Katherine Roper

Exactly a week after my first Pfizer dose - I woke in the night with horrific chest pains. Like a 9/10. My whole body was sweating, I was nauseous and I had shooting pains that went down my arm. I was struggling to get my breath and had no idea what was going on. I was home alone with my two young children who were sleeping and I honestly did not know what to do. After about half an hour the pain started to fall to an amount I could handle. I also took nurofen, Panadol which may have helped. Within about two hours I felt ok enough to get some rest.

For the following week I had ongoing heart palpitations and felt weak and dizzy. I fainted exactly a week following this incident and went to my GP. They did an ECG and Chest Xray and said it was probably just anxiety. I was told it had nothing to do with the vaccine and to get my second dose the following week.

Believing the medical professionals I proceeded to get the second dose as told. I felt no worse for a few days but exactly a week after the second dose I developed the chest pain again, incredible dizziness and excruciating facial pain on the left side of my face. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. I went to see another GP as and they said I probably just had a sinus infection and to take some antibiotics and all should be ok.

Within a week the pain was unbearable and my husband called an ambulance to my home. This incident was due to intense chest pain, shoulder pain and left face pain. All hospitals were full so I made the call to stay home after a clear ECG but woke the next morning with the pain worse so took myself to emergency. They ran the normal tests and said everything was Clear (CT scan head, X-ray chest, bloods). I was sent home.

I checked back in with my GP as the facial pain was unbearable. I was put on steroids (Prednisone) and antibiotics. This went on for months - when taking the steroid the pain was bearable.

By Jan 22 - I was still living with the pain - managing with steroids and nurofen. Felt like they were my stable survival kit.

I got a cold virus in mid Jan and was quite sick (never tested positive to Covid though). At the end of the sickness the chest pain and face pain came back with a vengeance. I presented back in Emergency and they did a chest x-ray and took some bloods and said I had what they thought to be Costochondritis - gave me a codeine / aspirin potion and sent me on my way.

My GP referred me to a cardiologist in Jan - I did an echo and an echo stress test which didn't show up anything. I also got an MRI on my head to check all was ok - came back OK. The cardiologist said the symptoms I had were definitely in line with inflammation of the heart but by the time I had my echo it all looked ok.

Symptoms stayed the same until March 22 when the facial pain extended into my head. It is a burning / shooting sensation and is so intense. The pain is also experienced in my neck and face. However the shooting / burning / tingling pain is on the left side of my head but sometimes right.

It is debilitating some days and it worse with PMS symptoms too.

I have seen an ENT (CT clear for sinus issues) and he believes it to be a migraine. I am waiting to see a neurologist which could be a year away from now.

A natural doctor I see for hormones has prescribed me CBD oil which is helping a little but some days the burning pain in my head is beyond managing. It doesn't stop. I only get minor breaks from it. Sleeping is my only reprieve.

Since my second vaccine to now I get joint pains (mainly hands) and pins and needle sensations in my hands, feet and legs. Some days my left hand shakes uncontrollably.