I’m new to the group and wanted to say hi and ask some advice and wondered if anyone’s experienced the same?!
I’ve had MS for about 8yrs now, DMT didn’t really work for me the side effects were to bad for me when doing injections I was fortunate enough to offered Lemtrada and can honestly say it worked brilliantly for me and was the best decision I made, I’m lucky my MS is mild, I eat healthy and exercise regularly, since my Lemtrada I’ve had no new relapses which is amazing. I’ve also not been on any medication, my bloods are checked monthly, my lymphocytes have been low which I knew they would be as that was repairing, my thyroid has been good for the past 4/5yrs and I’ve never had problems with them. My bloods were checked January all fine, had the Astra Zeneca injection 8th February, bloods done on the 15th February my MS nurse rings me first thing in the morning of the 16th February to ask if I’m ok because my thyroid has gone “haywire” her words, today I’ve had a my 3monthly phone checkup and have been told there’s a problem with with TSH thyroid receptor. I know thyroid problems can be a side effect of Lemtrada, but I can stop thinking of the correlation/coincidence of bloods being fine for years and a week after the Covid injection there’s a problem. My MS nurse is very dismissive of the coincidence and I’ve got my 2nd injection this month and now I’m even more worried/dubious.
I was wondering if anyone else’s has had side effects since having the injection?
Hi Emma, welcome to the Forum. I’ve personally only ever been on Tecfidera. Like you I live a healthy (vegetarian) lifestyle with very little dairy. I have RRMS which is also mild, and relapse free past few years. I exercise regularly. I had the first AZ jab 3 weeks aho and had no side effects at all. Good luck. Retro.
I just looked on the yellow card list of side effects reported after having the Astrazeneca vaccine and thyroid issues seem very rare. As thyroid problems are fairly common, generally, they are probably the normal background rate. The British Thyroid Council does not record any concerns regarding the vaccine and thyroid issues. Their information has the latest on the clots / low platelets issue, so the page is kept up to date.
Nothing on the various MS websites raising any issue with Lemtrada (or MS) and Astrazeneca that I could see, other than the timing of the jab relative to the Lemtrada infusion, to optimise immunity.
I presume you will be talking to a medic about getting your thyroid back in balance, so have a word about your concerns with them. They should know more than your MS nurse. Or, if that isn’t going to happen before the 2nd injection, ask your GP. And if still unsure, when / if you go for your jab mention it to them there. There will be a doctor on duty, and hopefully with up-to -date knowledge at hand.
I can understand your apprehension though. We feel a bit like guinea pigs in this.
I have since spoken to a Endocrinologist and he could see from my bloods that’s there’s been no problem with my bloods since my Lemtrada treatment, we did discuss the Lemtrada treatment and that there was always a risk of thyroid problems with this treatment which I knew when I opted for it, interestingly though he did tell me he’s had patients that have had covid who then went onto have thyroid problems and also patients that had problems after having the vaccine and whilst he said he can’t say for definite it was the covid vaccine he said it is likely that the vaccine caused an immune response leading to the thyroid problem. He’s sent an urgent referral to my GP to start me on medication. When I asked about the 2nd vaccine his advise was to have it because thyroid issues can be medicated and hopefully subside whereas if I were to contract covid after my response to the vaccine he didn’t know what what my response would be to it and then also there’s the possibility of long covid and again how would my body react to that, so did say the benefits outweigh the risks and they’d rather medicate me for a thyroid problem than risk covid.
whilst I’m disappointed and upset my body’s reacted as it has I do feel a little relieved after speaking to the consultant because I knew my body and I’ve felt so different after the injection and yes whilst he can’t say with certainty it was the vaccine he said it was likely because it’s happened to other patients of his plus my bloods have been fine for 4 1/2yrs.
Hi Emma,
My wife is suffering presently very severely after her AstraZeneca vaccines. I am new to this website, created a new topic, I hope the editor will publish my wife’s story because it’s a serious situation and I can’t understand that there is nothing on the internet where more people are not writing of these issues, we surely can’t be the only ones with side affects ?
I am presently sitting here in hospital with her and she keeps getting worse everyday. Today her neurologist said it’s very complicated , she still will not say for sure if the vaccine has caused all this as the COVID vaccine is so new and ,of course, not many MS people would have been included in the vaccine trials.
My wife is 66, we live in Australia.
Up to April 2021 could only walk 50 metres. Mentally she was fine, UNTIL 7th. April 2021 when she received her first COVID-19 vaccine - Astra Zeneca… 8 weeks later began her downhill spiral - her Neurologist cannot determine if the COVID vaccine was a trigger, BUT
she has been stable with her MS condition for years,
Early June 2021 she got- slurred speech, blurred vision, dizzy, loss of taste, She was admitted to hospital for a 3 day course of steroids.
On July 20th. 2021 second COVID-19 vaccine - now loss of appetite, not thinking normal ,confusion, back to hospital and found a duodenal ulcer which was treated then a week of rehab. In hospital. August - still dizzy, slurred speech, vague, no taste, falls asleep watching tv, all symptoms continue, becoming weak difficult getting dressed.
9th September to hospital by ambulance, cannot stand up, not eating etc.diagnosed with UTI infection another course of antibiotics for 10 days.
Today still in rehab,hospital and seriously worse - very confused, can only walk a few steps with 2 nurses and large walking frame, needs help to get to bathroom, cannot write, talks nonsense ,does not read nor watch tv, does nothing all day but sits in a chair. Ct scans, mri’s show no more lesions.
Surely it’s more than a coincidence that her severe decline this year has only occurred since receiving the two COVID vaccines.
. Of course her Neurologist cannot confirm or not whether the vaccines have affected her.
Hi Kennel, unfortunately I’ve nothing useful to add here, I had both doses of AZ with no side effects. I really just wanted to say you’re in my thoughts and I hope things get better soon.
Retro.