to get more awareness about how our illness is real and how horrid living with it actually is?

(*looks around at everyone hopefully*)

 

[Jackb23]

Do you think if all the Long-Covid people end up getting better quickly that they will circle back once they are healthy again to help all us with ME/CFS to get more awareness about how our illness is real and how horrid living with it actually is?

(*looks around at everyone hopefully*)

It is hard to appreciate the true suffering that comes with me/cfs even if one experiences it for a few months to a year. Sure you know the symptoms, but do you know the changes in self-imagery, relationships with others— the world even—or the mangling of the dreams you once had? The taboo of it all, feeling closeted in your plight and tons of doubters whenever you reach out for help in a desperate time. The bumpy cycle of acceptance and grief that comes from the time/severity one spent ill may play a huge factor in whether ex long haulers designate a lot of effort towards advocation. I wouldn’t count on it but we have, at the very least, ended the me/cfs is all in your head sentiment.

This is all assuming that the vaccine helps long haulers. I hope it does help them because that may also give us insight into possible treatments for us, but I think it’s all very speculative right now and there are no double blind trials. After all, remember when exercise and cbt were found to help me/cfs?

 

[5vforest]

I will go on record in this thread that I don't think the vaccine will prove to be an effective treatment. I think that there are simply some long haulers that are recovering spontaneously, paired with the fact that many people are also being vaccinated. (Of course, I would love to be wrong.)

 

[Art Vandelay]

I will go on record in this thread that I don't think the vaccine will prove to be an effective treatment. I think that there are simply some long haulers that are recovering spontaneously, paired with the fact that many people are also being vaccinated. (Of course, I would love to be wrong.)

I agree. Given that most people suffering with post-viral illnesses tend to recover naturally, it's not unexpected to see some recoveries reported after the vaccine.

I've been watching some of the LongCovid forums and the vast majority of the members are reporting a temporary worsening of symptoms after the vaccine. I've yet to see one report of a full recovery. This news of miraculous recoveries appears to be media hype.

 

[5vforest]

It's a juicy narrative for the media. Everyone wants hope, and there is massive sentiment in favor of vaccines. It's a win-win, except for those of us interested in the truth.

 

[JES]

Vaccines provoke a temporary immune reaction. Some of us feel worse when they get an acute infection, whereas I experienced a big improvement in ME/CFS when I get a cold, it's like my immune system gets distracted for a moment as it has to fight something else. A vaccine, while it's probably not quite as power of a distraction as a real acute infection, could well do something similar, especially the AstraZeneca one, which contains a real virus that is just unable to multiple.

 

[IThinkImTurningJapanese]

I got a remarkable improvement in long-covid symptoms when I caught a cold last fall. It was like my immune system just woke up and said, "Ohh shit, I'm supposed to be fighting coronaviruses."

 

[Wayne]

Since the vaccine used in the initial story was the Moderna vaccine, I thought I'd post the following testimonial that was posted just this morning on a tinnitus forum.

"My tinnitus started 4 hours after the 1st Moderna vaccination..."​

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I've been running across a good number of testimonials similar to this one, though I haven't been tracking which of the vaccines may be causing more tinnitus than others. Just wanted to put out this cautionary note. Also, the cause of the tinnitus could be either something that affected the ears or the brain; or both. Nobody knows.
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Note: I would urge people to never underestimate how devastating and Soul crushing severe tinnitus can be. I would recommend: Always be careful with any medication that's been recommended, as many can cause severe tinnitus. Always protect yourself from excess noise. Many people can get permanent tinnitus just from things like pounding something, or sawing on metal for a couple of minutes without protection.

Take care of your oral health, and address any neck and upper back discomforts as well as possible. Be careful with MRIs without adequate hearing protection (they can be very loud). Ultrasonic teeth cleaning can cause tinnitus for those who may be vulnerable (such as pwME/CFS). Be very careful about getting your ears cleaned using microsuction (many practitioners are woefully unqualifed to do such a delicate and potentially dangerous procedure). In short, always keep in mind that ears are fragile, and one slip up can cause enduring misery.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

In short, always keep in mind that ears are fragile, and one slip up can cause enduring misery.

Interesting post, and Thanks @Wayne ...I do not like this tinnitis.....mine is not too bad but always includes my brain...I seem to shake my head and make grimacing faces, as if I need to shake something out.

I was out on the street with my daughter and son in law- I'm pushing the stroller- and my son in law saw somebody he knew in a vehicle and he whistled. Standing right next to me, this whistle went straight into my entire body and brain, I had weeks of tinnitus after.

At the time, I literally jumped about a foot. Sudden loud noises are somehow extremely difficult for me to processs.

while I can go in the kitchen and crumple bags, if my husband does it my Brain feels lacerated. Please stop I beg him.

For two weeks after reading about Whitney, my husband apologized for these noise eruptions. Now he is back tossing glass bottles Crash. Bang.

 

[Wayne]

Since the vaccine used in the initial story was the Moderna vaccine, I thought I'd post the following testimonial that was posted just this morning on a tinnitus forum.

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"My tinnitus started 4 hours after the 1st Moderna vaccination..."

I just ran across another testimonial, this time regarding the Pfizer vaccine:

"I now have tinnitus after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. It’s been constant for 8 weeks. I was perfectly fine prior to the vaccine. No history of ear infections, no issues at all, now this constant ringing. If I had known this would have happened, I never would have gotten the vaccine. You can read my story in my introductory post I just posted."​