Ibuprofen, Benadryl, Afib, & Covid vaccine

After you get the Covid vaccine, they make you wait for a specific amount of time to see if you have any reactions to it.

Apparently if you have a reaction to the vaccine within 20 minutes, the medical people at the vaccination center will give you Ibuprofen or Benadryl, I'm not sure how they determine which one to give, or what the vaccine reaction might be within those 20 minutes of wait time.

If we have afib and are on certain medications for afib, wouldn't these things like ibuprofen or benadryl be contraindicated???

I do understand that people who carry epi pens for bee stings, peanut or nut allergies, etc, will have the epi pens with them anyway. My question is about us afibbers who don't have allergies & don't need to that carrying an epi pen--relative to ibuprofen and Benadryl or whatever.

Thanks!

You've got what you read mixed up a bit.

In general, the procedure for giving any vaccine someone hasn't had before is to simply have them wait 15-20 minutes before leaving. What they're watching for are signs of an allergic reaction, and in particular what's known as an anaphylactic reaction, which is a particularly severe form of allergic reaction that can be life threatening.

The immediate treatment for an anaphylactic reaction is an injection of epinephrine first, then Benadryl, then hospitalization and steroids.

The immediate treatment for a less severe allergic reaction is simply Bendryl.

Ibuprofen is never given in either case.

Benadryl isn't a problem with afib and afib meds. Epinephrine (aka adrenaline) will increase heart rate, obviously, but if you're having an anaphylactic reaction then afib is the least of your worries and there's absolutely no choice with the epinephrine.

All this said, anaphylaxis following a vaccine injection (any vaccine) is extremely rare, somewhere in the neighborhood of 2.5 cases per 1 million doses. And in the extraordinarily unlikely event it happens, it's readily treated and you will survive as long as you're within reach of medical care (which, once again, is why they make you wait 15 minutes).

Thanks for clarifying, Carey -- that info is most excellent!

Ok, so what over the counter stuff can a person with a-fib actually take if they have a bit of a vaccine reaction after they get home or the next day, like aches and pains, flu-like symptoms, a slight fever, feeling punky etc?

Nothing, really. You could take some acetaminophen if you want, but for the vast majority of people if they do experience any symptoms they're mild and short-lived, maybe a day or so, and don't really warrant any meds.

I've experienced post-vaccine symptoms before. For example, I had the hepatitis B vaccine years ago, which is given as three separate injections. Shot #1 was a complete nothing, no symptoms at all. Shot #2 left my arm a bit sore for a couple of days, but no big deal. Shot #3 left me feeling like someone had whacked me in the shoulder with a 2x4, and I experienced some mild flu-like symptoms for about one day. I interpreted that as indicating that the vaccine was working and my body attacked shot #3 the minute it hit my arm.

But even shot #3 never rose to the level of making me feel like I needed to take something. It's like that feeling you get the day before a cold or flu comes on. You're not really sick, just feeling like you're going to be sick tomorrow, but by tomorrow you feel fine again.

Hi Carey, and thank you again for posting on this thread! I always picture you as a Manly Man, a real guy's guy and I appreciate your compassion for this big baby fraidy cat LOL. What might feel to you like a little bit sore, might feel to me like I've been decked!

I do like to plan ahead for contingencies, sort of if this, then that, and have a Plan A, and a Plan B, and a back up Plan C, of what I might be able to take to lessen potential or possible symptoms that wouldn't be a problem with my meds. Thanks again!