On Monday, 8 March, I had my first dose of the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine. To get it, I had to go to a GP’s surgery in a nearby village. We parked outside and then went in a back door where a one-way system was operating through the practice. I had my jab in the doctor’s office, and then I went back home. Everyone was wearing masks, and it was pretty efficient and well organised.
I’m going to talk about my experience of having the jab so that maybe other people can know what to expect or to reassure those in a similar situation.
I had the vaccine about 11:30 AM Monday morning and felt pretty normal until late afternoon. As the afternoon wore on into the evening, I started to feel cold and had a headache.
That night, I could not sleep a wink because my muscles felt tight and achy; I had a headache, felt cold inside, and had neck ache. So the following day, I felt like crap, basically.
My temperature was raised to about 38°C Tuesday morning. I felt exhausted and didn’t feel like doing anything productive, so I spent most of the day watching TV programmes, movies on Netflix, or reading.
I had a short nap in the afternoon, which briefly made me feel a bit better.
I took some paracetamol throughout the day, and this did help with my headache. So I recommend taking paracetamol if you need it.
Having felt so tired all day, I went to bed early on Tuesday night and had a great sleep of about 8 hours. Initially, when I woke up, I felt refreshed and without a headache, which was great.
However, by midday, I still felt lethargic, and my headache resumed. I suspect that it’s because I was still in sleep debt. That, plus the vaccine, has been making people feel tired anyway.
On Wednesday, again, I didn’t feel like doing much productive, so I mostly just chilled out. I still felt the need to take some paracetamol throughout the day to combat a headache.
On Wednesday night, my sleep could have been better, but it could have been worse. I reckon I got about 5 or 6 hours, so as a result, I again felt a bit tired the next day. I felt closer to normal, but still not 100%. I still felt a bit fuzzy in my head.
Thursday night, I had a really good sleep of probably about 7 or 8 hours. Today, at the time of writing, I feel pretty much back to normal. I don’t have a headache (touch wood), and I don’t feel any other symptoms. So hopefully, the effects of the vaccine have finished. Unless I’ve just jinxed it, of course.
Overall, it’s not been a pleasant experience. It’s probably been the worst vaccine I have ever had. However, I think the fact that I slept poorly this week made me feel even worse on top of the vaccine symptoms. So I don’t know how bad I would have felt if I had slept well every night. I might have felt better, but who knows.
It’s still worth getting the vaccine because despite how unpleasant its side effects were, it’s still a damn sight better than getting Covid 19. I never want to experience having Covid, so I don’t regret having the vaccine, and I recommend that you get it too. Not just for your sake but also for the people around you.
Hope your fully recovered now Alex , I feel I was very lucky as I had a very smooth time of it, I had the Phizer jab ! Like you say it’s so important we all get the vaccine to protect us as much as we can from this dreadful virus
Hi Karen, Yes, I feel much better now thanks. It’s funny how some people don’t experience any side effects at all and some people do. thank you for reading!
You had it rough Alex got mine at home via a recruited ex DN so Oxford Z no side effects. Not had appointment for follow up yet though.
It’s all right for some Haha. I have not heard about my 2nd dose yet either. It might be 3 months
I’m still glad I got it (Pfizer). First shot was fine; second has been hell. I was initially dizzy and nauseous right after the shot. Then felt better and was good for the next twelve hours. Then my fever shot up to 103.2 (39.56 in Celsius), and I couldn’t get warm. I shook all over, my head hurt and I ached. The fevers didn’t completely go away for the next five days.
About 48 hours in, I noticed my favorite perfumes smelled odd–like popcorn, or diapers.
Then I began having trouble breaking, as if a belt were tied about my chest. It got worse and worse, with my blood oxygen going below 95. I went to Urgent Care; they did a chest x-ray, and told me I had pneumonia. Put me on antibiotics and sent me home.
They also did a covid test, which turned up negative a few days later.
I’m not sure how/why I had pneumonia, but I was fine before I had the second shot. My theory is that the second shot somehow weakened my immune system, letting the pneumonia take hold. I’m still on antibiotics–can’t take steroids for fear they will dampen the vaccine’s effect. But my blood oxygen went down to 85 at one point; I couldn’t get it back up, so I called an ambulance. They came, indicated that it probably was safer for me at home (our county is a covid-pit), particularly as I had my own albuterol nebulizer because I’m asthmatic. My doctor pointed out that, as a lifelong asthmatic, albeit a fairly healthy one, I may be more able to weather low blood oxygen than others.
I’m better, but not well. I got a breathing exerciser that loosens the mucous in my lungs, but I still have huge coughing fits. It took a week for the fever to go away; I’m not sure how much of that was directly related to the shot, how much came from having pneumonia.
Bottom line: I’m glad I was vaccinated, and I’m pro-vaccine. Very pro-vaccine. Covid has turned Maryland from a place with some of the best medical care in the country into a place where it doesn’t feel safe to go to the hospital. But I wish I’d taken the Johnson & Johnson, not the Pfizer.
I’m not being terribly vocal about this because I don’t want the anti-vaxxers to grab hold of my story. But Pfizer was no picnic.
Hi. Sunday night – poor sleep. Monday night – extra long sleep. In fact had one of the longest sleep ever. Late Tuesday – the jab. Increased general pain. Wednesday – Then sore muscles, spasms, acute neuropathic pain. No headaches. So, 30 hours after jab , side-effects most pronounced. i’m a c4/c5, 72 years old, 12 yrs post accident .
Thursday- distinctly improved. Although neuropathic pain still accentuated, joints and muscle still painful. But overall improvement.
Hi Jeremy, How are you feeling now? Is the pain any better?
Had the second jab – no impact whatsoever! I assume as there are so few quadriplegics on the planet we did not appear on or in any research data. I was hesitant the second jab that felt, despite the consequences of the first, better to have it. All good. Has anyone come across any research where quads appear as a control or target group?