Age: 68.0
Sex: F
Vaccine: COVID19, COVID19
Symptoms: Back pain, Gait disturbance, Mobility decreased, Muscular weakness, Neuralgia
Clinical narrative: lower back pain; nerve pain; excruciating pain/getting pain; muscle pain; couldn't sleep with the pain; Her husband had to pull her out of the bed because she felt she had no muscle activity; This is a spontaneous report from a contactable consumer (patient).  A 68-year-old female patient received the first dose of BNT162B2 (PFIZER-BIONTECH COVID-19 VACCINE, Lot #: EL8982), via an unspecified route of administration in the left arm on 17Jan2021 at 15:00 (at the age of 68-years-old) as a single dose for COVID-19 vaccination. Medical history included benign spinal cord tumor from 1987 and unspecified if ongoing (a lot of bone had to get cut), lot of scar tissue (wonders if it is a weak spot) from an unspecified date and unspecified if ongoing, thyroid removed in 2015, neurosurgery (to remove the benign spinal cord tumor) on an unspecified date, thyroid on an unspecified date and unspecified if ongoing and cholesterol from an unspecified date and unspecified if ongoing. Concomitant medications included ongoing levothyroxine (strength: 125 ug) taken for an unspecified indication at 125 ug, 1x/day, ongoing pravastatin (strength: 40mg) taken for cholesterol from an unspecified date at 40mg, 1x/day and ongoing multivitamin. The patient did not receive any other vaccinations within four weeks prior to the first administration of the COVID-19 vaccine. The patient experienced lower back pain, nerve pain, excruciating pain/getting pain, muscle pain, couldn't sleep with the pain and her husband had to pull her out of the bed because she felt she had no muscle activity, all on 17Jan2021. The patient called and stated "she had a very extreme reaction from the first dose of the vaccine, which she had last Sunday the 17th. It began with lower back pain, which did not alarm her too much but then it went in to nerve pain. By the end of the evening, by about midnight, she was in what she considered to be excruciating pain. She changed positions and it was hitting the nerve and she was getting pain and having muscle pain. She was up all night because she could not sleep with the pain. Monday and Tuesday were very excruciating, and she took Tramadol Monday after consulting with her doctor. She did not get any relief until Wednesday, 3 days after the shot. Even today she had some lower back pain, but it is way better than it was. It was improving from Wednesday to today but Sunday to Wednesday was excruciating since it was giving her nerve pain. Her husband had to pull her out of the bed because she felt she had no muscle activity. In 1987 she had a spinal cord tumor and a lot of bone had to get cut and she stated she was sure she had a lot of scar tissue and wondered if it was a weak spot. She stated this could be an isolated incident, but she really thought she had another tumor at first until it started dissipating on its own. She stated she did not know anyone who has had this reaction and asked if it was safe/advisable to get the second shot? She stated she was afraid of the permanent nerve damage but as long as it cannot do anything permanent, she wanted to get it. Was this a reported symptom? Has anyone ever gotten paralyzed? After verbal response she stated she will talk with her doctor and maybe see a neurologist." Upon follow-up the patient called and stated "I had two questions actually. I received the Pfizer Vaccine yesterday and last night I started with the excruciating back pain, my lower back. I do not know if it was coincidence or not because I have back trouble before. I did not do anything to throw my back out. However, I was told it would be okay to take Extra Strength Tylenol. I took 4 Tylenol within like 3 hours period because it was not working. I took another two this morning. Tylenol was not doing anything at all for the pain relief. My question was, I have a prescription of Tramadol which I took for pain for different reason, but I have it. First of all, I hope by taking the Tylenol yesterday that it did not interfere with the efficiency of the vaccine. My other question is can I take the Tramadol now? Since the vaccine was 24 hours ago would it interfere with efficiency?" Upon follow-up the patient called to report that "she went to her chiropractor late Wednesday afternoon, and he did some stretching, but her spine was not out of alignment, so he felt her pain was due to the vaccine. Stated that it was not until her back started getting better on Wednesday without treatment that she first started to attribute it to the vaccine, because her back just did not get better on its own. Stated that the first day she did not take anything for the pain because she was worried that it might interact with the vaccine or its effectiveness, but the next day she began taking Tramadol pain meds that she already had in the house for her knee. Stated that the pain in her back was so bad, that even a strong medication like the Tramadol did not take away the pain. It did not help all that much, she had to take a 2nd 50mg tablet 3 hours later. Should she get the second dose of the vaccine? Could it possibly do more nerve damage; could she be jeopardizing her nervous system? Have there been any other reports about this? Stated that other people had minor things like, one person reported being tired for a couple days, and another person reported body aches like with the flu, but after 3 days they both were fine. Her husband was 74 and had the vaccine and he had no side effects." The events prompted a visit to her physician. The patient stated that "this was the first day since Sunday that she was feeling almost 100%. She had the pain from Sunday evening all the way until noon on Wednesday; at that point it improved about 50% and she had some mobility." The outcomes of the events lower back pain, nerve pain, excruciating pain/getting pain, muscle pain, couldn't sleep with the pain and her husband had to pull her out of the bed because she felt she had no muscle activity were all recovering/resolving.