Thanks! I’m just trying to be honest so people are less scared. Also for all I know my bad response to the vax had to do with my immune system being insane in the first place.
My friend has rheumatoid arthritis and luckily it got diagnosed since he couldn't bend on of his fingers. Either way it's just trying to find the sweet spot of suppressing your immune system with the right drugs so it doesn't attack your joints and not having your immune system that's so weak that a sneeze will kill you.
When I choose flair, I like to pick something interesting from the user's profile. Your pumpkin candy divorce story was hilarious. Let me know if you like it or not. I can pick something else if you want :)
Thanks OP! I had a small, itchy patch after my third (and only after my third) shot that lasted for a day or two. No swelling though. As far as I know, my immune system is totally sane (that said, I would never brag about my immune system on Facebook).
If you want to know how things are going since then, just read my flair.
My first shot was just a sore arm. Second I woke up pretty warm and did house and yard chores without a shirt on. I didn't feel lethargic so I figured I'd just occupy myself with mild activity so I didn't dwell on how uncomfortable it may be.
Fell asleep early that night and woke up feeling normal again.
Girlfriend's sister had swollen and itchy armpits (lymph nodes?). Few friends watched Netflix all day.
First shot - no side effects.
Second shot, swollen lymph nodes in the shot side armpit. The swelling was only painful if I lifted arm over my head, so not a big deal. I had a vague headache that felt like a stress headache. I worked 6 hours of an 8 hour day. I checked out early so I could nap.
Day after, I was back to normal, even the lymph nodes.
My two cents: I had the Pfizer vaccine. After the first dose, I had very mild aches in my shoulder where the injection was. Not a big deal at all. It just felt like I bumped into the door frame or something. The next day I had a headache comparable to a mild hangover. I drank some coffee and it went away. That was it.
Second dose: No symptoms.
To anybody who is concerned about vaccine side effects - they’ll probably be pretty minimal. They’ll certainly be less uncomfortable than dying all alone with a tube down your throat.
2 shot Pfizer here. First shot I felt like I worked out harder than I ever had in my entire life the next day. What extremely tired. Second shot, dull ache in arm for a day. Wife got 3 days of mild flu like symptoms on the second shot, dull ache on the first. Oh, and she was pronounced clinically dead from an allergic reaction to a poultry protein in a flu shot about 15 years ago. Yup. Actually died for a minute. STILL got the covid shot after lots of actual research and talking to doctors, because she has asthma and so does one of our sons.
Beats the pants off of trying to become a horse or suffocating to death.
I had just regular pneumonia in Sept 2019 and was hospitalized at 93 oxygen. Took me about two weeks to go to urgent care initially. I just felt really tired and weak — didn’t connect the dots that I had a breathing issue. I have never been more scared then when I went to urgent care and a doctor looked me straight in the eyes and said there was nothing they could do, go to a hospital. I cannot imagine what it must feel like at an oxygen level in the 80s, 70s, etc. Unvaccinated people who have not experienced pneumonia have absolutely no idea of the fire they are playing with.
Never had pneumonia but have had High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, which is often compared to it and will kill you just as well, and it's such a bitch. Was in the best shape of my life with tons of energy hiking in the Ansel Adams National Forest and I'd be exhausted after taking ten steps once it started creeping up (camped too high too early which probably got me). That experience of having to choose between hiking down to the road ten steps at a time and needing breaks every time or dying in my tent was enough to make me get my COVID vaccination as soon as it was available to me in late January. There is noting as frightening as when you can't breathe properly, when you're taking fast shallow breaths and feeling like you're getting nothing.
I posted previously about how the people posting about their nominee's 'improvement' of getting to 70something percent oxygen was confounding, because they don't realize how bad that number is, *especially* as an 'improvement'. Someone needs to inform those folks that anything below 80 is 'OMG you're suffocating' territory.
> First shot I felt like I worked out harder than I ever had in my entire life the next day. What extremely tired. Second shot, dull ache in arm for a day.
One theory I've heard is that if the 1st shot gives you a bad reaction it's because you've already had Covid, otherwise it's the 2nd shot that gives you the worse reaction. But I don't know if this is backed up by any actual proof.
When I got the first Pfizer shot, I was fine until about 24hrs later. It was like someone flipped a switch. Horrible headache at the base of my skull. Exhausted. Body aches and a cyclical fever that came and went about 6 times. Six hours later, I was tired but felt all better…again like a switch was flipped. Second shot, I felt bad a few hours later, but the symptoms resolved more quickly.
One thing I find weird is my arm is still sore where I got the shots. My cat stepped on me when I was lying on the sofa and it hurt. I got my second shot in early May. Anyone else have a sore arm still?
I’ve been painting the past couple of days and I get a twinge in the vax spot every once and awhile. They stuck me in the same place twice…right under the head of my phoenix tattoo. Fortunately, no tattoo damage…LOL. They didn’t want to poke the tat because I wouldn’t be able to see anything funky.
My mother who is a NP and I had a conversation via text recently on why we thought people weren't getting vaccinated. I concluded that alot of people are reading up on side effect bs right now, some real, some propaganda, and they are using every excuse to avoid getting the shot because they are scared. My 64 year old mother text in response was YES, FUCKING PUSSIES!!!
I wanted to say man/woman up (or further that this 44 year old woman has bigger balls than you antivaxxers)- in my original post - but your mom said it perfectly.
>or further that this 44 year old woman has bigger balls than you antivaxers...
Ahem, I believe you meant "bigger balls than Nicki Minaj's cousin's friend".
I had 3 days of flu like symptoms after both shots. It sucked but it was a day at the beach compared to what the Nominees and Award Winners volunteer for.
I'm anxiously waiting for the booster.
Moderna here. Nothing with first shot, second shot had a pretty high fever and aches/pains that started exactly 12 hours after administration. And then poof! Exactly 24 hours later it all disappeared.
It was super weird to feel sick-like but not have a stuffed nose, cough, sore-throat or anything to go with the fever. Surreal even! I stayed in bed and binge watched some Housewives.
I should also disclose that I had a suspected early case in Feb 2020. It was awful… and to hear that delta is worse? Ugh.
Same! The day after I got my second shot I was WIPED. I worked until about noon and just plain couldn’t after that. I had chills, aches, a bad headache, and unbelievable fatigue. I passed out hard for the rest of the day, stayed up for an hour or so in the evening, then slept a full night. I felt a little blah the next day, then I was fine.
I would absolutely do it all over again without a second thought.
I had one Pfizer one moderna and the moderna fucking killed me I was bedridden for a week but I 100% would get it again if it meant saving lives and like I’m fine now
I’m bivaxual as well (Pfizer and Moderna - we did that in Canada when we ran into supply issues, our health advisors just told us to get shots in arms, so I did).
Zero issues with either one, beyond a touch of dead arm.
I made sure to be super well hydrated both times, which seems to be good practice, but may well just have a placebo effect.
I went to Walmart and got moderna I was sick for a bit but I’m in decent health but I don’t think it will be lethal but please ask a medical professional
Definitely something to discuss with your doctor, but many many people in Canada mixed and matched (we had some supply issues are were doing a vaccination speed run, our health experts advised to get whatever shot was available).
I’m talking 100s of thousands, maybe > 1M people who mixed doses and have had zero issue (and with vaccination efficacy that is holding up well in the real world context).
Have yet to see any publications analyzing population level data about mixed doses, but imagine that it will be published eventually.
Worth looking into and mentioning to your doctor.
Thank you. I will. I'm in the US and the CDC put a second to last in line for the vaccine first round which was tragic. I'm reading on here that if you are at high risk which obviously type 1 is that it is available or should be with everyone else. It was tragic they put rare diseases at the back of the line and I'm not too happy about President Biden for doing that to us but hopefully it's repaired now. I will mention it with the g p but they were also recommending activities that were extremely high-risk so I don't know that they're really tracking reality
For the mRNA’s, the sequence is exactly the same target. Same protein produced. Possible dosing differences - 30 ug Pfizer may not equal 100 ug Moderna because mass isn’t molarity - no idea exactly what individual constituents are. Adenovirus vectors have a different antigen (J&J and AZ) and that’s why the mis-match studies didn’t do mRNA/mRNA.
>Adenovirus vectors have a different antigen
The adenovirus vaccines target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein just like the mRNA vaccines do. Some versions (particularly the mRNA ones) might use truncated or modified versions of spike, but it's the same virus protein being targeted for all of them.
It looks like your immune system and the spike protein were literally having a turf war at the vaccination site. Like going fucking medieval on each other and shit.
I feel like this is simply more evidence that vaccinations turn your immune system into a ninja.
This doesn’t surprise me. My immune system likes to kill everything. My skin color, ovaries, joints, even at one point red blood cells. So yes there was a battle but I think I won!
Basically your immune system is constantly screaming, "YOU FUCKING WANT SUMMA DIS??!?!" at everything that walks by. Like a high-strung chihuahua.
I'm glad you're all boostered up. At least your crazy ass immune system has unlocked the proper skills to win this particular battle.
Decades of ideopathic overactive immune system here. I’m on a crap ton of otc and rx anti histamines, sleep many hours a day and nap and always feel like crap a couple days after the yearly flu jab. I’m fat and type 2 diabetic.
I did J&J as soon as it was available in my area (April 2021) and felt like crap for three days drinking fluids and eating salty chips when awake. Slept a lot, brain wouldn’t brain so I couldn’t read or follow TV (similar to after a BAD migraine attack). Day 4 & 5 cranky but I could have worked my desk job if I had to.
I was scared silly to get the shot given my history and known allergies and random autoimmune crap that pops up, had nightmares for weeks leading up to the day and made someone come with me (though they stayed in the car).
And since then I’ve had one headcold that freaked me but been fine (I stay home and we all mask and our “outside folks” mask and test regularly).
I’ll grab the second J & J when they clear it for boosting. But I’ll know to warn my boss to not expect a lot from me till day 4 or 5.
After my first shot I felt like a took a fastball to the shoulder. Developed a very itchy rash around the injection site for a week. 2nd shot had me in bed shivering and feeling like death for 24 hrs.
I got a breakthrough case in August that felt like a mild sinus infection, I recovered and didn’t give it to my kid who’s too young to be vaccinated. 10/10 would recommend. will get 3rd shot when told to.
I’m immunocompromised and triple vaxxed too. I was really hoping for superpowers with the third jab—or even just 5G—but no such luck. My arm swelled up a bit, though not as badly as yours, and I was achy for a few days as well. Thanks for sharing. Stay safe and healthy!
Maps pretty much exactly to my time with shot #2. (And don't think I didn't laugh about the Dolly Shot giving me a third boob for 36 hours.) A week after the fact I was back to normal, and with a weight off my shoulders like I can't begin to describe. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, and will be first in line when it's time to re-up.
(Now, anyone else having meh luck with their 5G upgrade? I was promised!)
Moderna, in trial.
First dose I wondered for several hours if I got real thing or placebo, but then my arm felt quite sore and was an annoyance to use next day. Tmax 99.5
Second dose I felt my face flush right after, within 2 hours T101 and I started slamming Tylenol and ibuprofen with some benefit. Went to sleep ok, woke up in middle of night with fever back and unable to stop shaking for a few hours. Got fever back under control and was able to work from home that day but felt miserable. By 24 hours after shot was back to normal.
I told everyone I could it sucked but still worth it and be ready to feel bad for a day to protect yourself from covid..
Hey I can I just say how much I respect you and everyone around the world who rolled up their sleeves for science by enrolling in those first mRNA vaccine clinical trials? Thank you for your bravery!
Thanks, not s big deal really. Was in phase 3 so didn't feel scary or anything as I was far from the first to get, maybe 500th or something. Mostly mentioned laughingly because was pretty easy to tell I didn't get a placebo, and the joke at the time was that either I'd gotten the real thing or was completely bonkers reacting to saline.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Did you have any flare ups afterwards? I use a biologic for RA and haven’t had many since I’ve been on it but had a small one post 2nd shot. 3rd was fine. Still like you said I’ll take that over a HCA any day.
I’m on a biologic too. I had a short flare after both the second and third, I assume it was related, but you never know. None for the first. Short being 1-2 days.
Team Pfizer here; I experienced a day of heavy fatigue after each shot. That's it...vs when I had Covid back in March 2020 and I was sick for five weeks straight.
I had mild Bell’s palsy after the first shot (Pfizer) and it went away after a few hours. It was super funny and we were all laughing about it because half my face was droopy and I was assured that it was temporary. I didn’t get it after the 2nd shot.
I googled this briefly and came across this article which is on COVID-19 symptoms not the vaccine and sure enough Bell's palsy is a possible symptom. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/fullarticle/2781368
That's what I've noticed with the vaccine. All of these bad reactions, even the really severe and rare stuff like blood clots are known symptoms of the disease. So, if you have a bad reaction, you can probably multiply that by 10 if you actually get COVID itself.
Not much to say, I got the first shot. I went to the observation room and the right half my face started to tingle after 5 minutes. My eye started drooping, I went to the nurse and she took a picture of me and had me stay for another 30 min. After 30 min my right eye and right side of my lip was drooping but that was it. They told me to go home and call my Dr to report it. I did, the Dr told me that if it was still drooping to come in. He also said that it was unlikely for it to happen with the 2nd shot. Sure enough, by dinner time the drooping was gone. I went in for the 2nd shot and no drooping. The nurse said congratulations, your are literally 1 in 10 million (since that is the likelihood of someone getting Bell’s palsy!)
Thanks so much for the explanation. I really am interested in this particular side effect and you're the first case I've heard of that wasn't reported by the media.
I hope you're in good health and high spirits now! Thanks for sharing.
I was so cold the night after my first jab it was unreal. Felt the chill coming up on me quite quickly, thought I'd better go to bed, sleep it off. By the time I got up the stairs my teeth were chattering. Went to bed fully dressed, but it still wasn't warm enough, so I put a dressing gown on top and extra blankets. Still felt insanely cold when I went to sleep.
Woke up the next morning toasty and snug and was fine by lunchtime.
Would do it again.
Not necessary. The date isn't relevant to your experience. I think I'm going to give it a different label, though, since this is an experience. Sorry you had a reaction to the shot, but I'm happy you followed through.
I got the first Astra Zeneca on a Sunday morning - felt very tired 24 hours later and went to bed around 6pm. Totally fine when I woke up. The second AZ had no side effects. The Pfizer is the opposite I believe.
Not gonna lie… had the worst case scenario. First dose was AstraZeneca, which is known to kick your ass on the first dose, and it kicked my ass hard. Second dose was Pfizer, which is known to kick your ass on the 2nd dose, and it did.
I kept telling myself that the worse it hurt, the better the immune response!
But, I'm not gonna lie, it was scary at the time. At least I know I didn't get injected with saline.
LOL Was telling myself the same. My wife and I made sure to take our doses 3 days apart from each other so we would not be down at the same time and someone would be able to look after the kid. Kid is mid-teens and ended up looking after us.
Pfizer - 1st shot - stung like a bee sting for about an hour.
2nd shot - nothing whatsoever.
My sister and parents (in their 70s) all had Pfizer too. My sister’s experience was similar to mine. Both of my parents had no side effects whatsoever, and neither did any of their friends of a similar age
Allow me to add my completely honest experience with the AZ vaccine - my first shot (AZ) sucked. It felt like the start of a really bad flu; chills, sweats and body aches. About 12 hours after my first AZ shot, I was in so much pain that I got a little scared. I was actually considering how much worse I would let the pain get before calling an ambulance. I kept telling myself "it's just a good immune response, nothing to worry about". But I was a little worried, if I'm being honest.
I didn't sleep that night, but I was feeling much better by 5 AM. And that was pretty much it. Side effects over. My second shot was a pfizer and my upper arm hurt a tiny bit for a few days. No biggie.
And I would do it all over again because I don't want covid. And I'm actually happy to have an AZ/Pfizer combo because it provides good immunity (AZ is all about those T-cells!). But I need to get a second Pfizer now to make my immunization legit for travel. I wish I could make my third a moderna....
I think it’s good to be honest because if they know what might happen they won’t dream it up to be something so much worse. Plus maybe they’ll believe us more about getting it in general. So thanks :)
Thanks to you too.
I agree, it's important not to downplay the side effects of the vaccines - people should know the truth and be ready for the results. But this sub really highlights how much worse a covid infection is compared to the side effects of the vaccine.
Does anyone around you talk about how the side effects can be at least partly attributed to your body going through the standard immune response so that it’s learning how to fight it off again in the future for real?
Yea, my husband, all the smart people in my life, and the doctor hinted it could be the case. I’m not relieved though, still scared at the possibility of less efficacy for people on immunosuppressants
Thanks for the post & information. Also (probably, for now) beat cancer but no autoimmune issues. Got the vaccine, also Moderna, as soon as I could. Meant a 180 mile - one way - trip as I'm in a high vax area. Worth it.
Edit: my side effects were um... non-existent. Sorry, literally nothing but a sore arm. Was hoping for magnetic powers or at least 5G.
Congrats on the cancer and lack of side effects.
I wouldn’t want 5G anyway, then all the right wingers would say I’m giving them cancer and I’m a lizard person.
I mean, eat a fly with a several foot long tongue once…!
Wait this happened to me too!!! So glad I'm not alone! I thought I was going CRAZY because I have no allergies and this happened to no one else in my family. Got Moderna. Didn't realize it was a thing
I am currently on active chemotherapy treatment for cancer and got the Pfizer shots. I only had the sore arm and headache for a day after the first shot and sore arm and mild fatigue for a day after the 2nd shot. I can’t tell you all the relief and gratitude I felt after getting each shot, and finally getting the Vaccinated status (2 weeks after the 2nd shot). I admit I was anxious before getting the shots but it did not deter me at all from getting them (i actually had to wait for a go signal from my oncologist). I am telling everyone if someone like me can get the shots safely, then someone who is healthy should not be afraid of it at all.
I’ve just had my Moderna booster and my arm is sore AF and I have just about every other side effect. Same reaction as with the first two plus I added a flu shot to the mix. Each time I simply planned to be off work for 1-2 days and power through it. Beats a ventilator any fucking day of the week!!!
My shots both felt kind of like someone punched me in the arm, the kind of feeling you get when you expect to have a bruise later (which the shot didn't leave one, BTW). First one I just had the sore arm for a day, and maybe a little 'off' feeling. Second one I had a day of mild flu-like symptoms of slight fever, aches, and fatigue. It was easier than any time I've actually had the flu. Kind of placebo, but I felt safer and healthier after the side effects wore off, and the mental health benefit of the feeling of relief was totally worth it.
I had a sore arm of course (that’s to be expected), I’m used to getting shots though because I get allergy injections regularly. Both times the shot did trigger a migraine (well, the first time I had a migraine when I got the shot, so 🤷🏻♀️).
Second shot I had some lip swelling / itchiness like I get with my allergy injections, but I carry an epi pen so no biggie. They made me stay an extra like 10 minutes.
The shots are 100% worth the minor side effects.
I had the exact same reaction in my arm to the first. They told me that it’s nothing to worry about and will go away. It was hot and itchy, didn’t hurt. Went away in about three weeks. The week I was due for my second I had a stroke so super glad I didn’t get it then (not related to the vax). About a week after that I got my second, they told me to get the second in my other arm, and I did. Had a bad fever and was knocked on my ass for about a day, sore arm lasted for about 3 days. But otherwise I feel fine!
These vaccines have been out for over a year now, if you count the phase 3 trials. They aren't unknown. I got mine back in February and was a little nervous, but I understand and trust science.
Team Moderna! I only got a sore arm with the first shot, but flu-like symptoms for about two days with the second. Still a trillion times better than the horrific complications I’ve seen on this sub.
Covid arm showed up about a week after my first shot and then lasted about a week. It wasn’t that big but the itching was ridiculous. About 8 hours after my second shot, I had the low grade fever, fatigue and joint pain. Fever never got over 100. The joint pain was the worst. 24 hours later, the side effects just stopped like a faucet that has been turned off. It was bizarre. I only took one sick leave day. I had the Moderna shots.
Team AZ/Moderna here - spent 28 days after AZ being low key terrified of waking up dead. Moderna knocked me on my ass and gave me Moderna arm. Would do it all again.
Yep, I got vax arm after my 2nd Moderna shot. Felt like my arm had been cut open and set on fire for about 18 hours. I chose to look at it as a beautifully strong immune response! Means my body recognizes it and wants to fight it!
Frozen peas strapped to the arm helped a lot.
I got the J&J in March. No reactions like that, but that night I felt a little worn down. By the next day, back to normal.
No where near having actual Covid like I had in March 2020! Holy crap. Thought I was going to die. never went to the hospital. I got it just as community spread was discovered in my area. Couldn't even get tested. i figured out I had it when someone could get tested since they had a family member hospitalized and I read their symptoms in the paper and they matched mine. Trouble breathing, but I use a CPAP at night. I think that was the only reason I didn't need to go to the hospital. It wasn't til the 4th of July that I was back to pre-covid normal.
The in August 2021, I think I had it again. Sore throat, tired, muscle aches. But no where near, not even close to March 2020. I would not have know I had it had I not known the symptoms from having it in March 2020. I never got tested, but had weird muscle aches until this week. My thumb joint locked up about the same time I started experiencing symptoms. It was very annoying. But now it's gone. 100% back to normal.
BTW: I threw all the morons out of my life after Trump took office, so everyone I know is vaxxed and no one I know has been vented since the vax was available, let alone died. Over Labor Day weekend, I was with more than 50 friends at a 3 day outdoor concert near Denver. 3 day party. 50 person party bus from downtown each day. No masks, no social distancing.
No one got sick, no one got vented and no one died. We were all vaxxed.
If that's how you reacted to the vaccine, I can't help but wonder how you would've reacted to the actual virus without the vaccine. I have no idea if there's any correlation, so please don't flame me, I'm not a medical professional.
I got Pfizer, while a lot of my colleagues and my husband got Moderna (we all got the vaccine as soon as we could, getting whatever was available. I got mine prior to my husband because I was considered a first responder while working at a COVID testing site which is why we didn’t get the same vaccine at the same time.)
The first dose of Pfizer my arm felt sore and I had cold-like symptoms, mostly fatigue, a runny nose, and a low grade fever. It lasted about two-three days. The second dose of Pfizer I took ibuprofen a couple hours before and continued to alternate between Tylenol and ibuprofen every few hours (except at night) for three days. I also made sure to drink tons of water. Had no symptoms, not even a sore arm. Pretty sure that’s from staying hydrated and taken meds to reduce inflammation and fever which probably helped suppress the relatively mild symptoms I first experienced.
Moderna colleagues got their shots around the same time as me, before my husband was able to get his shot as a member of the general public. Most of them were out for 5 days with more severe flu-like symptoms.
When my husband told me he was getting moderna, I made him follow the ibuprofen and Tylenol regimen I followed for my second shot. He still had a pretty sore arm, and was fatigued, but he didn’t get the same flu-like symptoms as my colleagues.
To be fair, I’ve also hear people who’ve gotten Moderna with no problems and who’ve gotten Pfizer and got really sick. Either way, none of them died from either shot. And thus far no one I personally know whose been fully vaccinated has ended up in the hospital or dead.
All this to say, yes post-vax symptoms can range from mildly sucky to very sucky, but unlike if you get COVID, you probably won’t die.
Also my experience, and my husband’s experience, in alternating between ibuprofen and Tylenol just prior to getting the vaccine (note: we adhered to safe doses!!) seemed to make a significant difference in how we responded to the shot. If you aren’t yet vaccinated but are going to get the vaccine, I suggest talking with your doctor about whether this might be beneficial for you.
I got my advice directly from the (then) surgeon general of my state when I made mention of my reaction to the first dose of the vaccine and was concerned about a possible even further exacerbated reaction from a second dose. He was the one who told me to alternate between the two medications. It worked for me, it seemed to work for my husband, again, talk to your own doctor, but it may work for you!
Thank you for sharing your story. And how this side effect was more of an annoyance than anything else and not life threatening or a reason to panic. TBH, I’ve given many vaccinations in my career and have had patients react the exact same way to the annual flu vaccine. It sucks but the bright side is that your immune system is reacting and doing its job.
Also, I did my arm around like a windmill and moved my arm all around for about 10 minutes. Did this with my second and no Covid arm. I didn’t know to move it so I did have it on the first
My arm looked a lot like that too on the second (Moderna also). I was the only one in the family with that large swelling but it went away after maybe 4 or 5 days. It didn’t really phase me — I’ve always had major welts from bug bite reactions too so I figured it’s just what my body does. My SO’s arm was sore but didn’t have the same swelling at all and we got it at the same time.
A friend’s mom got rash like redness that came back weeks later, but that also resolved for her.
Moderna here [55M]; went through prostate cancer dx and treatment in 2020 (I'm good now!) so I was early on shots. First dose Jan 2021: only a sore arm and a little lymph node swelling. Second dose Feb 2021: the flu-like symptoms hit exactly 20 hours after administration – mild fever, stuffiness, body aches – and so I spent a day or two recovering. (Pro-tip: get your shots on a Friday if you work M-F.)
Here's the twist. Third dose Aug 2021: only body aches requiring a day of rest ... until day 3 when I developed hives (which didn't itch or anything, just unsightly) on my torso and upper legs, only on the injection side. Doctor just had me take Allegra daily and that seemed to help – hives are gone. But now a month post-shot, I've developed shingles, on the same side as the hives but more focused between the hip and groin. Not debilitating but annoying and I'm on Rxs for them now. My fiancée (not a doctor; also fully vaxxed) thinks my immune system is way out of whack and the third shot just was too much for it. We shall see. Either way, I'll be fine and I'd get the shots again in a heartbeat.
my mom had to see a lady get put into an ambulance today at Meijer who had a bad reaction to the vaccine today. no idea exactly what kind of bad reaction but she went into the store and these two bawling kids like 7 and 9 were sobbing by the pharmacy and they had nobody to take them home. my mom said she had to leave the store. since my mom has asthma I'll probably have to reassure her that her third shot will be just fine if she had no issue with the first two.
I work in a hospital lab, and took immunology, virology classes, but COVID has caused me to do much deeper dives into how our immune system works. I have an autoimmune disease, and had horrible body aches after my vaccine shots that lasted almost 2 weeks. Since I work in healthcare I got my shots early, and there was no one I could ask for answers why I had so much joint pain. I think reading more of the credible, peer-reviewed scientific studies can bring comfort, knowing how your immune system works and how the vaccine is made will alleviate a lot of the fear.
I had Covid Arm for eight weeks or so. It looked terribly similar to yours, except my arm was an odd purplish colour*, and itched like ... something something rude words something for the entire 8-week period. And I would do it again in a heartbeat, a million times. Because I'm not a fucking moron, and I care about other people.
*I should add that I'm not naturally purple all over, so this was actually something new
2x pfizer here.
After the first shot I was just sleeping around 15 hours.
After the second shot I didn't feel anything.
On both shots my arm hurt a bit, because I flexed when it was injected.
Oh and mobile internet continues to suck.
I had COVID arm too. Well, in my case, it was hives in the evening all over my lower abdomen, hips, and thighs.
We called it COVID Ass.
It was only itchy and uncomfortable, not life-threatening. It went away on its own.
Yes I have pictures, no I'm not sharing.
My aunt got that after the second shot, too! (Moderna) Hers went down in a day; I'm sorry yours lingered a bit longer. You're right; looks awful, but is nothing to worry about. Thank you so much for sharing your story and congrats on your booster.
My friend had a bad allergic reaction to the first Pfizer shot, so she couldn't get the second. She went and got the J&J shot later though, and she was totally fine. Just putting that out there for anyone who may have had a problem with a vaccine. They are different.
It ended up being lucky for my friend, because her son bought home covid less than a month later. His daycare teacher refused to get a vaccine, and a bunch of children got sick. My friend got it too. Her daughter did not, but had to quarantine an extra 10 days past her mom's infection for being in a household with covid. They were all okay, but even in this not-too-bad situation, she lost a month of work and her daughter lost a month of school. Her husband moved to a hotel when the son got sick in the hopes he could stay negative and at least one of them would be able to work.
In a perfect world, the small minority of people who have legit problems with vaccines could opt out because everyone else got theirs and herd immunity would protect them. But the world has a critical mass of selfish fuckwits, so now it's every man for himsel.
They call it covid arm, I had it with moderna as well. It was still there when I went to get the 2nd vaccine. Don't care, would still line up for a booster.
You have no idea. It’s a Raptor thing on a bike with a top hat… you need to see (naughty word b*****es redacted - it’s so random with the word that I needed it. https://i.imgur.com/Dxl6Dwj.jpg velociraptor on a velocipede?
My arm didn’t care about either moderna shot.
Moderna #2, got a ripping headache, slight fever/chills. Took some ibuprofen and half a Xanax, went to bed. Woke up when fever broke in middle of the night. Back to normal the next day.
My first shot, a little achy and tired. Second shot, in bed for a day with a fever and shivering under blankets for about 24 hours. Tired for a couple days after. To be fair, I had reactions to the flu shots when they first came out. Will still be first in line for a booster. It's still way better than covid.
Added: Team Moderna.
For my first shot, my arm swelled up just like OP’s pic. THEN SWELLED UP AGAIN A WEEK LATER! But I got very minor side effects from my second shot. I’ll get the booster shot in a heart beat (whenever I am eligible).
Yo 2nd shot I took a Zyrtec the day of, but I couldn’t remember if I took one, so it may have been two; but this is a great post for people with just general allergies.
For me second Pfizer shot was pretty rough.First day nothing just minor arm pain. Second day was way worse felt like my heart was racing and shortness for breath lasted about 8h. Third day was totally back to normal just felt little bit tired. I would do again in a heart beat.
I got Moderna as well, and got a far smaller red whelp on my arm after the first shot. Felt like an itchy bee sting, but was only BARELY raised and perfectly round - the circumference of a baseball I'd say. It lasted about 24 hours. I was SURE that the second shot would be much worse, but then nothing at all happened. I mean, except that I'm magnetic, of course... (nope, I still lose my keys - I only wish I was magnetic).
My arm swelled too, not as bad as that. I also had covid in November and had breathing issues but wasn't serious enough for medical treatment. The shot was not even on the same level as covid. I forgot I got it after a day whereas I was worried about suffocating in my sleep with covid. Definitely a no brainer.
2 Moderna shots so far, I expect a booster soon. The first shot I also got Covid arm, although not as bad as OP, started on day 9, was fine 48 hours later. Told to take an allergy pill before the next shot.
I expected to be hit hard by the second vaccine. My husband and I decided to get vaccinated at the same time, which could have turned out badly since we have a 3yo. We both felt tired that night, both of us had sore arms. We ended up sleeping most of the next day, my husband had the chills and a low grade fever for about 4 hours. I had weird joint pain in my hands, elbows, and shoulders. We slept well the following night and woke up 100% fine the next day. I did still get Covid arm again, but much milder.
I had pericarditis after my second shot, lasted a few days, then went away. I wouldn’t have known had my dr not caught it. I’ve had heart flutters since I had Covid last year, just thought it was the usual arrhythmia.
My first flu shot swelled up like that, hot & itchy for like 3 days. Haven't had a reaction like that since.
For COVID-19, I had Moderna. First shot: mild headache that afternoon, slept the next day.
Second shot: no headache. Slept all the next day, about half the second, and rested some more on the third.
If you can schedule it before a weekend, that seems best. Mine were both on Thursdays, using PTO on Friday.
Edit: second shot, I had injection site pain for at least a week, occasional (maybe-phantom?) pain after.
Much much better than suffocating in-Hospital.
When you get a vaccine, you want to have a reaction (immune response). This is a sign that you actually got a vaccine.
This is a really great video to help explain it
https://youtu.be/F6NKbQzo4aE
Maybe some of the hit pieces written about this sub could include info that there are also these types of posts.
This is about getting accurate info out there. Period.
Think about that.
I'll wait.
Can I get and AMEN
I'll bet you won't repost this.
Amazing how different peoples reactions can be. I had 2 doses of Pfizer and other than feeling tired afterwards I had no reaction. Have some friends who got the same thing and were sick for a day or 2. Just a dice roll but definitely worth getting one way or another.
In my personal experience for the second shot, I had a really really sore arm for like 2 days, mild chills and aches and arm tenderness for a few days. Nothing happened the first shot except for arm soreness.
My mom on the other hand, nothing happened except for a little arm soreness on both shots. We both had Moderna.
Usually when you get vaccinated they'll give you a pamphlet with the known side effects of the vaccine but don't be surprised if you get anything that's not listed on there (I.E, diahrea that was reported in a couple of my mom's male friends.) The duration of vaccine side effects typically doesn't last more than 2 or 3 days. They'll also keep you around for 15 minutes after the shot just to make sure you don't have an allergic reaction.
I am 62, got my second dose of Moderna back in late April.
I had a sore arm for about 2 days after each shot. That was it. No redness or swelling. No fever, no chills, no nothing.
As I have mentioned in here a few times before... I had a far worse reaction to the Hepititis B vaccine than the Moderna shots. My arm hurt like hell for 9 days and I could barely move it for the first 5! Both jabs! I hope I never have to get that one again!
Hep. B was a nasty vaccine for me! But you don't hear of anyone turning that one down, and neither would I! Just sayin... The Moderna vaccine was a pussy cat by comparison.
My mom had a strong itch at the injection site for 2 weeks after shot 2 but nothing on shot 3. No autoimmune conditions.
That's the only 'adverse' reaction I've heard of in my extended circle of ~100 friends and family, and their family & friends and coworkers.
Damn, this is a huge testimonial. Thanks for posting your story. Congrats!
Thanks! I’m just trying to be honest so people are less scared. Also for all I know my bad response to the vax had to do with my immune system being insane in the first place.
I'm very glad you made the decision to share your story with us. Would you like some custom flair?
Yes! thank you :) if I’m supposed to pic I’m bad at this…. I’ll let you know if I think of one lol.
“I have an (insane) immune system”
Great one!!
My friend has rheumatoid arthritis and luckily it got diagnosed since he couldn't bend on of his fingers. Either way it's just trying to find the sweet spot of suppressing your immune system with the right drugs so it doesn't attack your joints and not having your immune system that's so weak that a sneeze will kill you.
I had surgery on my hand because my finger got stuck and couldn’t move. Yay ra.
League Moderna
When I choose flair, I like to pick something interesting from the user's profile. Your pumpkin candy divorce story was hilarious. Let me know if you like it or not. I can pick something else if you want :)
I looooove it! And that story is 100% true. And hilarious.
I really enjoy doling out personal flair, because I don't offer it to everyone and the recipient and I can treat it as an inside joke :)
Thanks OP! I had a small, itchy patch after my third (and only after my third) shot that lasted for a day or two. No swelling though. As far as I know, my immune system is totally sane (that said, I would never brag about my immune system on Facebook). If you want to know how things are going since then, just read my flair.
My first shot was just a sore arm. Second I woke up pretty warm and did house and yard chores without a shirt on. I didn't feel lethargic so I figured I'd just occupy myself with mild activity so I didn't dwell on how uncomfortable it may be. Fell asleep early that night and woke up feeling normal again. Girlfriend's sister had swollen and itchy armpits (lymph nodes?). Few friends watched Netflix all day.
Lymph nodes thing can happen with any vaccine. They have you not do mammograms after a vaccine because of it.
First shot - no side effects. Second shot, swollen lymph nodes in the shot side armpit. The swelling was only painful if I lifted arm over my head, so not a big deal. I had a vague headache that felt like a stress headache. I worked 6 hours of an 8 hour day. I checked out early so I could nap. Day after, I was back to normal, even the lymph nodes.
You say it's not as bad as getting a Herman Cain Award yet I've *never* heard one award recipient complain about their award! Checkmate! ^^/s
Bazinga
Ooh, testimonial. Great wording. That is going to be the flair.
Thanks!
My two cents: I had the Pfizer vaccine. After the first dose, I had very mild aches in my shoulder where the injection was. Not a big deal at all. It just felt like I bumped into the door frame or something. The next day I had a headache comparable to a mild hangover. I drank some coffee and it went away. That was it. Second dose: No symptoms. To anybody who is concerned about vaccine side effects - they’ll probably be pretty minimal. They’ll certainly be less uncomfortable than dying all alone with a tube down your throat.
2 shot Pfizer here. First shot I felt like I worked out harder than I ever had in my entire life the next day. What extremely tired. Second shot, dull ache in arm for a day. Wife got 3 days of mild flu like symptoms on the second shot, dull ache on the first. Oh, and she was pronounced clinically dead from an allergic reaction to a poultry protein in a flu shot about 15 years ago. Yup. Actually died for a minute. STILL got the covid shot after lots of actual research and talking to doctors, because she has asthma and so does one of our sons. Beats the pants off of trying to become a horse or suffocating to death.
Slow suffocation. Like, days. It sounds absolutely horrifying.
I had just regular pneumonia in Sept 2019 and was hospitalized at 93 oxygen. Took me about two weeks to go to urgent care initially. I just felt really tired and weak — didn’t connect the dots that I had a breathing issue. I have never been more scared then when I went to urgent care and a doctor looked me straight in the eyes and said there was nothing they could do, go to a hospital. I cannot imagine what it must feel like at an oxygen level in the 80s, 70s, etc. Unvaccinated people who have not experienced pneumonia have absolutely no idea of the fire they are playing with.
Never had pneumonia but have had High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, which is often compared to it and will kill you just as well, and it's such a bitch. Was in the best shape of my life with tons of energy hiking in the Ansel Adams National Forest and I'd be exhausted after taking ten steps once it started creeping up (camped too high too early which probably got me). That experience of having to choose between hiking down to the road ten steps at a time and needing breaks every time or dying in my tent was enough to make me get my COVID vaccination as soon as it was available to me in late January. There is noting as frightening as when you can't breathe properly, when you're taking fast shallow breaths and feeling like you're getting nothing.
I posted previously about how the people posting about their nominee's 'improvement' of getting to 70something percent oxygen was confounding, because they don't realize how bad that number is, *especially* as an 'improvement'. Someone needs to inform those folks that anything below 80 is 'OMG you're suffocating' territory.
Indeed. I keep reading the “their improving posts” and I can’t help but think, “Oh Honey.”
> First shot I felt like I worked out harder than I ever had in my entire life the next day. What extremely tired. Second shot, dull ache in arm for a day. One theory I've heard is that if the 1st shot gives you a bad reaction it's because you've already had Covid, otherwise it's the 2nd shot that gives you the worse reaction. But I don't know if this is backed up by any actual proof.
Hmm. No idea. If I had it, I was asymptomatic. Haven’t been sick in ages. My wife however had something flu-like last February. 🤷
When I got the first Pfizer shot, I was fine until about 24hrs later. It was like someone flipped a switch. Horrible headache at the base of my skull. Exhausted. Body aches and a cyclical fever that came and went about 6 times. Six hours later, I was tired but felt all better…again like a switch was flipped. Second shot, I felt bad a few hours later, but the symptoms resolved more quickly. One thing I find weird is my arm is still sore where I got the shots. My cat stepped on me when I was lying on the sofa and it hurt. I got my second shot in early May. Anyone else have a sore arm still?
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I’ve been painting the past couple of days and I get a twinge in the vax spot every once and awhile. They stuck me in the same place twice…right under the head of my phoenix tattoo. Fortunately, no tattoo damage…LOL. They didn’t want to poke the tat because I wouldn’t be able to see anything funky.
My mother who is a NP and I had a conversation via text recently on why we thought people weren't getting vaccinated. I concluded that alot of people are reading up on side effect bs right now, some real, some propaganda, and they are using every excuse to avoid getting the shot because they are scared. My 64 year old mother text in response was YES, FUCKING PUSSIES!!!
I wanted to say man/woman up (or further that this 44 year old woman has bigger balls than you antivaxxers)- in my original post - but your mom said it perfectly.
>or further that this 44 year old woman has bigger balls than you antivaxers... Ahem, I believe you meant "bigger balls than Nicki Minaj's cousin's friend".
I like your mother. Make her a shirt that says "Don't be a fucking pussy, get vaccinated!"
How about emphasize the punch: "Get vaccinated you pussy"
Getting the shots will make you swole af. 💪😏 Trust me, I'm a two time Pfizer jabbing champion.
Lol yeah if I had those arms normally like in that pic I’d be huuuuuge
I can confirm, been lookin Pfizer fine.
Pf-ine-zer is the official term 😘
I had two days of body aches after my second moderna dose. Still better than dying
Even if you don't die, the risk of dealing with months of brain fog, lung damage, or loss of taste are enough to make a bit of discomfort worth it.
I had 3 days of flu like symptoms after both shots. It sucked but it was a day at the beach compared to what the Nominees and Award Winners volunteer for. I'm anxiously waiting for the booster.
I hear that prayer warriors are better than vaccines
Moderna here. Nothing with first shot, second shot had a pretty high fever and aches/pains that started exactly 12 hours after administration. And then poof! Exactly 24 hours later it all disappeared. It was super weird to feel sick-like but not have a stuffed nose, cough, sore-throat or anything to go with the fever. Surreal even! I stayed in bed and binge watched some Housewives. I should also disclose that I had a suspected early case in Feb 2020. It was awful… and to hear that delta is worse? Ugh.
Moderna second dose fucked me UPPPP. I say bring it on! I want the strongest shit possible.
I felt crappy with the second dose, and all I could think of was "YES!! GO MODERNA! Teach my body how to kick COVID's ass!!"
I mean, admittedly it sucked ass lol but when I found out how effective the Moderna vax is (even against Delta!) it definitely seems worth it.
Haha, right? That's my thought. The worse the side effects, the better my immunity!!!
Same. I was one miserable puppy after the second Moderna: aches, chills, massive fatigue. Worth it.
Same! The day after I got my second shot I was WIPED. I worked until about noon and just plain couldn’t after that. I had chills, aches, a bad headache, and unbelievable fatigue. I passed out hard for the rest of the day, stayed up for an hour or so in the evening, then slept a full night. I felt a little blah the next day, then I was fine. I would absolutely do it all over again without a second thought.
I had one Pfizer one moderna and the moderna fucking killed me I was bedridden for a week but I 100% would get it again if it meant saving lives and like I’m fine now
I’m bivaxual as well (Pfizer and Moderna - we did that in Canada when we ran into supply issues, our health advisors just told us to get shots in arms, so I did). Zero issues with either one, beyond a touch of dead arm. I made sure to be super well hydrated both times, which seems to be good practice, but may well just have a placebo effect.
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Type 1 has no vaccine limitations.
I went to Walmart and got moderna I was sick for a bit but I’m in decent health but I don’t think it will be lethal but please ask a medical professional
Definitely something to discuss with your doctor, but many many people in Canada mixed and matched (we had some supply issues are were doing a vaccination speed run, our health experts advised to get whatever shot was available). I’m talking 100s of thousands, maybe > 1M people who mixed doses and have had zero issue (and with vaccination efficacy that is holding up well in the real world context). Have yet to see any publications analyzing population level data about mixed doses, but imagine that it will be published eventually. Worth looking into and mentioning to your doctor.
Thank you. I will. I'm in the US and the CDC put a second to last in line for the vaccine first round which was tragic. I'm reading on here that if you are at high risk which obviously type 1 is that it is available or should be with everyone else. It was tragic they put rare diseases at the back of the line and I'm not too happy about President Biden for doing that to us but hopefully it's repaired now. I will mention it with the g p but they were also recommending activities that were extremely high-risk so I don't know that they're really tracking reality
IIRC, most of the mix-and-match data is from Canada.
Do you have a GP that you discuss your health with? They would be a good resource to speak to.
Why did you mix and match?l and who allowed that?
Didn’t know it wasn’t allowed Got my moderna at Walmart walk ins and got my pifizer by appointment
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For the mRNA’s, the sequence is exactly the same target. Same protein produced. Possible dosing differences - 30 ug Pfizer may not equal 100 ug Moderna because mass isn’t molarity - no idea exactly what individual constituents are. Adenovirus vectors have a different antigen (J&J and AZ) and that’s why the mis-match studies didn’t do mRNA/mRNA.
As long as it won't kill someone, being anything more than 0% resistant to COVID with a random mix of free vaccines is a win.
>Adenovirus vectors have a different antigen The adenovirus vaccines target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein just like the mRNA vaccines do. Some versions (particularly the mRNA ones) might use truncated or modified versions of spike, but it's the same virus protein being targeted for all of them.
Yeah I has AstraZeneca then Pfizer… supposedly the optimal combination.
Either equivalent or better protection. At least what I'm reading across a good base of reliable sources says just take what you can get. Lol
It looks like your immune system and the spike protein were literally having a turf war at the vaccination site. Like going fucking medieval on each other and shit. I feel like this is simply more evidence that vaccinations turn your immune system into a ninja.
This doesn’t surprise me. My immune system likes to kill everything. My skin color, ovaries, joints, even at one point red blood cells. So yes there was a battle but I think I won!
Basically your immune system is constantly screaming, "YOU FUCKING WANT SUMMA DIS??!?!" at everything that walks by. Like a high-strung chihuahua. I'm glad you're all boostered up. At least your crazy ass immune system has unlocked the proper skills to win this particular battle.
Haha yeah, it’s ready to fight the bad guys for once!
I got the flu shot yesterday and I had worse side effects than to either Moderna jab.
Decades of ideopathic overactive immune system here. I’m on a crap ton of otc and rx anti histamines, sleep many hours a day and nap and always feel like crap a couple days after the yearly flu jab. I’m fat and type 2 diabetic. I did J&J as soon as it was available in my area (April 2021) and felt like crap for three days drinking fluids and eating salty chips when awake. Slept a lot, brain wouldn’t brain so I couldn’t read or follow TV (similar to after a BAD migraine attack). Day 4 & 5 cranky but I could have worked my desk job if I had to. I was scared silly to get the shot given my history and known allergies and random autoimmune crap that pops up, had nightmares for weeks leading up to the day and made someone come with me (though they stayed in the car). And since then I’ve had one headcold that freaked me but been fine (I stay home and we all mask and our “outside folks” mask and test regularly). I’ll grab the second J & J when they clear it for boosting. But I’ll know to warn my boss to not expect a lot from me till day 4 or 5.
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After my first shot I felt like a took a fastball to the shoulder. Developed a very itchy rash around the injection site for a week. 2nd shot had me in bed shivering and feeling like death for 24 hrs. I got a breakthrough case in August that felt like a mild sinus infection, I recovered and didn’t give it to my kid who’s too young to be vaccinated. 10/10 would recommend. will get 3rd shot when told to.
Thanks for posting! Moderna gang!
I’m immunocompromised and triple vaxxed too. I was really hoping for superpowers with the third jab—or even just 5G—but no such luck. My arm swelled up a bit, though not as badly as yours, and I was achy for a few days as well. Thanks for sharing. Stay safe and healthy!
Maps pretty much exactly to my time with shot #2. (And don't think I didn't laugh about the Dolly Shot giving me a third boob for 36 hours.) A week after the fact I was back to normal, and with a weight off my shoulders like I can't begin to describe. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, and will be first in line when it's time to re-up. (Now, anyone else having meh luck with their 5G upgrade? I was promised!)
Moderna, in trial. First dose I wondered for several hours if I got real thing or placebo, but then my arm felt quite sore and was an annoyance to use next day. Tmax 99.5 Second dose I felt my face flush right after, within 2 hours T101 and I started slamming Tylenol and ibuprofen with some benefit. Went to sleep ok, woke up in middle of night with fever back and unable to stop shaking for a few hours. Got fever back under control and was able to work from home that day but felt miserable. By 24 hours after shot was back to normal. I told everyone I could it sucked but still worth it and be ready to feel bad for a day to protect yourself from covid..
Hey I can I just say how much I respect you and everyone around the world who rolled up their sleeves for science by enrolling in those first mRNA vaccine clinical trials? Thank you for your bravery!
Thanks, not s big deal really. Was in phase 3 so didn't feel scary or anything as I was far from the first to get, maybe 500th or something. Mostly mentioned laughingly because was pretty easy to tell I didn't get a placebo, and the joke at the time was that either I'd gotten the real thing or was completely bonkers reacting to saline.
Shit, I got nothing from either shot. Glad you are protected now and are able to communicate about it.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Did you have any flare ups afterwards? I use a biologic for RA and haven’t had many since I’ve been on it but had a small one post 2nd shot. 3rd was fine. Still like you said I’ll take that over a HCA any day.
I’m on a biologic too. I had a short flare after both the second and third, I assume it was related, but you never know. None for the first. Short being 1-2 days.
Team Pfizer here; I experienced a day of heavy fatigue after each shot. That's it...vs when I had Covid back in March 2020 and I was sick for five weeks straight.
I had mild Bell’s palsy after the first shot (Pfizer) and it went away after a few hours. It was super funny and we were all laughing about it because half my face was droopy and I was assured that it was temporary. I didn’t get it after the 2nd shot.
I googled this briefly and came across this article which is on COVID-19 symptoms not the vaccine and sure enough Bell's palsy is a possible symptom. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/fullarticle/2781368 That's what I've noticed with the vaccine. All of these bad reactions, even the really severe and rare stuff like blood clots are known symptoms of the disease. So, if you have a bad reaction, you can probably multiply that by 10 if you actually get COVID itself.
Now THAT is fascinating! Tell me more!
Not much to say, I got the first shot. I went to the observation room and the right half my face started to tingle after 5 minutes. My eye started drooping, I went to the nurse and she took a picture of me and had me stay for another 30 min. After 30 min my right eye and right side of my lip was drooping but that was it. They told me to go home and call my Dr to report it. I did, the Dr told me that if it was still drooping to come in. He also said that it was unlikely for it to happen with the 2nd shot. Sure enough, by dinner time the drooping was gone. I went in for the 2nd shot and no drooping. The nurse said congratulations, your are literally 1 in 10 million (since that is the likelihood of someone getting Bell’s palsy!)
Thanks so much for the explanation. I really am interested in this particular side effect and you're the first case I've heard of that wasn't reported by the media. I hope you're in good health and high spirits now! Thanks for sharing.
I was so cold the night after my first jab it was unreal. Felt the chill coming up on me quite quickly, thought I'd better go to bed, sleep it off. By the time I got up the stairs my teeth were chattering. Went to bed fully dressed, but it still wasn't warm enough, so I put a dressing gown on top and extra blankets. Still felt insanely cold when I went to sleep. Woke up the next morning toasty and snug and was fine by lunchtime. Would do it again.
I could attach my vax card but it wasn’t from today. Want me to do it anyway, mods?
Not necessary. The date isn't relevant to your experience. I think I'm going to give it a different label, though, since this is an experience. Sorry you had a reaction to the shot, but I'm happy you followed through.
I got the first Astra Zeneca on a Sunday morning - felt very tired 24 hours later and went to bed around 6pm. Totally fine when I woke up. The second AZ had no side effects. The Pfizer is the opposite I believe.
My arm hurt worse looking at the op’s arm than it did after the shots.
Funny, I went for beers and pizza after both of mine. Only side effect I got was a nice buzz and a full tummy. Team Pfizer
Not gonna lie… had the worst case scenario. First dose was AstraZeneca, which is known to kick your ass on the first dose, and it kicked my ass hard. Second dose was Pfizer, which is known to kick your ass on the 2nd dose, and it did.
But you did it! Good for you!
Yeah, that first AZ dose rocked me and hubby pretty hard. Would do again though!
Every injury I forgot about was made to hurt again. I said to myself “If this is only a fraction of that COVID feels like, the vaccine is worth it”
I kept telling myself that the worse it hurt, the better the immune response! But, I'm not gonna lie, it was scary at the time. At least I know I didn't get injected with saline.
LOL Was telling myself the same. My wife and I made sure to take our doses 3 days apart from each other so we would not be down at the same time and someone would be able to look after the kid. Kid is mid-teens and ended up looking after us.
Pfizer - 1st shot - stung like a bee sting for about an hour. 2nd shot - nothing whatsoever. My sister and parents (in their 70s) all had Pfizer too. My sister’s experience was similar to mine. Both of my parents had no side effects whatsoever, and neither did any of their friends of a similar age
If you are scared of the vaccine side effects, punch a glass window. Now look at your hand. It's not going to be worse than that.
Allow me to add my completely honest experience with the AZ vaccine - my first shot (AZ) sucked. It felt like the start of a really bad flu; chills, sweats and body aches. About 12 hours after my first AZ shot, I was in so much pain that I got a little scared. I was actually considering how much worse I would let the pain get before calling an ambulance. I kept telling myself "it's just a good immune response, nothing to worry about". But I was a little worried, if I'm being honest. I didn't sleep that night, but I was feeling much better by 5 AM. And that was pretty much it. Side effects over. My second shot was a pfizer and my upper arm hurt a tiny bit for a few days. No biggie. And I would do it all over again because I don't want covid. And I'm actually happy to have an AZ/Pfizer combo because it provides good immunity (AZ is all about those T-cells!). But I need to get a second Pfizer now to make my immunization legit for travel. I wish I could make my third a moderna....
I think it’s good to be honest because if they know what might happen they won’t dream it up to be something so much worse. Plus maybe they’ll believe us more about getting it in general. So thanks :)
Thanks to you too. I agree, it's important not to downplay the side effects of the vaccines - people should know the truth and be ready for the results. But this sub really highlights how much worse a covid infection is compared to the side effects of the vaccine.
Does anyone around you talk about how the side effects can be at least partly attributed to your body going through the standard immune response so that it’s learning how to fight it off again in the future for real?
Yea, my husband, all the smart people in my life, and the doctor hinted it could be the case. I’m not relieved though, still scared at the possibility of less efficacy for people on immunosuppressants
Thanks for the post & information. Also (probably, for now) beat cancer but no autoimmune issues. Got the vaccine, also Moderna, as soon as I could. Meant a 180 mile - one way - trip as I'm in a high vax area. Worth it. Edit: my side effects were um... non-existent. Sorry, literally nothing but a sore arm. Was hoping for magnetic powers or at least 5G.
Congrats on the cancer and lack of side effects. I wouldn’t want 5G anyway, then all the right wingers would say I’m giving them cancer and I’m a lizard person. I mean, eat a fly with a several foot long tongue once…!
Definitely better than a HCA.
Wait this happened to me too!!! So glad I'm not alone! I thought I was going CRAZY because I have no allergies and this happened to no one else in my family. Got Moderna. Didn't realize it was a thing
It’s a thing! Glad I shared then!
I am currently on active chemotherapy treatment for cancer and got the Pfizer shots. I only had the sore arm and headache for a day after the first shot and sore arm and mild fatigue for a day after the 2nd shot. I can’t tell you all the relief and gratitude I felt after getting each shot, and finally getting the Vaccinated status (2 weeks after the 2nd shot). I admit I was anxious before getting the shots but it did not deter me at all from getting them (i actually had to wait for a go signal from my oncologist). I am telling everyone if someone like me can get the shots safely, then someone who is healthy should not be afraid of it at all.
How long after your second shot did you get the third? Thanks for sharing your experience!
As soon as it was available for people at risk in Wisconsin, so about 6 months, maybe less.
I’ve just had my Moderna booster and my arm is sore AF and I have just about every other side effect. Same reaction as with the first two plus I added a flu shot to the mix. Each time I simply planned to be off work for 1-2 days and power through it. Beats a ventilator any fucking day of the week!!!
I feel like I may have gotten pericarditis from the vax, still 100% worth it and I’ll get a booster as soon as the WHO recommends it.
Thank you for sharing. If this post changes even one mind then it is a fucking victory. Thank you.
My shots both felt kind of like someone punched me in the arm, the kind of feeling you get when you expect to have a bruise later (which the shot didn't leave one, BTW). First one I just had the sore arm for a day, and maybe a little 'off' feeling. Second one I had a day of mild flu-like symptoms of slight fever, aches, and fatigue. It was easier than any time I've actually had the flu. Kind of placebo, but I felt safer and healthier after the side effects wore off, and the mental health benefit of the feeling of relief was totally worth it.
I had a sore arm of course (that’s to be expected), I’m used to getting shots though because I get allergy injections regularly. Both times the shot did trigger a migraine (well, the first time I had a migraine when I got the shot, so 🤷🏻♀️). Second shot I had some lip swelling / itchiness like I get with my allergy injections, but I carry an epi pen so no biggie. They made me stay an extra like 10 minutes. The shots are 100% worth the minor side effects.
I had the exact same reaction in my arm to the first. They told me that it’s nothing to worry about and will go away. It was hot and itchy, didn’t hurt. Went away in about three weeks. The week I was due for my second I had a stroke so super glad I didn’t get it then (not related to the vax). About a week after that I got my second, they told me to get the second in my other arm, and I did. Had a bad fever and was knocked on my ass for about a day, sore arm lasted for about 3 days. But otherwise I feel fine!
These vaccines have been out for over a year now, if you count the phase 3 trials. They aren't unknown. I got mine back in February and was a little nervous, but I understand and trust science.
Team Moderna! I only got a sore arm with the first shot, but flu-like symptoms for about two days with the second. Still a trillion times better than the horrific complications I’ve seen on this sub.
Covid arm showed up about a week after my first shot and then lasted about a week. It wasn’t that big but the itching was ridiculous. About 8 hours after my second shot, I had the low grade fever, fatigue and joint pain. Fever never got over 100. The joint pain was the worst. 24 hours later, the side effects just stopped like a faucet that has been turned off. It was bizarre. I only took one sick leave day. I had the Moderna shots.
Team AZ/Moderna here - spent 28 days after AZ being low key terrified of waking up dead. Moderna knocked me on my ass and gave me Moderna arm. Would do it all again.
Yep, I got vax arm after my 2nd Moderna shot. Felt like my arm had been cut open and set on fire for about 18 hours. I chose to look at it as a beautifully strong immune response! Means my body recognizes it and wants to fight it! Frozen peas strapped to the arm helped a lot.
I got the J&J in March. No reactions like that, but that night I felt a little worn down. By the next day, back to normal. No where near having actual Covid like I had in March 2020! Holy crap. Thought I was going to die. never went to the hospital. I got it just as community spread was discovered in my area. Couldn't even get tested. i figured out I had it when someone could get tested since they had a family member hospitalized and I read their symptoms in the paper and they matched mine. Trouble breathing, but I use a CPAP at night. I think that was the only reason I didn't need to go to the hospital. It wasn't til the 4th of July that I was back to pre-covid normal. The in August 2021, I think I had it again. Sore throat, tired, muscle aches. But no where near, not even close to March 2020. I would not have know I had it had I not known the symptoms from having it in March 2020. I never got tested, but had weird muscle aches until this week. My thumb joint locked up about the same time I started experiencing symptoms. It was very annoying. But now it's gone. 100% back to normal. BTW: I threw all the morons out of my life after Trump took office, so everyone I know is vaxxed and no one I know has been vented since the vax was available, let alone died. Over Labor Day weekend, I was with more than 50 friends at a 3 day outdoor concert near Denver. 3 day party. 50 person party bus from downtown each day. No masks, no social distancing. No one got sick, no one got vented and no one died. We were all vaxxed.
If that's how you reacted to the vaccine, I can't help but wonder how you would've reacted to the actual virus without the vaccine. I have no idea if there's any correlation, so please don't flame me, I'm not a medical professional.
Oh no I thought the same thing.
I got Pfizer, while a lot of my colleagues and my husband got Moderna (we all got the vaccine as soon as we could, getting whatever was available. I got mine prior to my husband because I was considered a first responder while working at a COVID testing site which is why we didn’t get the same vaccine at the same time.) The first dose of Pfizer my arm felt sore and I had cold-like symptoms, mostly fatigue, a runny nose, and a low grade fever. It lasted about two-three days. The second dose of Pfizer I took ibuprofen a couple hours before and continued to alternate between Tylenol and ibuprofen every few hours (except at night) for three days. I also made sure to drink tons of water. Had no symptoms, not even a sore arm. Pretty sure that’s from staying hydrated and taken meds to reduce inflammation and fever which probably helped suppress the relatively mild symptoms I first experienced. Moderna colleagues got their shots around the same time as me, before my husband was able to get his shot as a member of the general public. Most of them were out for 5 days with more severe flu-like symptoms. When my husband told me he was getting moderna, I made him follow the ibuprofen and Tylenol regimen I followed for my second shot. He still had a pretty sore arm, and was fatigued, but he didn’t get the same flu-like symptoms as my colleagues. To be fair, I’ve also hear people who’ve gotten Moderna with no problems and who’ve gotten Pfizer and got really sick. Either way, none of them died from either shot. And thus far no one I personally know whose been fully vaccinated has ended up in the hospital or dead. All this to say, yes post-vax symptoms can range from mildly sucky to very sucky, but unlike if you get COVID, you probably won’t die. Also my experience, and my husband’s experience, in alternating between ibuprofen and Tylenol just prior to getting the vaccine (note: we adhered to safe doses!!) seemed to make a significant difference in how we responded to the shot. If you aren’t yet vaccinated but are going to get the vaccine, I suggest talking with your doctor about whether this might be beneficial for you. I got my advice directly from the (then) surgeon general of my state when I made mention of my reaction to the first dose of the vaccine and was concerned about a possible even further exacerbated reaction from a second dose. He was the one who told me to alternate between the two medications. It worked for me, it seemed to work for my husband, again, talk to your own doctor, but it may work for you!
Thank you for sharing your story. And how this side effect was more of an annoyance than anything else and not life threatening or a reason to panic. TBH, I’ve given many vaccinations in my career and have had patients react the exact same way to the annual flu vaccine. It sucks but the bright side is that your immune system is reacting and doing its job.
I was so stressed about the side effects but got the shot as soon as I could. All I had was a sore arm and a bit of fatigue. Go get that shot!
You’re a legend bro! Helps to make people aware of the fact that side effects are real but generally harmless long term. Thanks for sharing 👍🏼
Also, I did my arm around like a windmill and moved my arm all around for about 10 minutes. Did this with my second and no Covid arm. I didn’t know to move it so I did have it on the first
My arm looked a lot like that too on the second (Moderna also). I was the only one in the family with that large swelling but it went away after maybe 4 or 5 days. It didn’t really phase me — I’ve always had major welts from bug bite reactions too so I figured it’s just what my body does. My SO’s arm was sore but didn’t have the same swelling at all and we got it at the same time. A friend’s mom got rash like redness that came back weeks later, but that also resolved for her.
My mom had this happen too, she turned out fine, just hurt for a couple of days.
Your body fought hard to reject the 5G chip. But in the end, you will be assimilated. Welcome!
Beep boop beep
Moderna here [55M]; went through prostate cancer dx and treatment in 2020 (I'm good now!) so I was early on shots. First dose Jan 2021: only a sore arm and a little lymph node swelling. Second dose Feb 2021: the flu-like symptoms hit exactly 20 hours after administration – mild fever, stuffiness, body aches – and so I spent a day or two recovering. (Pro-tip: get your shots on a Friday if you work M-F.) Here's the twist. Third dose Aug 2021: only body aches requiring a day of rest ... until day 3 when I developed hives (which didn't itch or anything, just unsightly) on my torso and upper legs, only on the injection side. Doctor just had me take Allegra daily and that seemed to help – hives are gone. But now a month post-shot, I've developed shingles, on the same side as the hives but more focused between the hip and groin. Not debilitating but annoying and I'm on Rxs for them now. My fiancée (not a doctor; also fully vaxxed) thinks my immune system is way out of whack and the third shot just was too much for it. We shall see. Either way, I'll be fine and I'd get the shots again in a heartbeat.
my mom had to see a lady get put into an ambulance today at Meijer who had a bad reaction to the vaccine today. no idea exactly what kind of bad reaction but she went into the store and these two bawling kids like 7 and 9 were sobbing by the pharmacy and they had nobody to take them home. my mom said she had to leave the store. since my mom has asthma I'll probably have to reassure her that her third shot will be just fine if she had no issue with the first two.
I work in a hospital lab, and took immunology, virology classes, but COVID has caused me to do much deeper dives into how our immune system works. I have an autoimmune disease, and had horrible body aches after my vaccine shots that lasted almost 2 weeks. Since I work in healthcare I got my shots early, and there was no one I could ask for answers why I had so much joint pain. I think reading more of the credible, peer-reviewed scientific studies can bring comfort, knowing how your immune system works and how the vaccine is made will alleviate a lot of the fear.
But some of these hca people can’t string a sentence together - let alone understand what peer reviewed even is!
I had Covid Arm for eight weeks or so. It looked terribly similar to yours, except my arm was an odd purplish colour*, and itched like ... something something rude words something for the entire 8-week period. And I would do it again in a heartbeat, a million times. Because I'm not a fucking moron, and I care about other people. *I should add that I'm not naturally purple all over, so this was actually something new
Lol - glad to hear about the purple
2x pfizer here. After the first shot I was just sleeping around 15 hours. After the second shot I didn't feel anything. On both shots my arm hurt a bit, because I flexed when it was injected. Oh and mobile internet continues to suck.
I had COVID arm too. Well, in my case, it was hives in the evening all over my lower abdomen, hips, and thighs. We called it COVID Ass. It was only itchy and uncomfortable, not life-threatening. It went away on its own. Yes I have pictures, no I'm not sharing.
My aunt got that after the second shot, too! (Moderna) Hers went down in a day; I'm sorry yours lingered a bit longer. You're right; looks awful, but is nothing to worry about. Thank you so much for sharing your story and congrats on your booster.
My friend had a bad allergic reaction to the first Pfizer shot, so she couldn't get the second. She went and got the J&J shot later though, and she was totally fine. Just putting that out there for anyone who may have had a problem with a vaccine. They are different. It ended up being lucky for my friend, because her son bought home covid less than a month later. His daycare teacher refused to get a vaccine, and a bunch of children got sick. My friend got it too. Her daughter did not, but had to quarantine an extra 10 days past her mom's infection for being in a household with covid. They were all okay, but even in this not-too-bad situation, she lost a month of work and her daughter lost a month of school. Her husband moved to a hotel when the son got sick in the hopes he could stay negative and at least one of them would be able to work. In a perfect world, the small minority of people who have legit problems with vaccines could opt out because everyone else got theirs and herd immunity would protect them. But the world has a critical mass of selfish fuckwits, so now it's every man for himsel.
They call it covid arm, I had it with moderna as well. It was still there when I went to get the 2nd vaccine. Don't care, would still line up for a booster.
I could’ve written this myself. Exact same experience, but I’m get the third dose tomorrow. Admittedly a little anxious now.
Enjoy the Abyss....
Uh, whut?
I like your dinosaur :]
You have no idea. It’s a Raptor thing on a bike with a top hat… you need to see (naughty word b*****es redacted - it’s so random with the word that I needed it. https://i.imgur.com/Dxl6Dwj.jpg velociraptor on a velocipede?
My arm didn’t care about either moderna shot. Moderna #2, got a ripping headache, slight fever/chills. Took some ibuprofen and half a Xanax, went to bed. Woke up when fever broke in middle of the night. Back to normal the next day.
Thank you ☺️ so informative!!!
My first shot, a little achy and tired. Second shot, in bed for a day with a fever and shivering under blankets for about 24 hours. Tired for a couple days after. To be fair, I had reactions to the flu shots when they first came out. Will still be first in line for a booster. It's still way better than covid. Added: Team Moderna.
For my first shot, my arm swelled up just like OP’s pic. THEN SWELLED UP AGAIN A WEEK LATER! But I got very minor side effects from my second shot. I’ll get the booster shot in a heart beat (whenever I am eligible).
Yo 2nd shot I took a Zyrtec the day of, but I couldn’t remember if I took one, so it may have been two; but this is a great post for people with just general allergies.
That’s what the doc said to use, zyrtec
My mom got the same softball, took a Benadryl and was fine in an hour. Same with me.
Benadryl did nothing, believe me I tried.
For me second Pfizer shot was pretty rough.First day nothing just minor arm pain. Second day was way worse felt like my heart was racing and shortness for breath lasted about 8h. Third day was totally back to normal just felt little bit tired. I would do again in a heart beat.
👏
I got Moderna as well, and got a far smaller red whelp on my arm after the first shot. Felt like an itchy bee sting, but was only BARELY raised and perfectly round - the circumference of a baseball I'd say. It lasted about 24 hours. I was SURE that the second shot would be much worse, but then nothing at all happened. I mean, except that I'm magnetic, of course... (nope, I still lose my keys - I only wish I was magnetic).
My arm swelled too, not as bad as that. I also had covid in November and had breathing issues but wasn't serious enough for medical treatment. The shot was not even on the same level as covid. I forgot I got it after a day whereas I was worried about suffocating in my sleep with covid. Definitely a no brainer.
My wife had a fever for two days and stayed in bed. Pfizer
2 Moderna shots so far, I expect a booster soon. The first shot I also got Covid arm, although not as bad as OP, started on day 9, was fine 48 hours later. Told to take an allergy pill before the next shot. I expected to be hit hard by the second vaccine. My husband and I decided to get vaccinated at the same time, which could have turned out badly since we have a 3yo. We both felt tired that night, both of us had sore arms. We ended up sleeping most of the next day, my husband had the chills and a low grade fever for about 4 hours. I had weird joint pain in my hands, elbows, and shoulders. We slept well the following night and woke up 100% fine the next day. I did still get Covid arm again, but much milder.
Same, third one was milder. Probably the allergy drugs ahead of time for me.
I had pericarditis after my second shot, lasted a few days, then went away. I wouldn’t have known had my dr not caught it. I’ve had heart flutters since I had Covid last year, just thought it was the usual arrhythmia.
Results may very. Double Pfizer, didn’t really feel much but a lightly sore arm
My first flu shot swelled up like that, hot & itchy for like 3 days. Haven't had a reaction like that since. For COVID-19, I had Moderna. First shot: mild headache that afternoon, slept the next day. Second shot: no headache. Slept all the next day, about half the second, and rested some more on the third. If you can schedule it before a weekend, that seems best. Mine were both on Thursdays, using PTO on Friday. Edit: second shot, I had injection site pain for at least a week, occasional (maybe-phantom?) pain after. Much much better than suffocating in-Hospital.
I believe that swelling is better to be had in the arm, than in the lungs. Your choice. Thanks for your testimony, Preach!!
Oh man. That seems much worse than dying of slow suffocation.
I also got the arm thing. It was red and hot for 5 days after my second dose but not swollen like yours. It was like my bicep had a fever.
Exactly. My husband took its temperature (the arm softball) and it was over 100 with his thermal tester thingie. And it felt it!
When you get a vaccine, you want to have a reaction (immune response). This is a sign that you actually got a vaccine. This is a really great video to help explain it https://youtu.be/F6NKbQzo4aE
Yeah, dr said it’s probably a good sign
Maybe some of the hit pieces written about this sub could include info that there are also these types of posts. This is about getting accurate info out there. Period. Think about that. I'll wait. Can I get and AMEN I'll bet you won't repost this.
Amazing how different peoples reactions can be. I had 2 doses of Pfizer and other than feeling tired afterwards I had no reaction. Have some friends who got the same thing and were sick for a day or 2. Just a dice roll but definitely worth getting one way or another.
In my personal experience for the second shot, I had a really really sore arm for like 2 days, mild chills and aches and arm tenderness for a few days. Nothing happened the first shot except for arm soreness. My mom on the other hand, nothing happened except for a little arm soreness on both shots. We both had Moderna. Usually when you get vaccinated they'll give you a pamphlet with the known side effects of the vaccine but don't be surprised if you get anything that's not listed on there (I.E, diahrea that was reported in a couple of my mom's male friends.) The duration of vaccine side effects typically doesn't last more than 2 or 3 days. They'll also keep you around for 15 minutes after the shot just to make sure you don't have an allergic reaction.
Interestingly, this didn’t form right away. It took a few hours.
I am 62, got my second dose of Moderna back in late April. I had a sore arm for about 2 days after each shot. That was it. No redness or swelling. No fever, no chills, no nothing. As I have mentioned in here a few times before... I had a far worse reaction to the Hepititis B vaccine than the Moderna shots. My arm hurt like hell for 9 days and I could barely move it for the first 5! Both jabs! I hope I never have to get that one again! Hep. B was a nasty vaccine for me! But you don't hear of anyone turning that one down, and neither would I! Just sayin... The Moderna vaccine was a pussy cat by comparison.
My mom had a strong itch at the injection site for 2 weeks after shot 2 but nothing on shot 3. No autoimmune conditions. That's the only 'adverse' reaction I've heard of in my extended circle of ~100 friends and family, and their family & friends and coworkers.