Questions for everyone who's gotten "poked" ;)

[FirstLight]

Our county is lagging a bit so I dont know how soon my tier will open up...BUT

I have an auto-immune issue so I take immune suppressants. Got an appt with the rheumatologist tomorrow, so Im going to be asking her my list of questions too... I just want some anecdotal info I guess.

1. Which one did you get?

2. How were your side effects?

3. Any issues with other ailments or meds?

From what Ive read I think I am only able to do the Moderna or Pfizer because I cant have "live" vaccine...but Im still not too informed about the J&J one.
However, one of the questions I have for the Dr is that if I am taking immune-suppressants, how well will my body create antibodies? Or will I have to discontinue meds for a month before i get poked? Will my reactions be worse?

If anyone has a good link that reall spells it out Id love it, it's just so much info and I cant seem to wade through it all!

[SWBTATTReg]

1. I hope you get your shot(s) soon too, plus I wish you the best. I laughed to myself when I ...

read this query at first, I thought immediately of my 3 dogs, in the mornings, will poke their noses at me while I'm still in bed (an exposed foot or my arm) to try and get me up, get my attention (they are poking me to get me moving). Ha ha heh. Thanks for the unintended laugh.

No shots yet, but I'm meeting w/ my doc at the end of the month, and I was going to ask him what to do. I'm also get my medications via Walgreens, so I'm hoping that I can get my shot(s) via Walgreens.

Good luck, I'm bookmarking this for I'd be interested in the responses to your query too! Take care!

[Dave in VA]

2. Wife and I have gotten both moderna vaccines

She has Crohn's Disease and takes meds which suppress her immune system. She did fine with each vaccine injection. A little fatigue with the second one, but that was all.

I think your list of questions are good ones. Your Doc should be able to address all your concerns.

Good luck!

[FirstLight]

8. thanks!

[Kali]

3. best to ask your doctor

but from my experience with a family member having some immunity issues - his doctors said get the shot, but that it may not provide as much immunity as others get. but still better than nothing. this advice was given prior to the J and J availability so no info there.

[Miguelito Loveless]

4. My wife and I have both

had the Moderna vax, first shot. We both had sourness at the injection site, mine lasting a few days longer than hers. She has MS, which is an auto-immune disorder, but her neuro told her she should have the vax.

[Yeehah]

5. Pfizer #1 - no side effects at all. n/t

[doc03]

6. I got the 1st Pfizer 3 weeks ago and the 2nd today 9am no

effects so far.

[karynnj]

7. Your doctor knows you, your health and more about the vaccines

I think your post shows that you already have the questions that you would ask the doctor. The doctor will be able to tell you about the impact on the immune suppressants and the bodies ability to respond to each of the possible vaccines. (She also would know the relative risks if you had to stop the immune suppressants to allow the vaccine to work.) Ask her if she can get you literature that relates your condition to covid and/or the vaccine.

The anecdotal information would be useful only if people were in the same health situation as you are - and even then, your doctor, who is a specialist, will have far more complete information on how others like you have responded and might have the ability to get you in the right queue for the vaccine she would recommend.

[FirstLight]

9. I wish my doctor knew me...

seems like I am changing dr's every 6 months or so... my rural clinic has a hard tiome keeping staff


But yeah, I do plan on asking her for some more details other than just "take it"

[moonscape]

10. I got Moderna and stopped chemo between

injections. 1st was a few days after chemo, missed two therapies, and will resume tomorrow, 10 days after my 2nd injection. My cancer is not progressing aggressively which is why I could stop. It was definitely advised to go off steroid (dexamethasone is commonly prescribed in chemo cocktails for my cancer) at least if possible between injections and for 10 days after 2nd one. Great reason to choose Pfizer if it’s an option because of the shorter time between shots.

No reaction to the 1st shot, definitely side effects after the 2nd: fever for a few days, fatigue, slight headache. I was so glad to have validation that I have an immune system!

I don’t think J&J is a live vaccine either, so if you can’t go off meds for long, that could be the best option, only off for 10 days or so.

Just a non-doc speculating aloud. Your doc will have the real answer as to your best strategy.

[dawg day]

12. I'm glad you were able to take the shot, moonscape!

I hope you can resume your other treatment soon with less anxiety about Covid.

[moonscape]

24. Thanks dawg. Chemo resumes tomorrow and

I feel good about giving my body best opportunity to crank out antibodies. May they be plentiful

Sunday is a celebratory day with my now-vaccinated bestie, breaking my year-long isolation. Yay!

[SheltieLover]

11. 1st Pfizer vax in the books!

Only mildly sore arm.

I had a choice between Pfizer & Moderna for 2 reasons: Moderna is said to have more preservatives & is 100 ml, vs 30 for Pfizer.

I definitely would have taken Moderna if Pfizer had not been available.

No other health issuesor meds here.

Good luck!

[Mad Lib]

13. We both got poked

My wife got Pfizer, I got Moderna. Neither of us had any significant side-effects other than a sore arm for a couple of days.

[rzemanfl]

14. I had my second Pfizer today.

No side effects so far that I could differentiate from being old.

[FirstLight]

15. OK so here's an ok article... AND I went and registered for notification when the county

opens my Tier...

hopefully sooner than they say (april-may)

[LisaL]

16. J&J is not a live vaccine.

J&J uses a modified adenovirus (cold virus) that has a region coding for a covid spike protein.

[TxGuitar]

17. My best friend's daughter

Had a heart transplant in 2018 at age 26. She has had both doses of Moderna and reported no issues. Spouse and I have both had 2 doses of Pfizer with no ill effects.

[NightWatcher]

18. I have SLE, peripheral neuropathy, and a form of myositis (and I take hydroxychloroquine)

My rheumy signed a form letter so that I could go ahead and get my Pfizer poke here in FL this week. Other than the mildest arm soreness the first night and next morning, I have felt nothing. I got the jab yesterday and haven't noticed anything else.

I hope you are able to get the vaccine soon and that you suffer no side effects.

[tinrobot]

19. First Pfizer two weeks ago, mild side effects.

My wife felt like she was getting a mild cold. Lasted for a day or so.

I thought I was in the clear, but then took a bike ride the day after and totally ran out of energy. I suspect it was a side effect.

[Ananda62]

20. Pfizer here

1st shot, I had a very sore left arm, a minor headache, and pain under my left arm (lymph node pain). Symptoms lasted less than 24 hrs.

2nd shot, I had no arm pain until 11 hrs after the shot. I had a few minutes of shooting pain under my arm and a slight headache. Symptoms were gone in a day and a half.

I’m 59, asthmatic, and allergic to certain meds (opiates). I’m not overweight but do have slightly elevated blood sugar levels (prediabetes).

[ProfessorGAC]

21. 1. Moderna. 2. None At All. 3. N/A

For my wife, it was Pfizer, almost nothing, and nothing indicated regarding her other meds.
Neither of us got the sore arm, which I believe a majority of people get.
We'll see after the 2nd shot.

[petronius]

22. I've had the first Moderna - only side effect was a sore arm (a bit worse than

the flu shot in September), and maybe some night-sweats/chills and a runny nose (but those last two could easily have been due to a weather change).

I'm 50, with no relevant ailment or medicine issues.

[riverwalker]

23. Moderna

Shot#1 very mild aches one day.
Shot #2 nothing. No symptoms of anything. In fact I began to worry if I got a placebo or something, but then I read older people don’t react like younger ones.