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Got Pfizer Feb- SIRVA next day -concerned that vaccine did not take

Posted by katherine345 @katherine345, Jun 10, 2021

Associate attending Physician at a major NY hospital who writes for 150 newspapers in March wrote " Though it is possible the cell around the bursa could express some COVID-19 protein, I recommend that a person who developed SIVA after COVID-19 vaccination restart the 2-dose vaccine series." I have SIRVA (frozen shoulder -diagnosed-Adhesive capsulitis of left shoulder<br I have had consistent pain since the day after my 1st Pfizer -got the second dose. I has been 3 months since my vaccine. My doctor disregarded the NY dr.'s statement saying I should be careful and wait for the booster shots. Dr Fauci states that 1 Pfizer is only 33% effective against the new variants. I work with people who arrive from foreign countries - teaching adults. I'm in my 60s & must return to work in August. I got an anti body test on my own which suggest I may have some vaccine in my system, but the independent lab states that these tests are not proven and can't determine immunity. I don't know any Doctors who have information on this issue. I live in CA. Is there any medical group who can speak to this issue? Is it safe to get a 3rd Pfizer vaccine (3 months after the 1st & 2nd dose) because it's likely the first dose didn't take? Thank you, katherine345

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esw | @esw | Jul 17, 2021
In reply to @jenniferhunter "@katherine345 You may want to look at my long post above yours about reactions to the..." + (show)
@jenniferhunter

@katherine345 You may want to look at my long post above yours about reactions to the vaccine ingredients. I have reacted to a lot of stuff and had an allergic reaction to my first Pfizer Covid vaccination a few months ago, and I could not get a second dose. I recently got the J & J to complete my Covid vaccinations. That is a bit hard to find since most US pharmacies in my area are doing either Pfizer or Moderna. I believe I had an allergic reaction to "PEG" polyethylene glycol which is an ingredient. I was able to get the J & J which uses Polysorbate 80 instead of PEG, and that can cause cross reactions if you have allergies to PEG. I managed fine by proactively using antihistamines, vitamin C, and my asthma inhalers on my doctor's advice. Recent stories about the J & J vaccine said it was effective against the Delta variant.

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Wow you have really been through a lot. I don’t think my problem is related to an allergic reaction but rather caused by administering the shot in the wrong location or too deep. I am quite thin with very thin arms. My should area is not very meaty. The needles they use are very long and if the muscle mass is not that great I could see going too deep into the bursa. Or another thing that can happen is the shot is given too high on the arm. I have had other cortisone shots that have really helped- in my lower back. I’ve also never had a problem with other vaccinations so I don’t think it has to do with allergies. It I am concerned about if I am fully vaccinated because I read that if it goes in the bursa you will not get the desired immune response of the vaccination.

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Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Jul 17, 2021
In reply to @esw "Wow you have really been through a lot. I don’t think my problem is related to..." + (show)
@esw

Wow you have really been through a lot. I don’t think my problem is related to an allergic reaction but rather caused by administering the shot in the wrong location or too deep. I am quite thin with very thin arms. My should area is not very meaty. The needles they use are very long and if the muscle mass is not that great I could see going too deep into the bursa. Or another thing that can happen is the shot is given too high on the arm. I have had other cortisone shots that have really helped- in my lower back. I’ve also never had a problem with other vaccinations so I don’t think it has to do with allergies. It I am concerned about if I am fully vaccinated because I read that if it goes in the bursa you will not get the desired immune response of the vaccination.

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Your story sounds just like what happened to me with one of my flu shots- I knew right away that the pharmacist hit it wrong from both position and pain. My daughter saw the injection site and confirmed that he didn't landmark properly. And I never got an answer about whether I built antibodies, but I didn't get the flu that year.

I needed a cortisone shot to calm the bursitis and lots of painful stretching to get use of my arm back.

Fast forward to 2019‐2021. My vaccine reactions to shingles, flu and Covid were not confined to the shoulder and arm. The were full-body inflammatory system in overdrive. Suffered through it with Shingrix, but after both
Quadravent flu and Pfizer Covid, I had steroids to calm things.

As for whether you are protected, in your place I would ask my doc for a third injection.

What have you decided?
Sue

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baz10 | @baz10 | Jul 25, 2021

@baz10 WOW! After reading all of the responses above, I am still scared stiff to get a Covid vaccine. I have asthma and some COPD and know it will be safer for me if I get the vaccine, but worry about having side effects. Thinking the J&J will be the best way to go. Husband had Pfizer and had no problems and Son had J&J and no problems. Any comments will be appreciated. Baz10

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3 replies
lizzier | @lizzier | Jul 25, 2021

You are in a hard spot. Have you consulted with your primary care doc, if you have one that you trust? I have a very compromised immune system, and I was afraid to get it, but I fully trust my PCP and she advised me to get it, and I had no side effects at all. I can see that your family members are not against it, but more specifically you are concerned for your unique situation. Would the side effects be minor or major, and would it be worse than full blown covid? Those are the questions I would ask. I stood in the middle for just a bit, and I was hospitalized for another reason, and my husband got his second shot while I was in the hospital, and I had one, but was bit fearful of the second one. then I talked to my doc, and she advised me to get it, and I did w/o any side effects at all.

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Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Jul 26, 2021
In reply to @baz10 "@Baz10 WOW! After reading all of the responses above, I am still scared stiff to get..." + (show)
@baz10

@baz10 WOW! After reading all of the responses above, I am still scared stiff to get a Covid vaccine. I have asthma and some COPD and know it will be safer for me if I get the vaccine, but worry about having side effects. Thinking the J&J will be the best way to go. Husband had Pfizer and had no problems and Son had J&J and no problems. Any comments will be appreciated. Baz10

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@baz10- I understand your angst about having the vaccines. I'm a lung cancer survivor, have COPD and other ailments. That is one reason why I had the vaccines. Those things do compromise my immune system. It took a while for me to make a decision because of possible side effects. And I got pretty ill with my second Moderna shot. It took me about a week to fully recover. But that was nothing compared to having COVID and most likely the present variant. I'd much rather have some side effects than attend my own funeral.

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1 reply
JK | @contentandwell | Jul 26, 2021
In reply to @baz10 "@Baz10 WOW! After reading all of the responses above, I am still scared stiff to get..." + (show)
@baz10

@baz10 WOW! After reading all of the responses above, I am still scared stiff to get a Covid vaccine. I have asthma and some COPD and know it will be safer for me if I get the vaccine, but worry about having side effects. Thinking the J&J will be the best way to go. Husband had Pfizer and had no problems and Son had J&J and no problems. Any comments will be appreciated. Baz10

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@baz10 I had the Pfizer and had no problems. I am immunocompromised due to having had a liver transplant. My transplant hospital set it up for its transplant patients to get the vaccine as soon as it was available so I was fully vaccinated on February 14th.

Unless your doctors feel there is a reason for you to not get the vaccine then I would get it ASAP. I have not heard of any really bad side-effects from either Pfizer or Moderna and they are both more effective than the J&J one I believe. As @merpreb commented, it's better to have side effects than to have a very serious case of Covid.
JK

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Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Jul 27, 2021
In reply to @merpreb "@baz10- I understand your angst about having the vaccines. I'm a lung cancer survivor, have COPD..." + (show)
@merpreb

@baz10- I understand your angst about having the vaccines. I'm a lung cancer survivor, have COPD and other ailments. That is one reason why I had the vaccines. Those things do compromise my immune system. It took a while for me to make a decision because of possible side effects. And I got pretty ill with my second Moderna shot. It took me about a week to fully recover. But that was nothing compared to having COVID and most likely the present variant. I'd much rather have some side effects than attend my own funeral.

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Baz- If you look at CNN today there is a video interviewing people who are now hospitalized with covid because they weren't vaccinated and are pleading to be vaccinated now. I know that it's very difficult to really feel someone's pain and misery even if you can empathize but these people are extremely ill and are struggling to breathe.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/26/us/florida-coronavirus-hospital-surge/index.html
Do you think that watching live people struggle can help with your decision?

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seaspray | @seaspray | Jul 28, 2021
In reply to @esw "Wow you have really been through a lot. I don’t think my problem is related to..." + (show)
@esw

Wow you have really been through a lot. I don’t think my problem is related to an allergic reaction but rather caused by administering the shot in the wrong location or too deep. I am quite thin with very thin arms. My should area is not very meaty. The needles they use are very long and if the muscle mass is not that great I could see going too deep into the bursa. Or another thing that can happen is the shot is given too high on the arm. I have had other cortisone shots that have really helped- in my lower back. I’ve also never had a problem with other vaccinations so I don’t think it has to do with allergies. It I am concerned about if I am fully vaccinated because I read that if it goes in the bursa you will not get the desired immune response of the vaccination.

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I had the antibody test at the Mayo Clinic last week and happy to report I scored over 500 with a Positive! So even with SIRVA, I am fully vaccinated!

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2 replies
katherine345 | @katherine345 | Jul 29, 2021

Congratulations. I live in Los Angeles. As far as I know no major medical center here is giving antibody tests. I was told that UCLA won't allow them as they don't have the science to interpret the test yet. Sounds like Mayo is more advanced. Maybe I can get a video conference w/ a Mayo Dr. who could lead me to a reliable antibody test. Does anyone know of a Mayo Doctor that might advise me on this?

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