Been watching this forum for a few weeks now, but wanted to jump in and share my experience. I got my second COVID shot on 5/14. The first two days I had a sore arm and some slight fatigue, similar to my response to the first COVID shot. Then, two nights after my second shot my right ear blocked up and I could not hear at all. 24 hours later, I woke up in the middle of the night with extreme vertigo and could not stop vomiting and could barely move for over an hour. I was taken to the ER where I was given diazepam and anti-nausea medication which seemed to help the vertigo.
A hearing test with an ENT revealed that I am completely deaf in my right ear and he thinks I may be having an auto-immune response to the vaccine, possibly related to my history of two bouts with cancer and a stem cell transplant. I was prescribed 60mg of prednisone on an 18 day taper. After the first week, my my vertigo was mostly gone, but I still continue to experience dizziness, deafness, and tinnitus.
Today I had a steroid injection in my eardrum which we hope will help, given that the steroid taper did not relieve my symptoms. I also plan to see an acupuncturist in the next week to hopefully get some relief.
I am glad to have found this forum and will keep updating with my progress.
Scott - I would also like to know your experience with the steroid injection in your eardrum, since my ENT recently mentioned this to me as a future possibility.
SAME!! I had my first Jan 15 and had the literal exact same response. Finally saw an ENT/allergist and they said it was an allergic reaction followed by inflammatory response. Prednisone helps but then when I stop I have rebound inflammation. Finally got a steroid injection to my ear and that has helped considerably. I had an antibody test done and I am positive for antibodies. Not sure if I will do the second shot. I am leaning towards no.
Hi Laura - I hope you're continuing to do well! I'm just finishing a second Medrol steroid pack and my ENT has suggested an intratympanic steroid injection as a possibility if I experience rebound once again.
It would be great to hear about your journey, what part your steroid injection has played in it, whether you had repeat steroid injections, and how you're doing now. I know of others besides myself that are also considering this and wishing to know the firsthand experience of someone that's tried it. Thank you! 🤗
@rachie thank you for sharing the insight received from your nurse. I have a friend who had Covid in January, he is still suffering side effects from the infection, he said that there is scarring left on his lungs that the doctor's are not certain will ever heal. Since our vaccine side effects are compared to Covid long hauler side effects, does it mean the shot triggered an infection in our body that will heal over time or also just like with Covid the body will have permanent scarring left? Just wondering if that's something you brought up to your nurse, I would definitely ask since it is being compared to Covid infection aftermath.
@thenystagmus hi! So, the first time around I was on and off pred for a few weeks and then did the injections about 5-6 weeks after the vaccine and that fixed me up to about 98%. Waited a few months to get the courage to go back for round 2. Did that about 2 weeks ago. I was fine for about 3-4 days and then the ear drums swelled again and now I am wonky again. I’ve done two rounds of injections since the vaccine and they help for about 2 days before the weirdness returns. Such a bummer. I may start prednisone this week if I don’t get some improvement. So, jury is out on the injections. I’d do them again in a couple weeks but they don’t seem to help much if the inflammation is still highly active.
@teresawarren40 I am taking liposomal vitamin C, D3, quercetin and zinc. I’m also trying to drink a lot of water, and limit caffeine and alcohol.
@rachie thank you for sharing the insight received from your nurse. I have a friend who had Covid in January, he is still suffering side effects from the infection, he said that there is scarring left on his lungs that the doctor's are not certain will ever heal. Since our vaccine side effects are compared to Covid long hauler side effects, does it mean the shot triggered an infection in our body that will heal over time or also just like with Covid the body will have permanent scarring left? Just wondering if that's something you brought up to your nurse, I would definitely ask since it is being compared to Covid infection aftermath.
No, from what I heard doctors are saying that the vaccine is lesser of two evils. Real disease has real side effects and causes real long term problems, the vaccine more so mimics them and they are going to be temporary, but it can still mean months and months of suffering. We will not be getting lung damage from this. What we have is a very strong immune response and possible allergic and inflammatory reaction. It should subside.
@rachie I also found following the FODMap diet helped a-lot, because my stomach wouldn't churn from food which was causing a nausea feeling and signalising vertigo to my brain. So some simple swaps like lactose free milk and gluten free bed stopped the stomach in bed churning all night. No beans, chicken peas of things too.
@rachie thank you for sharing the insight received from your nurse. I have a friend who had Covid in January, he is still suffering side effects from the infection, he said that there is scarring left on his lungs that the doctor's are not certain will ever heal. Since our vaccine side effects are compared to Covid long hauler side effects, does it mean the shot triggered an infection in our body that will heal over time or also just like with Covid the body will have permanent scarring left? Just wondering if that's something you brought up to your nurse, I would definitely ask since it is being compared to Covid infection aftermath.
Some of Covid Long-Hauler's issues are being theorized to be a result of inflammatory or autoimmune responses, which are one possibility for post-Covid vaccine issues also. So, the Covid Vaccine Long-Hauler's course may end up being similar to Covid Long-Hauler's course. It will be of great interest to some of us as to whether these autoimmune issues are associated with vaccination on a temporary basis, or whether they end up being the typical autoimmune diseases that are treated thereafter lifelong. Of course, we hope it will prove to be the former. At any rate, we may end up benefiting from the Covid Long-Hauler's research, diagnostics, and treatments that are starting up already.
Recent policy action by US AMA (American Medical Association) for Long Haul Covid:
@melanie22 had the very same thing happen to me. I too started getting severe vertigo two weeks after getting the moderna vacinne so bad i ended up in the hospital. Ct scan EKG. ALL ok. I also was diagnosed with vestibular neuritis. I have had vertigo before but it was always gone the next day. This one last over three weeks. Just getting better but still far from 100%. One good thing. I lost 25 lbs. couldnt keep anything down for five days. Food or water
Also...I’ll have 2-4 days where I feel great and go do things and then 3-4 days where I get bad brain fog again. Wondering if anyone else has dealt with this?? Hoping it’s a sign that the brain fog is gradually going away
Yes I have the same exact problem, how long have you been having this issue for?
And I agree, it is a sign it’s going away. It was persistent for weeks and now I am starting to get good days, other symptoms gone completely
@rachie thank you for sharing the insight received from your nurse. I have a friend who had Covid in January, he is still suffering side effects from the infection, he said that there is scarring left on his lungs that the doctor's are not certain will ever heal. Since our vaccine side effects are compared to Covid long hauler side effects, does it mean the shot triggered an infection in our body that will heal over time or also just like with Covid the body will have permanent scarring left? Just wondering if that's something you brought up to your nurse, I would definitely ask since it is being compared to Covid infection aftermath.
Some of Covid Long-Hauler's issues are being theorized to be a result of inflammatory or autoimmune responses, which are one possibility for post-Covid vaccine issues also. So, the Covid Vaccine Long-Hauler's course may end up being similar to Covid Long-Hauler's course. It will be of great interest to some of us as to whether these autoimmune issues are associated with vaccination on a temporary basis, or whether they end up being the typical autoimmune diseases that are treated thereafter lifelong. Of course, we hope it will prove to be the former. At any rate, we may end up benefiting from the Covid Long-Hauler's research, diagnostics, and treatments that are starting up already.
It will depend
For most people it will be temporary - (1 week - 4 months) as we see many have recovered or improving, for some it probably will be a much longer battle especially if they are of a certain age and have preexisting conditions, same as with COVID
Recent policy action by US AMA (American Medical Association) for Long Haul Covid:
This articles you will probably not gonna like lol very contradictory
https://www.google.com/amp/s/beta.ctvnews.ca/national/coronavirus/2021/4/15/1_5388464.html
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5976738
Recent policy action by US AMA (American Medical Association) for Long Haul Covid:
This articles you will probably not gonna like lol very contradictory
https://www.google.com/amp/s/beta.ctvnews.ca/national/coronavirus/2021/4/15/1_5388464.html
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5976738
Using your logic sassafras second shot might help then lol
Thanks for the info about travelling. I don’t plan to fly anywhere until next year or a year after. I hope by that time, it’s safe to travel. I think I start to feel better now. I mean I still have some numbness/buzzing feeling but pin and needles is a lot less and eye twitching is also less often. Still feel dizziness sometimes especially if I am stress. Not sure if it’s related or not but today while doing home renovation, I hardly felt any symptoms at all. My hubby said it’s because I moved a lot so blood flows better LOL.