Covid Vaccine Reaction and Workouts
 

For those of you who had a reaction after your covid vaccine, did you jump right back into your normal workouts when you recovered or did you go back gradually?

I had my second Moderna dose yesterday and it hit me harder than I expected. I'm feeling a lot better, but still pretty fatigued with a headache on and off. If I wake up in the morning feeling fine, do I go ahead and do a normal workout or should I take it easier than usual? I always exercise soon after I wake up.

Maybe I'm overthinking this. :o I'm never sick so this is all new to me (even though I'm not really sick).

Erica

I would probably do a lighter workout - your body was stressed out and busy making antibodies, so I would give it a bit of a rest and not tax it too hard w/ a workout. Maybe something on the lighter side, assuming you feel well enough.

Donna

Thank you!

Erica

The second Moderna shot knocked me for a loop - I missed two days of work. It surprised me because I don't usually have reactions to vaccinations.

Obviously I didn't work out those two days. On the third day, I did a gentle pilates routine and a stretch. The day after that I went for a walk and did another pilates routine and stretch. After that day, I went back to my normal stuff - Pahla B, walks, and pilates.

Carol

Thanks! I was surprised by my reaction, too. I really didn't think I'd feel much. I usually run and lift weights, but I'm kind of scared to go out for a run and then start feeling bad once I'm already out. I think it's definitely safest if I stay home.

Erica

I was worried when I was getting my second dose of Pfizer. My friend said she was advised to drink lots of water the day before and after the vaccination. That and move the arm after. My arm started to hurt so I used it doing a light workout. No other reaction. I was so happy.
Maybe the water worked?

I've also heard that staying hydrated helps and made sure I drank lots. I ended up with what I'd consider a moderate reaction.

Erica

A friend recently postulated the theory that folks who have really bad reactions to the vaccines are folks who would have been hit the hardest with the virus.

Another "theory," but an interesting one.

I got my first Pfizer shot a little over three hours ago. My arm feels fine so far. I am tired, but I have not been sleeping well. I cannot blame that on the shot.

Less than 15 minutes out from receiving my first Pfizer dose! Hoping for minimal side effects but open to sleeping it off this weekend if need be. ;)

I had my first Pfizer dose this past Tuesday. No issues but a sore arm and a slight headache the next day. I worked out the following morning and felt fine. Hoping I have the same experience on the second dose.

Thankful to report that the only side effect I felt was a sore arm. It was noticeable a couple hours after receiving the shot and lasted about 28 hours. Felt like someone punched me really hard in the arm. I'm ambidextrous (write with my right hand but do most everything else with my left) and glad I chose my right. I sleep on my left side so my sleep wasn't affected too much - definitely wasn't comfortable to sleep on the right arm. I made sure to take my probiotics the day before and drank more water than usual (something I need to work on). I played it safe and didn't do any workouts this weekend.

I guess I am just extra lucky...I had the first Pfizer vaccine Saturday morning. I just felt tired until Sunday afternoon. My arm was not even sore. Sunday afternoon I had a slamming headache and nausea. By the evening I started to feel better, but it came back this morning. I hope I do not go through this again for the second one, just in time for my first Mother's Day without my husband or mom. Sigh....

Sherry, I'm sorry you're not feeling well from the vaccine and hope you feel better soon.

Off-topic, but I hate Mother's Day. It's such a painful day for so many people. I subscribe to emails from Pandora jewelry and they recently sent out an email saying that they recognize it can be a hard day and were providing an option to opt-out of all of their Mother's Day emails/promotions. I was really grateful for that and took advantage of that option.

Thinking of you, Sherry.

Erica

I got my second Pfizer vaccine Saturday, and happy to report only a sore arm again. In two weeks, I'm buying my own groceries! woohoo! I'm so over Instacart.

First Moderna yesterday and I actually feel better today than most days.
(Most days I have lots of random aches and pains.)

I did drink alot of water before the shot and lots since.

I had my first Moderna vaccine on Thursday. I had a sore arm, headache, and my body felt a little tired and achy (though I'm not sure the latter was because of the vaccine). I just kept it light on the weekend and did mostly gentle yoga.

I have had both of my Pfizer shots. My arm was a little sore after the first one. I was not even sore after the second one. I did light workouts after both of them just in case.

I was pretty out of it after my second Pfizer dose. I only started to feel better about 48 hours later. Fatigue, migraine, sore neck, EXTREME sleepiness, and just feeling mentally and physically out of it. The vaccine was on a Thursday afternoon and I didn't do a legit workout again until that Sunday, when I did 45 minutes of a FIRM workout (and I really took it easy with modifications, light weights, and not pushing myself). I worked out like normal for five days the following week.

I did fine with the first Pfizer shot, sore arm (mildly) only. Got the second one yesterday at 6:30 pm. Arm hurt again, but felt overall fine last night, maybe just a bit "off," but slept fine. Woke up feeling okay but still a bit off; did a light workout routine in a.m. Around noon I started to feel a little achy and was running a mild fever, and that's been a bit on and off for the rest of the day; ibuprofen helped, and I mostly feel fine now. I was worried because I had a more extreme reaction after my 2nd Shingrex shot (nausea, dizziness, fever, chills), so compared to that, this was nothing. :o

I really enjoyed this SarahBeth yoga routine I did earlier:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiiMZaTLrzE&t=603s

I am hoping for this as I actually worked through my bout with COVID. I didn’t even have any COVID symptoms, but was tested when my boyfriend got it really bad and I have the antibodies.

My daughter wasn’t affected by her bout with it, but she was down for the count with her J&J shot. She vomited the night after getting it and slept for the next 24 hours. She seems good now and that was last week

Beth - i love your new picture!

Thank you Sue! :D I took that shot as I was about to do a livestream from the yoga studio where I work; it seemed appropriate for as a Video Fitness avatar. :o

Update on me - I am feeling fine today. I think I might have just a bit of the lymph node swelling some have mentioned (it feels a little sore in that area, not just my arm), but otherwise I'm fine.

I have definitely heard a lot of different speculation about who gets side effects to which vaccine and why. An additional idea I heard was that younger people have a harder time than older people with the vaccines; that's consistent with what I have seen anecdotally, but I have no idea if there's actual research behind that. DH is glad I had a reaction (albeit mild) because he thinks it means my antibodies are more robust. :D

Thank you, Erica :love:
I totally understand your views on Mother's Day.

I was feeling better last night and this morning. I attempted a dance workout, but I had to stop after 30 minutes. I started feeling shaky. I am just going to rest as much as I can the rest of today.

I like the new pic, too! Older people definitely do better, in general, with reactions because their immune systems aren't as robust. That's why they get a stronger flu vaccine than younger people. I was very relieved to have a reaction to my second dose since my white blood cell count is low and I was concerned that the vaccine wouldn't do much for me.

Sorry you are still not back to normal, but I'm glad you are listening to your body and resting. Let your body work to build those antibodies.

Erica

Sherry, I agree with Erica about listening to your body - plus, kudos to you for getting in 30 minutes of cardio! I only did 45 minutes yesterday, 3 separate 15-minute routines that were all on the floor. :o

Also wanted to extend (((hugs))) to all of those who struggle with holidays like Mother's Day. Our saturated, product-driven culture doesn't allow much for the many nuances and complexities of human relationships.

I wonder if people had the same reaction to their annual flu shot, i.e. no reaction to flu shot = no reaction to CV-19 shot

This isn't the case in my experience and what I've heard from others. I've never had side effects from the flu shot (other than the sore arm) but did have some in response to my second shot. I usually don't really get medication side effects either.

No , I do not get a reaction to flu shots except a sore arm.

I've had a flu shot twice in the past and each time I had a reaction (chills, fever, aches) but had none to either of my Pfizer shots. No reaction whatsoever and barely a sore arm afterwards that only lasted about 24 hours.

about the sore arm
some may be because of stiffening when getting the shot?

I focus on relaxing the arm as much as possible when getting a shot.

I made sure my arm was very relaxed both times and still ended up with a crazy sore arm for a short time. I read it's from inflammation caused by the immune response. My arm soreness lasted much longer from the Shingrix vaccines.

Erica

Barb, I do think that making sure to move your arm around after you get the shot makes a big difference. A nurse told me about this years ago, and now I wave my arm around like one of those weird used car puppets, haha. I find when I move my arm around after shots (flu, Shingrex, covid), it still gets sore but it's very mild (so mild that I can still comfortably sleep on that side).

I agree that keeping the arm moving makes a big difference in the soreness!

Erica

My 20 year old daughter got her second Moderna shot yesterday afternoon. She had a sleepless night, with some body aches, head ache and queasy stomach. She feels better today, but is still fatigued. My second Pfizer is this Saturday. I had no reaction to the flu shot, or the first Pfizer, other than a sore arm. But I'm expecting a reaction this weekend, just to prepare myself.

I've heard that a bad reaction on the first shot could mean you had Covid in the past. But I don't know if it's true, just something I read somewhere.

I doubt it. I never had any symptoms. I know you can be asymptomatic, but I barely left the house .

Sherry, didn't Frank have Covid?

One of my sons had a rough time after his first Moderna vaccine and he never had Covid. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't fun either. He hasn't had his second dose yet and is dreading it after the first. I'm hoping a stronger reaction from the first means less on the second, but we'll see. Another son said he was wiped out after his first Moderna shot, but didn't say he had any other symptoms. We suspect he may have had Covid very early (last March) but he wasn't able to get tested. DH had a mild reaction to his first Moderna and never had Covid, but he always reacts to vaccines.

Erica

No, he did not have Covid. He had a negative test. He passed away from a pulmonary embolism.

The folks I personally know who had a strong reaction to the first shot had very little reaction to the second shot (coincidentally or not, they had also had CoVid).

Carol

Sherry, I'm sorry I misunderstood. I knew he didn't pass away from Covid, but for some reason I thought he had it earlier. In any case, I apologize and hope I didn't cause any additional pain. Big hugs to you.

Erica