Knocked on My Butt by the Vaccine

 

I got my second dose of the Moderna on Friday, and, whoa, did the second dose pack a wallop. I got the first dose on March 19, St. Joseph’s feast day! Other than the sting in my shoulder afterward, I did not have any symptoms.

This past Friday, April 16, about a month later, I got the second dose. It didn’t feel any different than the first at the point of being stuck. That evening I went on to my son’s little league baseball game, a drizzling cold night in April, but I didn’t feel any effects of the vaccine. That night, just before bedtime, I started shivering. No matter how many clothes I put on and how many blankets I put over me, I could not stop shivering. I had no idea if I had fever because I didn’t get out of bed to check. I barely slept. I trembled with chills all night.

In the morning, I checked my temperature. I had a mild fever. I still had chills, but when I got out of bed my muscles resisted the simplest motion. I had no strength. I stayed in bed all day. I took Advil, which brought the fever down. The chills came and went but they never went away completely. My wife (God bless her) got me a large order of wonton soup. It helped. I had it for lunch and for dinner.

Then in the evening, the fever started rising. What was mild (99 to 100 degrees) climbed to 101, then 102, and even a 103. I started to worry. Took more Advil and, eventually, it came down. I slept that second night and when I woke up I felt it had gone away. I still felt weak, but my temperature was normal, and I could do some low-stress chores. By the evening of the second day, I felt close to normal. By Sunday evening, I felt relatively normal.

My left shoulder, where the needle punctured me hurt for several days. I don’t remember it hurting this much on the first dose. It feels more like a wasp sting, if you have ever had that unpleasant experience. The hurt seems to spread over a lot more area than the sting, and it hurts for a lot longer than you would expect.

I had a number of vaccines when I had to travel internationally, and I don’t recall anything like this. This was tough. A friend told me the more the reaction to the vaccine, the greater than immunity one builds. I don’t know if that’s true, but I hope so.

My wife, my mother, and my mother-in-law have all had the same second dose of Moderna. My mother had some chills, a headache, never measured a fever, but on the second day had a blood pressure drop which caused her to faint. We took her to the Emergency Room but they didn’t seem to think it was related to the vaccine. The follow-up doctor said it was possible. My mother-in-law had chills and mild fever and headaches and enervated. She felt terrible for a few days. My wife did not have any chills but felt enervated. She was the least affected by it.

It did feel like I was hit by a truck. But I do recommend getting vaccinated. I don’t know if one has similar reactions with the other types of vaccines, but from what I have read the Moderna provides the best immunity. It’s worth the peace of mind.

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  1. Tex929rr Coolidge
    Tex929rr
    @Tex929rr

    Varied reactions in our fire department.  Mostly sore arms but one person had a reaction similar to yours for 24 hours after the second shot.  I just had the sore arm and the second time was actually a bit less painful the the first.  We all were injected on New Year’s eve and then again on 1/ 28 (all Moderna).  One person waited for the J/J single shot. 

    • #1
  2. W Bob Member
    W Bob
    @WBob

    My dad and his wife got Moderna and didn’t have any side effects but they’re older. 

    The J and J shot wasn’t too bad for me. The reaction felt just like the shingles shot I had two years ago. Yucky feeling for less than a day, but no fever. 

    • #2
  3. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    I had Covid in December. If that doesn’t give me immunity I don’t see how an immunization shot will. Even if I am not immune, the case I had in December was a moderate chest cold that did not prevent me from working the whole time I had it. Even if I get it again, it won’t be much worse, and according to experience milder. Why bother with a shot?

    • #3
  4. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    The shot didn’t pack a wallop, your immune system did. That means your immune system is activated against it.

    • #4
  5. Manny Coolidge
    Manny
    @Manny

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    I had Covid in December. If that doesn’t give me immunity I don’t see how an immunization shot will. Even if I am not immune, the case I had in December was a moderate chest cold that did not prevent me from working the whole time I had it. Even if I get it again, it won’t be much worse, and according to experience milder. Why bother with a shot?

    Good question Seawriter.  I don’t know the answer.  You might want to ask a professional if your assumptions are true.  

    • #5
  6. RushBabe49 Thatcher
    RushBabe49
    @RushBabe49

    I had two doses of the Pfizer vaccine with absolutely no side effects. And Office Depot laminated my vaccination card for free. 

    • #6
  7. EB Thatcher
    EB
    @EB

    My first Moderna shot made my arm sore-ish for a couple of days.  The second shot made my arm much more sore the first day.  I had NO energy the next day.  I spent that day in a recliner pretending to read and watch TV, but really mostly napping.  The day after, I felt relatively normal.

    • #7
  8. Manny Coolidge
    Manny
    @Manny

    EB (View Comment):

    My first Moderna shot made my arm sore-ish for a couple of days. The second shot made my arm much more sore the first day. I had NO energy the next day. I spent that day in a recliner pretending to read and watch TV, but really mostly napping. The day after, I felt relatively normal.

    That was essentially my wife’s reaction too.

    • #8
  9. DonG (2+2=5. Say it!) Coolidge
    DonG (2+2=5. Say it!)
    @DonG

    Thanks for the report.  I’ll make sure to have Advil handy.

    • #9
  10. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Manny: It feels more like a wasp sting, if you have ever had that unpleasant experience.

    I was painting a two story house and up a ladder. I was wearing shorts, it being a hot summer’s day. I moved on the ladder to reach a spot I was painting and brought my legs together just as a wasp was flying between them. Have you ever seen someone come down a ladder by gravity with their hands skimming down the outside of the ladder? Basically, I made a slightly-controlled fall to the ground, which was good, since the ladder then melted with the language I used. A wasp sting, you say? Yes, been there.

    • #10
  11. Knotwise the Poet Member
    Knotwise the Poet
    @KnotwisethePoet

    Tex929rr (View Comment):

    Varied reactions in our fire department. Mostly sore arms but one person had a reaction similar to yours for 24 hours after the second shot. I just had the sore arm and the second time was actually a bit less painful the the first. We all were injected on New Year’s eve and then again on 1/ 28 (all Moderna). One person waited for the J/J single shot.

    Similar experience.  I did feel a little sick both times, but had nowhere near as severe a reaction as others I’ve heard of.

    • #11
  12. EB Thatcher
    EB
    @EB

    DonG (2+2=5. Say it!) (View Comment):

    Thanks for the report. I’ll make sure to have Advil handy.

    No.  Doctors and the CDC say that anti-inflammatories block some of the action the vaccine needs to occur.  They recommend Tylenol.  And only after the shot, not before.  @dong

    • #12
  13. EB Thatcher
    EB
    @EB

    Re: NSAIDS and vaccine

    Healthline      COVID-19 Vaccine and Pain Relievers

    Journal of Virology   Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs Dampen the Cytokine and Antibody Response to SARS-CoV-2 Infection

     

     

    • #13
  14. AUMom Member
    AUMom
    @AUMom

    I had covid over Christmas. It was 3 long weeks of misery and pneumonia. 

    I had the first Moderna vaccination and felt as if I had it again for about 36 hours. To say I was doubtful about the second shot is an understatement but I took it Monday afternoon any way. The only problem with this one is a sore arm. 

    I have no doubt in my immunity. 

    • #14
  15. Chris Member
    Chris
    @Chris

    Wife and I received our second Moderna’s about 12 hours ago.  No issues from the first… guess we’ll just have to wait and see on this one.

    • #15
  16. Clavius Thatcher
    Clavius
    @Clavius

    I had chills and then sweats the night after my second Moderna shot on Monday.  It passed but today after lunch I got chilled again and will go to bed early.

    I likely overdid my physical therapy this morning.  At least I hope that’s it.

    • #16
  17. Manny Coolidge
    Manny
    @Manny

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Manny: It feels more like a wasp sting, if you have ever had that unpleasant experience.

    I was painting a two story house and up a ladder. I was wearing shorts, it being a hot summer’s day. I moved on the ladder to reach a spot I was painting and brought my legs together just as a wasp was flying between them. Have you ever seen someone come down a ladder by gravity with their hands skimming down the outside of the ladder? Basically, I made a slightly-controlled fall to the ground, which was good, since the ladder then melted with the language I used. A wasp sting, you say? Yes, been there.

    You’re lucky you didn’t fall off. A wasp sting is pretty startling. I got stung in the hand once. 

    • #17
  18. Manny Coolidge
    Manny
    @Manny

    Clavius (View Comment):

    I had chills and then sweats the night after my second Moderna shot on Monday. It passed but today after lunch I got chilled again and will go to bed early.

    I likely overdid my physical therapy this morning. At least I hope that’s it.

    I hope you feel better. 

    • #18
  19. Hang On Member
    Hang On
    @HangOn

    Your reaction is the same as my brother’s who got his second jab on Monday. He had no side effects with first jab.

    I got my first last Friday with no effect. 

    For both of us it is the Pfiser.

     

    • #19
  20. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Seawriter (View Comment):
    I had Covid in December. If that doesn’t give me immunity I don’t see how an immunization shot will.

    That’s a good point. But it’s not just a matter of immunity vs no immunity. With this virus there are degrees of immunity, and on average people get less of the indicators of immunity (antibodies, t-cells, etc.) with covid-19 than they do with the shot. But there is a lot of variation, especially in the amount of immunity you get from covid itself.

    Even if I am not immune, the case I had in December was a moderate chest cold that did not prevent me from working the whole time I had it. Even if I get it again, it won’t be much worse, and according to experience milder. Why bother with a shot?

    To get better immunity, most likely. But odds are it’s not such an urgent matter in your case.  If you are a belt plus suspenders kind of guy you might want to. If it was me, I would probably get it, eventually, but I wouldn’t be in a hurry to get it right away. YMMV. 

    Easy for me to say, I guess, because I’ve already had both doses of the Pfizer. I didn’t have much reaction to either shot. Just a sore arm. It might have been a little more sore the 2nd time.  It was a little painful to lie on that side, but I needed to switch sleeping positions and fell asleep on that side anyway.   

    • #20
  21. Headedwest Coolidge
    Headedwest
    @Headedwest

    My wife and I got the Moderna vaccine. For both of us, the first shot just made our arm sore for about a day.

    My second shot didn’t do much to me the day of the shot, but the next day I was kind of spaced out the whole day. I didn’t feel terrible, but I just sat around and didn’t get anything done.

    My wife had a stronger reaction to the second shot; she had chills that would not stop and felt really ill the day after the shot.

    Both of us got back to normal in another day.

    The reactions to the shots are all over the place.

    • #21
  22. Marythefifth Inactive
    Marythefifth
    @Marythefifth

    Why the fuss when there’s Ivermectin?

    • #22
  23. Ekosj Member
    Ekosj
    @Ekosj

    DonG (2+2=5. Say it!) (View Comment):

    Thanks for the report. I’ll make sure to have Advil handy.

    FYI – I had Pfizer and they advised against taking anything except Tylenol for any after-shot aches/pains/symptoms.

    I had no symptoms at all after the 1st or 2nd shot.   Completely uneventful.   Making the appointment in NJ was 100 times worse than getting the actual vaccine.

    • #23
  24. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    Manny (View Comment):

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    I had Covid in December. If that doesn’t give me immunity I don’t see how an immunization shot will. Even if I am not immune, the case I had in December was a moderate chest cold that did not prevent me from working the whole time I had it. Even if I get it again, it won’t be much worse, and according to experience milder. Why bother with a shot?

    Good question Seawriter. I don’t know the answer. You might want to ask a professional if your assumptions are true.

    Actually I raised the issue with one one health professional I know, a surgeon. His answer was so silly it made me wonder how competent most doctors are. His arguments on why a vaccine developed from a Covid strain that was at least six months older than the version I got was a more effective protectant than getting the latest-greatest version were specious – so much so it sounded like the spiel of a patent medicine salesman.

    “Well its specially tailored to give you maximum protection.” “How?” “Well they design it to maximize protection.” What’s the mechanism they use?” “It’s genetic.” “Yes, but how does it work and why does it protect better?” “Well its specially tailored to give you maximum protection.”  He could not answer my question. 

    Explain it is language that makes sense and you might convince me. Explain it in language that indicates you don’t really know and are taking it on faith that it works better and you might convince me you are a superstitious idiot.

    • #24
  25. EHerring Coolidge
    EHerring
    @EHerring

    RushBabe49 (View Comment):

    I had two doses of the Pfizer vaccine with absolutely no side effects. And Office Depot laminated my vaccination card for free.

    If you booked through VAMS, you have access to your vaccination record all the time. I logged in and printed a copy. VAMS provides a downloadable PDF you can print. 

    • #25
  26. EHerring Coolidge
    EHerring
    @EHerring

    1st Moderna….sore arm, nothing else

    2nd Moderna on Tuesday….sore arm that evening, took Tylenol because I had to go to a meeting. Yesterday morning, can’t say I felt bad, but was absolutely worthless. Sat in the Lazyboy all AM but didn’t take Tylenol. Didn’t have much of an appetite. In the afternoon I popped up, vacuumed two rooms, swept the kitchen, cleaned the shower, then returned to the LazyBoy. All that movement actually made my arm better (old military secret, get your shot in your saluting arm). By supper time, felt a little off. Had 99.5. By bedtime, it was 98.4. Feel fine today. 

    No chills but did seem like I was having a mild antihistamine reaction in my head. I am pushing 68 and have type O blood. I heard type O protects against Covid better. Husband is  type O and had no reaction to second Pfizer shot. One daughter had J&J and was knocked down for a day with every symptom on their handout. Sister had Moderna and had chills  and fever. 90 year old friend had Pfizer and no reaction. It’s like a box of chocolates….

     

    • #26
  27. colleenb Member
    colleenb
    @colleenb

    EHerring (View Comment):

    1st Moderna….sore arm, nothing else

    2nd Moderna on Tuesday….sore arm that evening, took Tylenol because I had to go to a meeting. Yesterday morning, can’t say I felt bad, but was absolutely worthless. Sat in the Lazyboy all AM but didn’t take Tylenol. Didn’t have much of an appetite. In the afternoon I popped up, vacuumed two rooms, swept the kitchen, cleaned the shower, then returned to the LazyBoy. All that movement actually made my arm better (old military secret, get your shot in your saluting arm). By supper time, felt a little off. Had 99.5. By bedtime, it was 98.4. Feel fine today.

    No chills but did seem like I was having a mild antihistamine reaction in my head. I am pushing 68 and have type O blood. I heard type O protects against Covid better. Husband is type O and had no reaction to second Pfizer shot. One daughter had J&J and was knocked down for a day with every symptom on their handout. Sister had Moderna and had chills and fever. 90 year old friend had Pfizer and no reaction. It’s like a box of chocolates….

     

    Agree. Both husband (older than my younger self) had the Pfizer. No reactions to speak of after either shot. My arm was sorer than normal for the first shot so I moved it around more after the second shot and that seemed to do the trick. Sorry you had such a bad reaction Manny. There does not seem to be a rhyme or reason. My daughter-in-law is pregnant so I also read Bethany’s post about getting the shot – or jab as the British say. I don’t think she’s going to get the shot at this point. All 3 grandparents have the vaccine and my son and she are being careful so, I pray, that will do the trick. 

    • #27
  28. RushBabe49 Thatcher
    RushBabe49
    @RushBabe49

    EHerring (View Comment):

    RushBabe49 (View Comment):

    I had two doses of the Pfizer vaccine with absolutely no side effects. And Office Depot laminated my vaccination card for free.

    If you booked through VAMS, you have access to your vaccination record all the time. I logged in and printed a copy. VAMS provides a downloadable PDF you can print.

    I did not. My clinic was handling everything, and I do not want any online records. I assume that my vaccination records reside in my medical record, not accessible by anyone in government. 

    • #28
  29. EHerring Coolidge
    EHerring
    @EHerring

    RushBabe49 (View Comment):

    EHerring (View Comment):

    RushBabe49 (View Comment):

    I had two doses of the Pfizer vaccine with absolutely no side effects. And Office Depot laminated my vaccination card for free.

    If you booked through VAMS, you have access to your vaccination record all the time. I logged in and printed a copy. VAMS provides a downloadable PDF you can print.

    I did not. My clinic was handling everything, and I do not want any online records. I assume that my vaccination records reside in my medical record, not accessible by anyone in government.

    The government owns my medical records, so there is that.

    • #29
  30. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    RushBabe49 (View Comment):

    EHerring (View Comment):

    RushBabe49 (View Comment):

    I had two doses of the Pfizer vaccine with absolutely no side effects. And Office Depot laminated my vaccination card for free.

    If you booked through VAMS, you have access to your vaccination record all the time. I logged in and printed a copy. VAMS provides a downloadable PDF you can print.

    I did not. My clinic was handling everything, and I do not want any online records. I assume that my vaccination records reside in my medical record, not accessible by anyone in government.

    My understanding is that with covid vaccinations, at least, at the time of vaccination, your vaccination information is put into a single central storage database at Social Services, and very likely going on to the CDC.

    • #30
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