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John Schuerman // Minnesota, USA // Moderna

Date of vaccine: 4/27/2022

Date of injury: 4/28/2022

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

Good, active, fulfilling. My health was mostly excellent. I had been a vegetarian for 7 years and was very physically active. I walked long distances on a regular basis, up to 20 miles in a day.

Describe your symptoms and the timeline of your reaction 

I had two Pfizer Covid shots followed by a Pfizer first booster shot without any trouble. On April 27, 2022, I had my second booster shot, this time Moderna. The next day (April 28), I woke up with a headache, which continued daily and near-constant thereafter. Migraines followed within a few weeks. By the end of May I was trying normal migraine medications (sumatriptan) and had one trip to the ER.

In June the migraines became brutal and daily. Later that month a neurologist got me started on Topiramate and Amitriptyline. Though the pain was a bit better, the vertigo, dizziness, and visual distortions were increasing. By July I was unable to walk around the block.

On August 6 I went to the ER for some relief, but the meds didn’t help; on August 8 I had my first round of Botox (and went off Topiramate which had troubling side effects). I saw no discernible improvement from the Botox and my health continued to decline through August.

In mid September I started Depakote and that helped for a while. On November 1 I had my second round of Botox, which helped a little for a week or two. Since then my symptoms have worsened. I have tried some other meds which I couldn’t tolerate (Venlafaxine).

Describe the solutions that helped your symptoms 

See above. Amitriptyline and depakote for a while. Also using an ice hat and packs, occupational therapy, hypnotherapy, meditation.

Which solutions were not helpful?

See above. In general, the meds seem to dull/transform the symptoms, but not eliminate them so far.

What would you like others to know?

I haven’t found a solution yet but I will post any positive news when I have it.

Story entry number: 427

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.“