MS flare with Covid vaccine!
I'm about to share/vent/warn y'all about my experience with the Covid vaccine and MS. Even though I didn't want to, my neurologist highly recommended that I get the Covid vaccine. I took Pfizer. The first shot was fine, just a sore arm. I got the second one on Wednesday. Holy cow I don't know that it was worth it! I'm still in bed. I can finally raise my arms to type this. So, the vaccine side affects are fever, severe headache, and leg pain. I didn't know that the fever would cause my MS symptoms to flare up so bad that I could barely speak or move! I take Ocrevus which has kept most my symptoms to a minimum. But with the vaccine side affects, I felt all previous MS symptoms like I haven't felt in a year ON TOP OF feeling the terribly painful side affects of the shot. I just want to clarify that my 18 year old son had no side affects. My husband has a normal headache and some leg pain. Just be prepared that, with MS, a Covid shot may not be worth it. Has anyone else experienced this?
Hi @Richelle. I'm so sorry to hear your recovery after the second shot was so brutal. I also received the Pfizer covid vaccine. After my first shot I was extremely tired, a little dizzy and had intense arm pain. Like you, my second shot was brutal. It was difficult to walk, I was very dizzy and I had extreme symptoms. However, I felt everything was totally worth it to be protected against covid. Having a compromised and weakened immune system means covid would be that much more awful were I to catch it. I would rather take a few days of discomfort and symptom flare than take my chances with a disease that has killed so many. It's an individual choice for everyone. But feeling protected by the vaccine also lessened my depression, anxiety and fear. Hoping you are fully recovered and feeling some of the relief of that protection having gone through what you did.
Thank you @CarolyninCLE. You're probably right. Hopefully this will be worth it.