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Andrea Stromberg


What was your life like before you received the COVID-19 vaccine?

Normal healthy life. On one rx'd medication, Prilosec for GERD. No other pre-existing chronic problems. Never needed to see a provider unless it was for a routine annual to check routine labs. No sensory, nerve, neuropathy sensations or pains. No muscle cramps. Normal menstrual cycle, q 28 days, 7 day cycle. Thick hair, sweating normal, slight acne but nothing extreme since I was Accutane.

Describe the symptoms and the timeline of the reaction.

Vaccine date: Feb. 15th, 2022

Onset of new sx's: Feb. 16th, 2022

The next afternoon after receiving the J&J vaccine deep bilateral calf cramps started. Felt as thought I was going to have a Charlie Horse if I moved a certain way.

Throughout the course of the week, Feb. 16th, 17th & 18th, new sx's presented themselves:

Pins & needle sensations in lower extremities from knee to ankles. At times my legs would feel like they were wrapped with tight vibrating blankets.

Sharp shooting pains down the middle of both calf muscles. Visual twitching in muscles.

Patches of warm skin sensations. The warm sensations would move around from legs to the top of feet.

All above sx's moved to both arms accompanied by tingling to almost numb areas on toes and fingers.

The sx's worsened at night when I would lay down to sleep. Prominently in my legs and feet.

By Friday Feb. 18th, I went to Emergency Room to be seen for a vaccine reaction.

I was supposed to start my menstrual cycle on Feb. 18th , but didn't start until Feb. 20th. Prior to cycle I was having moderate cramping I've never experienced before. Since then I have a constant mild cramping. Cycles for March and April both were late by 4 days with an uptick of clotting . My normal 7 day cycle has changed to 2 -3 very heavy days, no bleeding, then around the 2nd to last day will have light brown spotting.

Feb 28th I started having pins and needle sensations on face. Would start like a head rush, then move down my face. This was happening very intermittent. By late March I noticed my body was not regulating my face temperature. Prior to vaccine, exercising extensively or being in the sun where I would get hot, my face was prone to flushing but I would sweat and cooldown or if I sat down, my body would cool itself down. Now face flushes producing almost non existent sweat. It has taken hours for face to cool down.

Since April 26th my face has stayed flushed looking on cheeks, nose and chin with a constant warm sensation. My skin in those areas now feel tought.

Around the same time, Mid to late March, after any kind of walking on my feet the bottom of my feet would cramping and have a burning sensation. The burning sensation now comes and goes without physical activity.

All above sx's are still present. Skin/nerve sensations interchanging outside of face. Cramping in calf muscles is not constant but flares up at night, randomly throughout the day, after exercise, and prior and after to menstrual cycle. In the last Month, mid April to May 10th, my hair has become very thin, very oily a day after I wash it and I'm having cystic acne.

To date I've had an initial consult with a Neurologist March 2nd (scheduling follow up), a visit with my PCP March 10th and Gynecologists May 9th.

Describe the solutions that helped your symptoms

I've done my own trial and error on vitamin supplements. Vitamins I am taking that seem to help mildly (I say mildly because sx's still happening): Vit D, Vit C, Magnesium, Zinc & Turmeric. Neurologist offered taking Gabapentin, but I declined at the time because I did not want to put a band aid on my injury. I really want to pinpoint what is causing the sx's. Soaking in hot spring water seems to help with the skin/nerve sensations for a temporary time.

Which solutions were not helpful?

Haven't tried much outside of what I documented above.

What would you like others to know?

The providers in my area I've seen to date, don't have an understanding or knowledge on how to help or treat patients like me who are having an injury to the COVID vaccines. I get the sense they don't believe it's related.

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The individual experience shared above is offered for informational purposes only. React19 neither endorses nor recommends any treatment(s) noted therein. React19 does not diagnose medical conditions, offer treatment advice, treat illnesses, or prescribe medicine or drugs. It is strongly recommended that, prior to acting upon any information gleaned from a shared experience, you first consult a physician.