First Dose of Pfizer on 02/16/2021 Lot #EN6200
Second Dose of Pfizer on 03/09/2021 Lot #EL9261
Booster of Pfizer on 01/13/2022 Lot #FC3183
South Carolina
85 yrs old
Georgiana has opted-in to be contactable by the public and other vaccine injured. No hateful emails, or you will be banned. Please send her messages at dsweetman@aol.com
Q: What was your life like before you got the vaccine?
I had some medical issues, but was able to load my rollator into the car, drive 30 minutes to the hospital where my husband was a patient, walk 1/4 mile from the parking lot to his room and then return home several times.
Q: Would you like to share your reason(s) for getting the vaccine?
To protect my husband, who could not be vaccinated due to an autoimmune disease.
Q: What was your reaction, symptoms, & timeline?
I am an 86-year-old female. Beginning the morning after my Pfizer booster, January 14, 2022, I became very ill with flu-like symptoms including weakness, fatigue, head and neck aches, sore throat, and generally miserable. I had similar symptoms after the second Pfizer vaccine dose for four days, but much less severe and overall tolerable. I have had reactions similar to the second Pfizer dose with influenza vaccines in the past. My first Pfizer dose resulted in a mild reaction. The severe symptoms continued for four weeks. I lost 20 lbs. and was apparently dehydrated. After that the symptoms moderated to the point where I could begin eating, drinking and moving around the house a bit. However, I had a fainting spell and a fall on February 19, 2022 that resulted in a visit to the ED, as one of my dental implants caused damage to the inside of my mouth and then poked through my lower lip. At the ED they evaluated for any head injuries via CT scan and ruled that out.
On the evening of February 24, after a visit to the oral surgeon for further work on my mouth, I had a bout of aphasia for two hours. I was not able to put my thoughts into sentences and lost the ability to communicate verbally. I did not have other symptoms of stroke such as drooping facial muscles and my arms and legs both had normal strength. After another ED visit I was admitted for four days. The diagnosis was CVA. CT scans showed no bleeds or blockages. They did report evidence of a prior stroke. There was improvement after the first 24 hours as the CVA effects subsided. However, there were other issues such as high TSH (25), high blood sugar, low levels of potassium and magnesium, dehydration, hallucinations, brain fog, irregular spasms of the extremities and irritability. These continued after the TIA/CVA symptoms resolved and were perhaps more suggestive of a delerium episode although that was not diagnosed. I was released to the care of my husband at home. Subsequently, expanded information obtained from my Neurologist classified the CVA as a bilateral arterial cerebellar event. This is an unusual stroke type since the cerebellum is involved in less than 10% of strokes and the majority of those are NOT bilateral. This diagnosis is consistent with the lack of weakness on one side of the body or sagging facial muscles and could tend to explain why I didn't have those stroke symptoms. During the first week home, many of the neurologic issues continued including the hallucinations. I was also not able to get out of bed on my own and was helped by my husband for bathroom trips. These issues resolved after the first week.
Since then, there has been only limited progress. I sleep between 12 and 16 hours each day, but the sleep is still not sufficient to leave me rested. I've identified that when I exert myself, such as to attend family events, doctors appointments or other travel outside of the house, there is a price in terms of a crash that follows. This is described in some places as a Post Exertional Malaise or PEM. The brain fog still occurs, but less frequently. There is a slow increase in body strength, and I can move to other rooms of the house for meals and sitting up for periods of time. There is a level of orthostatic intolerance that has been improving somewhat - I began taking BP readings daily and found that before trying to stand up my BP was averaging about 72/52. I could not stand up long enough to determine how much it would drop while standing. But I began managing my BP to higher levels by working with my Cardiologist to lower the dosage of BP medications. However, overall there is still a great deal of weakness and fatigue along with some continuation of the muscle spasms/tremors and sleep-talking. I am not able to travel on my own as I can’t handle getting the rollator into and out of the car and walking for long distances (>200 feet). And so my life has become very restricted, spending most time in bed with a low level of exercise as my energy and strength permits. Although there have been no additional diagnoses since the CVA, I believe I have ME/CFS, since these symptoms have now been experienced for more than six months, along with some type of symptomatic/secondary myoclonus to explain the tremors and spasms.
Medical History: MI 2007 AFIB diagnosed 2007, well controlled using Xarelto and low-dose aspirin; High blood pressure diagnosed 1972, well controlled using Olmesartan, atenolol, and spironolactone; Hashimoto’s disease 1972, well controlled using levothyroxine; Breast cancer (x2) 2014 (lumpectomy), 2017 (mastectomy). HR+ HER2-, lobular type, although with well-defined 3cm tumors, tumor markers well controlled using Exemestane; Type 2 Diabetes 2008, not well controlled using Levemir (injections) and Farxiga. Depression 1965 not well controlled using Fluoxetine. Broken wrist 2020 (auto accident) broken fibula 2019 (fall due to low blood sugar), broken shoulder with surgery (2021 – tripped while trying out new shoes). Arthritis 2018 moderately controlled using Hydrocodone 5mg/325. Not a candidate for knee replacement due to high A1C levels. White Matter Disease and Atrophy status: Per 2020 and 2021 CT scans, these conditions exist at “age appropriate” levels.
IMPORTANT POINTS
My reaction to the Pfizer booster shot was so much more severe than previous Pfizer vaccine shots, that I initially believed there was some serious difference between the booster and the first two doses. Perhaps manufacturing or handling issues. I have since researched the batches of vaccine I received and found that all three doses come from batches that have terrible track records in the VAERS database for overall ADR's, deaths, disabilities, and life-threatening illness. My first shot from Pfizer batch EN6200, out of 48,864 VAERS COVID vaccine records, was ranked #5 for deaths, #20 for Life-threatening illness, and #93 for Disabilities. It was also ranked #32 for ADR's with 3,139 reports. My second shot was from Pfizer batch EL9261 and this batch ranked #6 of 48,864 for deaths, #91 for Illness, #270 for disabilities, and #71 for ADR's with 2,424. The booster shot was from Pfizer batch FC3183 and ranked #185 for deaths, #246 for disabilities, #213 for Life threatening illness, and #140 for ADR's with 1,754. As a result of this new information, my concern is that folks who receive several shots from batches with negative track records could be more prone to reactions or vaccine injuries. The source of the Pfizer batch data is howbadismybatch.com and referenced data maintained on Github using the VAERS data as that source.
Through online communication with other folks who had vaccine related issues, along with trial-and-error methods, we found that Gabapentin had a positive impact on partially mitigating my myoclonus-like irregular muscle spasms in the arms and legs (some folks refer to this as Periodic Limb Movement Disorder), along with my nightly sleep-talking episodes. Myoclonus is generally treated with benzodiazepines, such as Clonazepam, but that was not effective in my case. The Gabapentin was effective at low doses (only 100mg/day), but did have some “hangover” sleepiness side effects. We have not tried to completely eliminate the tremors with higher doses, because the hangover effect increases.
I was on blood-thinners for AFIB (Xarelto and 81mg aspirin) before I had the booster shot. I strongly believe that limited the severity and impact of my TIA/CVA event and may have prevented other issues related to blood clots from the first two deadly batches of the Pfizer vaccine.
I have had issues with the medical community that may have delayed diagnosis of my conditions post-booster and impacted my ability to react in time to prevent or mitigate some of my medical issues. When I had a typical four-day reaction to the second vaccine shot, there was no argument that it was vaccine related. When I had the serious four-week reaction to the booster, there was resistance to attribute the reaction to the shot, and no urgency over the severity of the reaction. "It will go away." I had an appointment with my GP 17 days after the booster, while the reaction was still very severe. The visit notes don't even mention my vaccine reaction symptoms. Even much later in the year the visit notes indicate that "patient believes symptoms were caused by the COVID vaccine." as if I am self-diagnosing conditions that don't exist. I have reviewed ME/CFS-like symptoms and myoclonus-like symptoms with several doctors with no diagnosis of either. I found the Gabapentin solution on my own, although I must give credit to the medical folks that are willing to work with me when I want to try off-label medications, PT, at-home nursing and other potential therapies.
Q: Tell us about any tests, diagnoses, and/or Medical Care received:
Visit to PCP 17 days after booster shot and reaction. They just said "No problem, it will go away."
ED visit 5 weeks after booster for cuts received in a fall/fainting spell.
Hospital admission 6 weeks after booster for CVA, dehydration, high TSH, high blood sugar, low potassium.
No diagnosis related to the vaccine reaction. Routine blood tests show within normal limits except A1C.
Several rounds of PT have failed due to Post Exertional Malaise.
Q: Where has your reaction been reported, and what was the response?
I have registered with the Hugo Health KINDRED program and the Yale University LISTEN program. No responses as yet.
Q: Are there any treatments that have helped or hurt your health?
I identified that I am more sensitive to all medications.
Orthostatic Intolerance was improved when my Cardiologist worked with me to reduce blood pressure medications
In the KINDRED/LISTEN Zoom calls it was noted several times that Gabapentin was helping patients with spasms/tremors. We were able to try that, and it worked on the Periodic Limb Movement Disorder.
Depression is being moderately controlled with Prozac.
Pain is moderately controlled working with a Pain Management Specialist.
I am testing NAC against brain fog symptoms, based on a note from Yale U. in December, where they tested Guanfacine and NAC on 20 patients with encouraging results.
I am seeking referral to a Certified Lymphatic Therapist, based on a possibility that my lymphatic system has been impacted and the ME-like symptoms resulted from inflammation that prevents waste cells from being cleared from my brain in CSF.
Q: Have you had Covid before?
Never tested positive for COVID and never had symptoms.
Q: What do you wish others knew?
When you have an issue that is rare or difficult to diagnose or not popular, you are on your own with the medical community.
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