While it is completely safe and effective, getting the COVID vaccine can be a hopeless experience and, for those with underlying conditions to consider, it can be even more stressful. If you suffer from migraines in particular, you may be wondering how the vaccine can make you feel and how you should treat your symptoms, considering the warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Anthony Fauci, MD and other healthcare professionals on how to avoid certain medications at the time of vaccination. That’s why experts suggest talking to your doctor before taking the COVID vaccine. Read on to find out the questions you should ask before getting the vaccine and to see what else to avoid before getting vaccinated, see Don’t do it the night before the vaccine appointment, experts say.
In a question and answer session on its website, the American Migraine Foundation suggests that people with migraines talk to their doctor before receiving the COVID vaccine about their treatments. During clinical trials, participants were unable to receive any other vaccine in the two weeks before or after the COVID vaccine. Although there is still no evidence of this, the American Migraine Foundation says that some experts suggest that there is a theoretical risk that “the immune response to the vaccine could decrease” as a result of other treatments or, on the other hand, the vaccine could cause other treatments less effective. For example, the foundation says that “some specialists in headaches and movement disorders who administer Botox for various neurological diseases have speculated that the vaccine could make Botox less effective. There is no direct evidence for this at the moment.”
Due to the uncertainty of how certain treatments may interact with the vaccine, the foundation suggests that patients discuss the right time with their doctor. “It would be prudent to space them out for a week or two, if possible, simply because they are all biological products based on proteins and a high load of proteins on the same day can produce side effects,” he says. Peter McAllister, MD, the medical director of the New England Institute of Neurology and Headache. To find out what you should be away from before and after the injection, see Do not do this two hours before or after the vaccine, doctors warn.
With headache as a known side effect, it is a good idea for migraine sufferers to talk to their headache specialist about side effects, says McAllister. Migraine sufferers are “more prone to any type of headache (ice cream headache, sexual headache, etc.), so theoretically, they may be more prone to a post-vaccination headache,” he says .
Hydration, specific migraine and rest medications can be helpful in combating the side effect, but experts suggest making a formal plan with a doctor who is familiar with your specific migraine history. And to get the most up-to-date COVID news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Although side effects of the COVID vaccine are generally more common after the patient’s second dose, headaches in particular become more likely.
Neurologist Deena Kuruvilla, MD, who specializes in headache disorders, revealed to the Association of Migraine Disorders that about 41 percent of people report a headache after the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, and about 51 percent report one after the first dose. second dose. Meanwhile, 35 percent of people report headaches after the first injection of Moderna’s vaccine, but that number jumps to more than 60 percent after the second injection. To see what you should avoid after doses, see Don’t do this until a month after your COVID vaccine, experts warn.
The American Migraine Foundation explains: “We do not recommend that you take over-the-counter medications, such as acetaminophen or aspirin, alone or in combination with caffeine or ibuprofen, before or within 24 hours after receiving the vaccine, as these medications can decrease the immune response to the vaccine. “This is in line with the CDC recommendation, which also includes the elimination of antihistamines.
However, specific migraine medications, such as triptans, ditanos or gepants, “have absolutely no problem with the vaccine,” says Kuruvilla. She suggests making them part of your multi-step plan if you experience a headache after the vaccine. And to see how long the vaccine will work, check Dr. Fauci says that his COVID vaccine protects you for a long time.