Up until now, I’ve only gotten the Pfizer vaccines. And while I’ve reacted to them, it was never particularly bad. Light muscle aches and some fatigue were basically it. Worst was the second one - I could feel my hair follicles and eyelids with that one.

But the Moderna one seems to be quite the beast.

When I found out I could get the new Moderna, I was excited, since I’ve heard that mix-and-match is probably the strongest immunity you can get. And I figured it wasn’t going to be that bad when after several hours, I only had some light fatigue.

But today has been awful. Consistent fever around 102.3, chills, headache, nausea, whole-body aches, and ludicrous levels of exhaustion. I’ve been utterly useless.

Is this what Moderna vaccines have been like all along? I’ll take it over contracting COVID-19, definitely… but ouch. It’s hurting me plenty.

Next morning update: Chills are gone, fever seems to be gone, muscle aches aren’t entirely gone, but they’re fading. All in all, 10/10 would feel like shit for a day again to help stop the spread of a dangerous disease.

  • Encode1307@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    I think the moderna dosing is still double the pfizer dose. So I think it’s always caused a larger immune response. Ibuprofen will deal with most of those symptoms if you’re really not feeling good.

    • PurpleTentacle@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      I believe one can’t 1:1 compare the dosage, Pfizer’s MRNA was supposed to be a little more stable and hence less of it was needed. But, yeah, Moderna’s dosage is higher.

      I’ve gotten both over the years and Moderna always knocked me out harder, but never like OP. Symptoms have always been medium to strong fatigue and at most a mild headache.

      I haven’t gotten the new booster yet.

  • FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Oddly enough, none of the COVID vaccines or boosters have affected me in any significant way… but… I got my flu shot last week and it hit me like a freight train. I was having to fight to speak clearly in a work meeting thirty minutes after the injection, but on the plus side, it’s nice to know my body’s building an immune response.

    • DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe
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      1 year ago

      I’m glad someone else has an immune system that doesn’t hate them, I’m going in later this week and this crowd was making me feel anxious even though I’ve never had a reaction to vaccines.

  • Papanca@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    According to my records i’ve had Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Apart from a sore arm and maybe a bit tired, i thankfully had no other symptoms.

  • BillMurray@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    Is there a chance you just happen to have gotten sick coincidentally around the same time that you got the vaccine?

    • kescusay@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      Unlikely. I mask up everywhere (especially with these new strains running rampant). Plus, I just woke up and am feeling a hell of a lot better.

  • kobra@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Your experience matches every shot I’ve had with Moderna. I’m planning to get Pfizer this time around, in the hopes that it goes easier on my body 🤞

    • idiomaddict@feddit.de
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      1 year ago

      Cases are up everywhere, more so than the normal end of summer way. The cases are less deadly, but they can still cause long covid, even without symptoms

        • kescusay@lemmy.worldOP
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          1 year ago

          It’s a really stupid question. Of course people still vaccinate. There are two new strains going around that are rapidly increasing hospitalizations.

            • kescusay@lemmy.worldOP
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              1 year ago

              So? Just because no one you know is talking about it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. I’d bet if you called the local hospital and them if there’s been an uptick in COVID-19 cases, they’d wonder what rock you’ve been living under.

              For the record, the strain with the largest circulation right now is EG.5, which is a descendant of Omicron (which should give you an idea of how infectious it is).

      • Itsamelemmy@lemmy.zip
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        1 year ago

        I’m not anti, I’ve had 3 doses.They sure aren’t making it easy to get this one. I’ve had an appointment canceled at Safeway, and been to Walmart twice. First time told come back next week just walk in, and then turned away and told to make an appointment online when I did. Seriously just considering saying fuck it. It shouldn’t be this fucking difficult.

        • kescusay@lemmy.worldOP
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          1 year ago

          Don’t give up! The reason that’s happening is that demand for the new doses is far outstripping predictions, so they’re running out. That’s going to taper off.

          • Itsamelemmy@lemmy.zip
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            1 year ago

            Managed to get phizer and the flu vax last Friday. My last 3 doses were Moderna with no major side effects, and this most recent phizer was the same. Arm ache, and maybe slight chills for a night. Thanks for encouraging me to try again. Think I was just trying to get them done too soon. Still didn’t have a choice, phizer was all they had. I don’t think there’s much difference though, and either is probably better than none.

            • kescusay@lemmy.worldOP
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              1 year ago

              Yep, definitely. Despite Moderna kicking my butt for a day or two, I’m very glad I got it. Much rather not be part of the problem.

    • Very_Bad_Janet@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      My husband just got over COVID. Two colleagues at work, and their families, also recently had COVID. My kids’ have a number of cases at both of their schools.

  • MrGerrit@feddit.nl
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    1 year ago

    First shot of the Moderna vaccine I was not doing bad, bit tired for a week but nothing else really note worthy.

    But the day after my second shot I woke up to heavy chest and heart pains. I didn’t know what was the matter, my first thought was: “am I having a heart attack?!”

    Couldn’t move and hardly breath from pain, it took over a half hour before I could finally grab my phone and call my house doctor’s office. I explained what was going on and that I had my shot the day prior. Was being told that was just a side effect from the shots and that just should take painkillers and try to tough it out. If it wasn’t going any better in a day or two I should call back to make a appointment.

    After a short half day a couldn’t take it anymore, called my doctor back and he told me to go to the hospital.

    Luckily I could come the same day and they did multiple tests. Had to stay the night because the results wouldn’t be ready till the next day.

    Well it turned out that had a inflamed heart muscle pouch, had to translate. Hope it’s correct.

    Stayed in the hospital for almost 3 weeks. I got oxygen, because I had trouble breathing and I got all I kinds of drugs all day long to help me out.

    After that they said I could go home but call right away when there was any problems.

    I couldn’t work for almost three months and during that time went back to the hospital 2 times because returning heavy pains on my chest.

    After those three months I figured it’s time to go back to work but only like 2 or 3 days per week to start with because I still had breathing problems and sometimes the pain would come back.

    I’m doing better but still sometimes I have trouble breathing and have to take it easy.

    I didn’t even wanted to get the shots but had to because of my work.

    • kescusay@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      I’m sorry that happened, but you must know reactions like that are extraordinarily rare, and COVID-19 itself frequently causes much more severe heart injury.

      I hope you’re doing better now.

  • Brkdncr@artemis.camp
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    1 year ago

    I think it’s good if you have a strong immune system response to the vax. It means your immune system will be charged up with antibodies.

    I always plan to take 1-2 days off after getting vaccinated.

    • kescusay@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      That’s what I should have done. Oh well. At least I’m feeling a lot better this morning. C’est la vie.

  • Fondots@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Haven’t gotten the new vaccine yet, but my first moderna gave me some chills, headache, and fatigue, I didn’t check my temperature but I wouldn’t have been surprised if I had a slight fever. It hit me maybe 8-12 ish hours after I got it, not too bad, but not exactly fun either, could have worked through it if I needed to but I was glad I had the day off. The real kicker for me though was I work night shift, I got it right after work in the morning, went home, went to bed, and it started hitting me a bit after I got up the next evening, and by the time I was ready to go to sleep the next morning I was feeling fine. If I’d been on a normal schedule and got the vaccine at the same time, I probably would have been going to bed at about the same time it hit me and I would have slept through all of the symptoms.

    Most of my boosters have been moderna, and I haven’t had any issues with them besides a sore arm, so I think the first dose was my immune system going “hey wait, what the fuck is this? We got a code red over here” And with the boosters it pretty much just went “oh, ok, another one of these, go ahead and put it with the others, no biggie”

    The one Pfizer vaccine I did get didn’t seem to make my arm quite as sore as the others. So that’s something I guess.

  • BitingChaos@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    The old Pfizer doses would shut me down for 3 days.

    Fever, chills, body aches, fatigue.

    The first shot wasn’t so bad. The second and third were insane.

    I’m pretty sure I’ve had a fourth shot, but I don’t remember how I felt. I think I got covid last year, after already having the third shot, and I’ve been dealing with symptoms for over a year now (mostly muscle fatigue).

    I want the new shot with the new variant mix, but I’m also afraid of how I’m going to react to it. I have too much going on at work and home right now to take half a week off for the shot.

    I have a pretty crummy immune system and have always dealt with autoimmune issues, so it’s important that I get the shot, even if I react badly to it. :/

  • SiriusCybernetics@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    Yes, my first vaccine was Pfizer and second was Moderna, which caused heart issues. I went to a heart specialist and was diagnosed with pericarditis from the vaccine. It took awhile for symptoms to improve (pain, shortness of breath etc.). I feel lucky though.

    An unusual amount of people had severe symptoms in our area after the Moderna vaccine. Healthy people in their 30s for the most part. Our electrician had a heart attack and a few people died. Needless to say I didn’t go for a third. We know a guy who technically died from it, but he was revived - they got his heart going.

  • Drusas@kbin.social
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    Guess I’ve been lucky. The first vaccine I got (which was Pfizer) made me a bit sick for a couple of days with a brutally sore arm. Since then, every booster I’ve gotten (Pfizer and Moderna) has just given me a sore arm for a few days. I usually get cold-like symptoms after I get a flu shot, so I guess the Covid shots aren’t as hard on me somehow.

  • baruchin@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    It’s well known Moderna boosters to have the most side effects like the ones you describe. I hope you’re doing okay, now.

  • 👁️👄👁️@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    I really just get muscle ache and chills really bad. It lasts a day or two for me at most. What’s weird is when I got my last booster of Pfizer a few months ago, I got a dtap (the giga vaccine) in both my arms at the same time and had zero sickness the next day lol. Then I took the flu vaccine and still got sick a few weeks later so I feel scammed.

    Also just remember, the covid vaccine doesn’t stop the spread, that is misinformation. It greatly improved your immunization towards it so you don’t get nearly as sick.

    • kescusay@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      Also just remember, the covid vaccine doesn’t stop the spread, that is misinformation. It greatly improved your immunization towards it so you don’t get nearly as sick.

      It doesn’t stop the spread, but it reduces it. If you are infected when vaccinated, your illness will likely be much shorter, which means much less time during which you’re contagious. So the vaccines are still very important for slowing down the virus, even if you aren’t guaranteed full immunity.