Period and COVID vax ughhhh
March 1, 2021 1:59 PM Subscribe
I just got my period and I'm supposed to get my 2nd vaccine dose in 24 hours. I usually take ibuprofen and tylenol, alternately, for period pain. Is one of these better? Should I stop?
I just took two Tylenols as usual without thinking about it. Did I already mess something up? Please help I am annoyed and stressed out and anxious by this extra thing! ARGH
I just took two Tylenols as usual without thinking about it. Did I already mess something up? Please help I am annoyed and stressed out and anxious by this extra thing! ARGH
No. Nothing in the COVID vaccination literature says not to take painkillers.
This not entirely accurate. The CDC has recommended that people not take fever-reducing analgesics including Tylenol and Advil prior to vaccine administration. It also says that people can take it for pain relief afterward.
To the OP, acetaminophen should be out of your system in somewhere between 4-8 hours. I cannot find any definitive statement from the CDC or otherwise on timing of pain medication prior to receiving the vaccine, but if you're 24 hours out, I doubt you have messed anything up.
posted by bedhead at 2:34 PM on March 1, 2021 [8 favorites]
This not entirely accurate. The CDC has recommended that people not take fever-reducing analgesics including Tylenol and Advil prior to vaccine administration. It also says that people can take it for pain relief afterward.
To the OP, acetaminophen should be out of your system in somewhere between 4-8 hours. I cannot find any definitive statement from the CDC or otherwise on timing of pain medication prior to receiving the vaccine, but if you're 24 hours out, I doubt you have messed anything up.
posted by bedhead at 2:34 PM on March 1, 2021 [8 favorites]
The CDC guidelines here, see section "Management of post-vaccination symptoms" say (as of 3/1/2021):
Antipyretic or analgesic medications (e.g., acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can be taken for the treatment of post-vaccination local or systemic symptoms, if medically appropriate. However, routine prophylactic administration of these medications for the purpose of preventing post-vaccination symptoms is not currently recommended, because information on the impact of such use on mRNA COVID-19 vaccine-induced antibody responses is not available at this time.
In addition, administration of antihistamines to COVID-19 vaccine recipients prior to vaccination to prevent allergic reactions is not recommended. Antihistamines do not prevent anaphylaxis, and their use might mask cutaneous symptoms, which could lead to a delay in the diagnosis and management of anaphylaxis.
BUT
That is NOT in the following section about actual contraindications. As in, they will not turn you away for it. They're just saying they do not advise doing it because there wasn't testing for it. And it's a thing people tell each other all the time before other shots - oh, yeah, don't forget to take some advil first!
Many many people are on nsaids or acetaminophen for health reasons. They are still receiving vaccines. If it was somehow severely negating the vaccination, it wouldn't be okay to take it afterwards either, but they directly advise doing so if necessary. It appears that everyone's local news station is running big scare segments all "Could your vaccine fail because of Tylenol?? Watch Newsatnine!!!"
If it worries you, don't take any more between now and then.
posted by Lyn Never at 2:42 PM on March 1, 2021 [4 favorites]
Antipyretic or analgesic medications (e.g., acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can be taken for the treatment of post-vaccination local or systemic symptoms, if medically appropriate. However, routine prophylactic administration of these medications for the purpose of preventing post-vaccination symptoms is not currently recommended, because information on the impact of such use on mRNA COVID-19 vaccine-induced antibody responses is not available at this time.
In addition, administration of antihistamines to COVID-19 vaccine recipients prior to vaccination to prevent allergic reactions is not recommended. Antihistamines do not prevent anaphylaxis, and their use might mask cutaneous symptoms, which could lead to a delay in the diagnosis and management of anaphylaxis.
BUT
That is NOT in the following section about actual contraindications. As in, they will not turn you away for it. They're just saying they do not advise doing it because there wasn't testing for it. And it's a thing people tell each other all the time before other shots - oh, yeah, don't forget to take some advil first!
Many many people are on nsaids or acetaminophen for health reasons. They are still receiving vaccines. If it was somehow severely negating the vaccination, it wouldn't be okay to take it afterwards either, but they directly advise doing so if necessary. It appears that everyone's local news station is running big scare segments all "Could your vaccine fail because of Tylenol?? Watch Newsatnine!!!"
If it worries you, don't take any more between now and then.
posted by Lyn Never at 2:42 PM on March 1, 2021 [4 favorites]
Having looked into it, I'd stop taking Advil 16 hours ahead, and try not to take Tylenol either, but take it if I needed it. Both leave the system quite quickly. You can take afterwards as needed. I vaguely recall a suggestion that Tylenol afterwards is preferred, but I don't think it's a major issue.
posted by jeather at 2:42 PM on March 1, 2021
posted by jeather at 2:42 PM on March 1, 2021
When they did the vaccine trials, they didn't specifically test what happens if you take painkillers before vaccination because why would you spend the time doing that when you are trying to work out whether the vaccine works in a global pandemic. So they don't know that it is a problem at all (and probably won't any time soon).
The CDC guidance is correctly conservative and says not to take painkillers you don't need yet in anticipation of vaccine side effects (instead, wait and see if you have side effects then feel free to take painkillers). But it does not say that using painkillers means vaccination is contraindicated or should be delayed.
You haven't messed this up, if you're worried maybe stick to Tylenol and take the last one no more than 8 hours before your vaccination.
posted by plonkee at 2:44 PM on March 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
The CDC guidance is correctly conservative and says not to take painkillers you don't need yet in anticipation of vaccine side effects (instead, wait and see if you have side effects then feel free to take painkillers). But it does not say that using painkillers means vaccination is contraindicated or should be delayed.
You haven't messed this up, if you're worried maybe stick to Tylenol and take the last one no more than 8 hours before your vaccination.
posted by plonkee at 2:44 PM on March 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
I recommend reading this Associated Press article about the vaccine and painkillers. I wouldn't be too concerned, but if it were me, I would at a minimum stick to Tylenol between now and a day or so after the shot. Congratulations and thank you for getting vaccinated!
posted by happy_cat at 3:00 PM on March 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by happy_cat at 3:00 PM on March 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
The recommendation not to take NSAIDS and similar pain relievers is not because they haven't tested it, from what I'm reading. It's a pretty standard recommendation before and after vaccines, because pain relievers like naproxen and ibuprofen can inhibit the ability of the cox-2 enzyme to assist the body in producing B-lymphocytes, making the immune response less effective. Acetaminophen doesn't work the same way.
Here's some reading I did yesterday, after I realized I'd taken Aleve 19 hours before my first vaccine dose and was feeling anxious about whether it would reduce the immune response.
Getting a Flu Shot? Skip the Advil, Aleve, for Mild Discomfort
Common Pain Relievers May Dilute Power of Flu Shots
Which Pain Relievers Are OK Before, After Covid-19 Coronavirus Vaccines
That last article was written in a way I did not enjoy, too many cute or sarcastic turns of phrase for my enjoyment (made it hard to find the relevant info), but it had a little useful info.
In my case, I took naproxen 19 1/2 hours before the shot, and the elimination half life of naproxen is 17 hours, so I still will have some in my system for another like 2.5 days after vaccination potentially. I can tell you, though, I am certainly having an immune response, since I've had side effects yesterday and today, so it's at least doing something! Hopefully it's enough.
posted by limeonaire at 4:46 PM on March 1, 2021 [2 favorites]
Here's some reading I did yesterday, after I realized I'd taken Aleve 19 hours before my first vaccine dose and was feeling anxious about whether it would reduce the immune response.
Getting a Flu Shot? Skip the Advil, Aleve, for Mild Discomfort
Common Pain Relievers May Dilute Power of Flu Shots
Which Pain Relievers Are OK Before, After Covid-19 Coronavirus Vaccines
That last article was written in a way I did not enjoy, too many cute or sarcastic turns of phrase for my enjoyment (made it hard to find the relevant info), but it had a little useful info.
In my case, I took naproxen 19 1/2 hours before the shot, and the elimination half life of naproxen is 17 hours, so I still will have some in my system for another like 2.5 days after vaccination potentially. I can tell you, though, I am certainly having an immune response, since I've had side effects yesterday and today, so it's at least doing something! Hopefully it's enough.
posted by limeonaire at 4:46 PM on March 1, 2021 [2 favorites]
To add a bit of anecdotal evidence, I took two ibuprofen maybe three hours after my second shot. Since I work at the lab that is running the Covid testing and anti-body testing on campus, we also got to be "guinea pigs" everyone in the lab got their antibody titer about two weeks after the second shot. My antibodies were completely middle of the road. Again, anecdotal evidence.
posted by lizjohn at 10:19 AM on March 2, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by lizjohn at 10:19 AM on March 2, 2021 [3 favorites]
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posted by veery at 2:33 PM on March 1, 2021 [7 favorites]