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Covid vaccine booster

I am been on Humira every two weeks for the last 4 years.
I have had the Moderna series of 3 shots. I haven't had a 4th (booster) yet. I had a horrible time with each of the 3 shots, worse with each one, big immune responses, felt rough for 2 days but obviously that's what vaccines do and it's better than severe Covid.

I am torn between getting it now or waiting for the Fall when cases will rise again and probably new variants.

I have had very bad joint pain in my elbows since 2020 (before any vaccine) and the right elbow is particularly bad...pain wakes me at night, can't use the arm well. Drs don't seem to care, no idea if its Crohn's related or another autoimmune problem...so this has also made me reluctant to get the 4th booster.
I don't know if my immune system can take another 'rev up' and if it's worth it if i'll need another one in the Fall anyway.

anyone had similar experience and get the 4th ?
 

Scipio

Well-known member
Location
San Diego
I got the 4th (Moderna) and it was no problem - just minor soreness at the injection site. But that's all I had for the prior 3 injections too, so I can't promise that's all you will get. I suspect your 4th injection will be much like the first 3.

Waiting to Fall may not be a bad idea - depending on the current prevalence of COVID-19 in your area.
 

my little penguin

Moderator
Staff member
Can you see a rheumatologist for the joint pain ?
Ds got all 4 shots .
But he didn’t have much of any side effects
Just sore arm for all (Pzfier)
Dh got 4 shots as well
He felt tired /sick like for the first 2 shots
But a little less on shot 3
Nothing at all shot 4 (Moderna )

the booster of moderna is a lower dose than the full shots in the original series
 
I got the 4th (Moderna) and it was no problem - just minor soreness at the injection site. But that's all I had for the prior 3 injections too, so I can't promise that's all you will get. I suspect your 4th injection will be much like the first 3.

Waiting to Fall may not be a bad idea - depending on the current prevalence of COVID-19 in your area.
Thank you, I think the covid numbers are rising slightly where I am but hospital admissions are down.
Are you taking a biologic or immunosuppressive meds? (If you don't mind me asking)
 
Can you see a rheumatologist for the joint pain ?
Ds got all 4 shots .
But he didn’t have much of any side effects
Just sore arm for all (Pzfier)
Dh got 4 shots as well
He felt tired /sick like for the first 2 shots
But a little less on shot 3
Nothing at all shot 4 (Moderna )

the booster of moderna is a lower dose than the full shots in the original series
Oh I didn't realize the booster was a lower dose.

Neither my PCP or GI would refer me to a rheumatologist last time I asked. I'm not sure what they would do anyway seeing as I'm already on Humira.
 

my little penguin

Moderator
Staff member
My child developed juvenile arthritis at age 10 despite being on humira
He was dx with crohns at age 7(hence the humira )
He needed higher frequency of humira plus methotrexate to control his arthritis
Crohns has a type of arthritis associated with it
Which can flare the same time as your crohns flares or can flare independently even when your crohns is in remission.
Ds is now 18.
His arthritis is much worse than his crohns
 
My child developed juvenile arthritis at age 10 despite being on humira
He was dx with crohns at age 7(hence the humira )
He needed higher frequency of humira plus methotrexate to control his arthritis
Crohns has a type of arthritis associated with it
Which can flare the same time as your crohns flares or can flare independently even when your crohns is in remission.
Ds is now 18.
His arthritis is much worse than his crohns
Sorry to hear that about your son MLP, Crohns is bad enough without the added arthritis. I have asked a few times if this is crohn's related and I'm always told no, that it's the knees and hips with the crohns arthritis. My knee also gets painful on and off but nothing like my elbows. I am so frustrated with my Drs.
 
I'm holding off on the 4th shot until a variant comes along that I'm likely to get.
I already got Omicron (despite precautions), so I don't feel imperiled at the moment.
How did you feel with Omicron?
I'm leaning towards waiting until they have tweaked the vaccine to cover other variants too.
 
I am on azathioprine (imuran) and have had 4 covid shots so far. So far I've noticed a difference in makes giving me quite bad pain in my arm after 3 or 4 hours, which lasts a good 4 or 5 days. Pfizer I had the worst pain for that. Other than that the first one I felt knackered, slept like a log that night but nothing else. But I have crohns and IBS and I found the first 2 definitely, slightly the second 2 gave me really sore, bloated and painful belly. It kept me up for weeks after each one. On my last o just had a reaction for maybe 4 days but it was minimal.
Does it possibly depend on dose of immunosuppressive?
I was worried it'd kick off my crohns as I'm in remission. But luckily it didn't. I wouldn't be surprised If for some active crohns people out there, it might cause worse symptoms.
 
You should be much more worried about what those "vaccines" may be doing to your system versus any virus. The best protection against Covid, or any other contagious disease, is natural antibodies.
 
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