Age: 41.0
Sex: M
Vaccine: COVID19
Symptoms: Pain in jaw, Pain of skin, Paraesthesia, Peripheral swelling, Photophobia
Clinical narrative: Day 1: Within a few minutes of left arm injection of Pfizer vaccine my fingers go numb on left hand. Several minutes later my right leg gets a slight numb feeling. A few minutes later while I'm still at the vaccination site, the right side of my face starts to go numb and I experience muscle tightness like my jaw is clenching. During this the nurse who injected me apologizes repeatedly saying she only wanted to help people. Nurses observe me for Bell's and discuss the possible use of a steroid. I am told that I may have a sensitive nervous system and a strong immune system as this is happening. The nurses suggest I go to my doctor, then urgent care, and finally the ER in an ambulance. My mom who was also vaccinated starts crying. I decline. The head nurse/researcher from hospital says instead she will call me every 30 minutes. My shoulder where I was injected gets increasingly sore through the night.  Day 2: The feeling comes back to my fingers about 24 hours later and the pain went away at the injection site by 36 hours. On the second night, I got severe abdominal gas pain like a stabbing sensation. I was nauseated and pain was so severe I couldn't even move. Briefly had a strange metallic taste in mouth. My right side leg and face remain numb.  Day 3: Stomach pain is gone. My calf and the back of quad began to get occasional shooting pain if I walked quickly or went up/down stairs. By the end of the night sensation and muscle strength suddenly came back to my face and my right leg. I feel a strange sensation in my sinsues and chest like the last days of a cold.  Day 4: My knees became red and very painful. I had trouble sleeping as a result of the pain. My calf and quad continue to experience pain when walking fast, driving (calf muscle is used to press the gas and brake pedals), and using stairs. By end of day noticed left knee was much more red and red line going from knee to ankle.   Day 5: Woke up and immediately felt some numbness and weakness on right side of face, covering a larger area than originally. This time from the eyelid to chin and nose to ear instead of just over the cheekbone. Numbness is less than previously, but covering a much larger area of the face. Similar feeling to sleeping on a part of your body, but the numbness does not pass. Mild pain was also observed in a lower section of left calf muscle for first time. Knees feel better than previous day, but knees remain red with a red line going down to ankle. Doctor prescribed high-dose prednisone. Doctor indicates that delaying steroid treatment puts me at risk of permanent damage, recurrent Bell's Palsy and potentially even Guillain-Barre. He says these conditions are known to be caused by vaccines. Pharmacist agrees with doctor and advises to take prednisone immediately. The nerve pain in my legs is increasing and the feeling of Bell's Palsy is getting more intense in my face. After discussing side effects with friends and family, I decide to take prednisone.  Day 6: I am taking 50mg prednisone for 5 days. I make a big breakfast with milk and take my first pill before 6 am. I haven't gotten much sleep, but I feel a lot of energy. My face feels much better with none of the numb paresthesia sensation right now. My legs are still painful from the ankles to the knees. My mood feels good, but otherwise don't feel any side effects.  Day 7: Having trouble sleeping from severe pain in legs and knees. Prednisone is making it hard to get sleepy. I am experiencing extreme anxiety, racing heart and am unable to sleep at all. By the afternoon my leg pain is much less than the night before, but still present. The nerves on the side of the knee going to the back are very sensitive. My right and left hands have a strange almost carpal tunnel sensation going down the pinky side. My appointment with the neurologist does not produce many answers and she seems confused by the transcience of my symptoms. Symptoms become noticeably more severe at night with pain shooting up from my shins to lower thighs with every step I take. I am concerned that nerve pain is gradually going up higher on my legs. I try desperately to sleep all day. I am able to finally dose off late at night in a recliner.  Day 8:  I wake up feeling great after finally getting some sleep. I don't notice any pain at first and am relieved, but then as I walk to the bathroom and kitchen, the initial numb feeling I had a week ago starts to return to my right cheek and right calf muscle. Vine-like nerve pain is starting to return to my shins and calves with every step I take. I quickly make a big breakfast and take 50mg prednisone knowing I will probably struggle to sleep again. I put on classical music to try to lower my anxiety. It's been a week now and I just want to get back to my life. By afternoon my face begins to feel better and the pain in my legs is more manageable, but still noticeable and present. Initially going down stairs I have to hold a railing and when doing my laundry I choose to sit instead of stand, but as afternoon approaches I feel less pain. At night I notice occassional shooting pains across sides of head. I decide to drink water and try to relax by watching a movie. At night I notice a cough and tickle in chest. Throughout the week I have noticed that some paresthesia/neuralgia occurs almost like an echo after I've been griping/pressing against something tightly (steering wheel/doorknob) or leaning against something. It happens on both my hands and legs.  Day 9: Wake up with mild numbness all over right side of face again, observe mild but greatly reduced nerve pain in legs. Some nerve pain remains around the back of the knee and the shins. This is my 4th day on prednisone. I've noticed an occaional cough starting last night. The tickle in the chest is gradually becoming more irritating. The echo pain continues in my hands like when I grab a doorknob tightly or hold my smartphone. Sensation it reminds me of is carpal tunnel or arthritis. Driving at night I notice that bright headlights are hurting my eyes.  Day 10: Wake up with similar mild facial numbness and mild nerve pain around knees. I take a 5th prednisone pill. Chest tickles a little but not too bad. The past two days the pain has been much more manageable. I'm not sure how big of a role prednisone is playing in alleviating the paresthesia, but I will find out in the coming days without it. After my shower I notice that the left leg has a lot of redness and stinging pain. Knee and top of foot is very red with red line running from foot to knee. Right leg has some redness but it is much less pronounced, becoming more painful toward the evening. Mild numbness of the face is felt throughout the day and into night. My eyelid feels more paresthesia. When I laugh I notice that my jaw hurts around the lower part of my ear. I'm still noticing that bright lights are unbearable at night. I don't know if this is related to prednisone or something else.   Day 11: Relieved to wake up with full feeling in my face in the morning and no more pain in jaw/under ear. My legs start hurting while I am standing on them to make breakfast or take a shower. I try to take a colder shower as the warm water hitting my legs hurts. The left leg is much worse than the right. As the afternoon goes on my hands start going numb. The knuckle joints might be swollen. I wonder if my joints are swelling and cutting off circulation? Appointment with allergist is very good, she says she has seen many patients with similar adverse effects after covid vaccination. She does not believe it is an allergic reaction and usually sends patients to a neurologist, but admits there may not be anyone within Northwell Health specializing on this reaction to the vaccine. Allergist says she will try to find me a neurologist and schedule blood work. At night the pain and swelling in my hands is intense and I am repeatedly losing sensation in my hands. I drink lots of water as I believe it helps a little.