Age: 46.0
Sex: F
Vaccine: COVID19
Symptoms: Anxiety, Arthralgia, Back pain, Chest discomfort, Chills
Clinical narrative: I was directed to my seat (if walking into the room, the first table but the 2nd seat).  The woman was learning the computer system from a gentleman, and she assured me she just didn't know the computer, but knew how to give a shot.  I pulled my arm out of my sweatshirt and pushed my short sleeve shirt up.  She did the alcohol wipe, then pinched my arm, I looked away as the shot went in.  I felt a horrible pain...not even sure how to describe it, just extreme pain and very achy and said Ow maybe 3 times (I am one that can tolerate quite a bit of pain, and I assumed it would sting, but this was different) as she was injecting me.  She apologized. The gentleman said Johnson and Johnson is a little thicker.  I said to him that I had never ever experienced this much pain with a vaccine before-never.  Again, I am talking about as it was injected. I went to sit down for the waiting area, the gentleman who was handing out cards for reviews asked me about it and I said it hurt so bad, I'd never had a shot hurt that bad.  Another worker (female) overheard me and asked me if it was a burning-she had a burning with hers (think she said moderna). I said I would not necessarily say it was a burning, it was pain. As I sat there, I texted my husband and told him how bad it hurt (with the injection) and I've never had a vaccine hurt like that.  I started to wonder if it was administered incorrectly? I looked over and the gentleman was now doing the vaccines and she was watching. My husband had Pfizer and he said that didn't hurt at all. I was feeling it up into my neck as I was sitting there. I was trying to rub my arm and neck hoping that would help as well as move my arm around. When we could leave, I asked the volunteer if she had heard of anyone else having that much pain DURING the shot.  She said she only heard of maybe one other person that said ow. I left, started to cry in the car because of the pain and experience, then spoke with my husband before I left. I came home and got some ice to put on my arm hoping that would help. I did expect pain in the arm after a shot. Within a couple of hours, I noticed pain going down my arm and into my wrist. I thought maybe I needed to be active with my arm and move it so tried that.  I started to notice more side effects of the vaccine as the evening progressed:  I had the typical side effects I figured I'd have, achy, joint pain, chills, nauseous, no fever though. I was noticing pain into my neck (occasionally even into jaw), shoulder, scapula area of the back, and left side under the bottom part of my ribs.  I was feeling tightness in my chest, too, so I decided to try 2 aspirin to see if it helped with any symptoms. I did have slight dizziness, and a weird sensation in my head-like a zapping? I didn't sleep well, and had to stay completely off of my left side. Thursday, I felt better than that night, but still tired, achy, nauseous, chills, and not 100%.  My arm still was really affected...it seemed extremely fatigued as well as painful...the pain was radiating up and down and couldn't raise my arm without it hurting. Around noon I decided to take 2 aleve to see if that would help me at all. It did help with the pain and achiness, but was getting a "nerve-type" pain still up and down my left arm into neck/scapula area down to my wrist and hand/fingers. Still couldn't sleep on my left side. Friday, I was definitely doing better with all the other symptoms, I could abduct my arm more than 90 degrees, so I was excited about that. I did wake up with my middle/ring finger hurting (at the base of that area) and a bit numb so put my hand in and out of a fist. The pain subsided, but the numbness/tingling sensation was still there. I continued to take aleve hoping that maybe there was just inflammation around the nerve causing the issue.  Aleve did help, but it still never went away completely.  By late afternoon, I was getting concerned if I was permanently affected by this. As I was holding a bowl of food and eating, my left arm was going numb. I was even feeling it into my gluts (sciatica?). Again...all of this was after the shot and only on the side I received the shot. That evening I was able to lay on my left side, but not for long periods of time because it became uncomfortable and arm would go numb. Saturday, I still had the nerve pain and was not in a good spot.  It made me sad, angry, scared, and I didn't want to talk about it too much-just wanted my arm and all the different radiating pains I was having to be back to normal. I was feeling it up into my neck, scapula, my side(the rib area I previously mentioned), even into my gluts and down leg near ankle as well as down the arm into elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand, fingers (particularly that middle finger and thumb area).  I tried to use my arm as normally as possible thinking maybe I need to just keep it moving, but it would fatigue, especially between shoulder and neck. I tried Ibuprofen on this day.  Again, the pain relievers helped some, but didn't take it all away. Sunday I was in a horrible spot mentally and crying throughout the day because of the sensations I was feeling still: up and down the arm, shoulder, neck, scapula, side and still into ankle area. I decided I would call my doctor on Monday. Monday, I woke up and was feeling better overall, but still having the nerve sensations down my arm as well as up into shoulder, neck, scapula and my left side.  But everything was not as intense.  I spoke to my doctor who said there was a protocol, a number I needed to call.  Monday night I took ibuprofen because I started to have a horrible headache-didn't go away completely and still have this morning-not sure if it's related or just a normal headache. Still feeling tingling nerve sensations into forearm and fingers.  My shoulder/neck area feels fatigued, but so far not noticing the nerve pain yet, so that's a positive. On Monday,  it seemed to get worse as the day went on, so we will see. I definitely feel in hand/wrist/fingers as I am typing now. I know this is a lot, and I think I've captured it.  Again, I had none of this pre-shot.  The pain during injection is what alarmed me most as I expected side effects after the shot, but not this nerve type issue.  For this to be lasting as long as it is concerns me, and the fact that it exhibits on my left side where I got the shot. I am very anxious as it hasn't gotten back to normal.