Age: 79.0
Sex: F
Vaccine: COVID19, UNK
Symptoms: Joint swelling, Muscular weakness, Musculoskeletal discomfort, Myalgia, Neck pain
Clinical narrative: I went to the hospital with palpitations; lightheadedness; She had terrible back pain in center of back; She felt achy; fatigued; back discomfort; she had a lot of shoulder, under arm, and left breast swelling; she had a lot of shoulder, under arm, and left breast swelling; she had a lot of shoulder, under arm, and left breast swelling; Her breast felt like it weighed 60 pounds and ached.; had the worse headache; Her shoulder blade was tender; neck pain; achy feeling was ongoing with her muscles; achy feeling was ongoing with her legs; legs felt rubbery; short winded; sweaty; she felt clammy and hot.; she felt clammy and hot.; This is a spontaneous report from a contactable consumer (patient).  A 79-year-old female patient received bnt162b2 (PFIZER-BIONTECH COVID-19 VACCINE), second dose via an unspecified route of administration in left shoulder on 11Feb2021 at age of 79-year-old at single dose for COVID-19 immunization; methylprednisolone (MEDROL, Tablet), orally from 20Feb2021  to 26Feb2021, at 4 mg, by mouth, frequency was different based on the day, from 27Feb2021  to an unspecified date, at unspecified dose for swelling, the back. Medical history included thyroid and pericarditis fluid. Family history included brother had heart disease. There was no prior vaccinations within 4 weeks. Concomitant medication included levothyroxine sodium (SYNTHROID) ongoing for thyroid for 20 years. Historical vaccine included first dose of bnt162b2 in left shoulder on 21Jan2021 (Batch/lot number: EN6201) for COVID-19 immunization with no side effects.  The patient had her 2nd Pfizer vaccine dose on 11Feb2021 and received a "medrol pack" on 20Feb2021 for "shoulder, back and neck pain. She have felt lousy for 4 weeks. She went to the hospital with palpitations and it probably was from the 2nd pack of methylprednisolone, she was prescribed after the 1st pack did not really help her pain. She haven't been sick or had a cold for 25 years and the 2nd dose through her for a loop. She stated her daughter called her and she said that her doctor told her that her vaccine may not be effective and she may not be protected because she took methylprednisolone. The patient received the second vaccine on 11Feb2021 and she had a lot of shoulder, under arm, and left breast swelling. The patient mentioned she went to her doctor because after calling the COVID hotline they said they had cases where some of the vaccine had seeped into the lymph nodes. She was told to have her lymph nodes. No patient demographic details provided regarding those other patients who had the vaccine seep into lymph nodes. She went on to explain she went to the doctor, but the doctor said there were no problems with the lymph nodes. On 13Feb2021, she felt achy and fatigued, back discomfort. The lightheadedness occurred on 18Feb2021. The doctor gave her a high dose of the methylprednisolone 4mg pack for a week. 16 days later on 27Feb2021 it had not touched the discomfort in back, fatigue and lightheadedness and gave her another pack of methylprednisolone.  She also had heart palpitation, was sweaty and went to the Emergency Room. The patient mentioned she took a low dose of levothyroxine sodium (SYNTHROID). She asked the doctor about the methylprednisolone being taken after the shot. The patient heard it diminished the effect of the shot, that she may not have as much protection. She had called the COVID hotline to address this issue and they said people who were on chronic steroid therapy had no problem as far as they know. The patient asked if she was protected because she had the methylprednisolone pack the first one within 9 days after shot and a second pack 16 days later. She took a low dose of generic levothyroxine sodium every day. She commented she was concerned with the drug interaction and wanted to make sure still protected. She was informed by individual who answered COVID hotline she felt like she was still protected because others have been on chronic steroid therapy. Shoulder swelling started a couple day after the second shot, explained it was there or about around 13Feb2021. Her shoulder blade was puffy and tender. The swelling went into the arm and breast. Her breast felt like it weighed 60 pounds and ached. That took a while to go away. The patient explained initially it was also there or about around 13Feb2021 when she noticed she was so fatigue and had the worse headache (Feb2021), she never got nauseous. Her shoulder was still swollen a week ago as of 09Apr2021. She went to a chiropractor for an adjustment and the chiropractor said shoulder was still a little swollen. She had terrible back pain in center of back on 18Feb2021. It was so much that she was afraid something else was going on. The patient stated the swelling it was ongoing up until a few days ago as of 09Apr2021. She still had puffiness around that area when went to chiropractor. For the back discomfort she went to chiropractor for adjustment. She was unsure when that discomfort went away. The achy feeling was ongoing with her muscles and legs until last week as of 09Apr2021 when she started to feel better. Her legs felt rubbery. Her muscles felt achy. She felt better as of 09Apr2021. It had gotten better within the last week as of 09Apr2021. The fatigue was ongoing until last week as of 09Apr2021. The patient felt so bad for month and had no idea what was going on. Her lightheadedness went away last week as of 09Apr2021. She commented she did not want to blame all of this on the shot because she did not know what methylprednisolone did to her. The patient confirmed she had back discomfort. She still had some back discomfort. She started to fell short winded a week before the heart palpitations appeared really bad on 21Mar2021. She did not feel short winded anymore, but she was unsure when that stopped. With her heart palpitation she felt clammy and hot. Therefore, she wen to the ER. The heart palpitations gradually got better, and probably stopped totally last week as of 09Apr2021. She mentioned she had a headache for a good month after the second shot. It started either the 13Feb2021 or 14Feb2021. She stated all her symptoms were getting much better since last week as of 09Apr2021. There was no other treatment beside the methylprednisolone for her symptoms. Therapy start and stop date of methylprednisolone captured as confirmed by reporter in formal field, unable to clarify further. The patient confirmed all had been discarded and no lot/exp/NDC to provide. When she was in Emergency room, they did two EKG, drew blood work for the heart, chest x-ray back and front, and verified vital signs which were all good. She went home that same night on 21Mar2021. She went back to doctor on 05Apr2021 and did another chest x-ray and another echocardiogram and everything was fine. The event heart palpitation required a visit to emergency room, the patient was not sure if from the vaccine or methylprednisolone. The patient's heart rate got to 120, her normal was 80. The relevant Tests on 21Mar2021 they did Chest x-ray back and front, a couple EKG and blood work. The patient went back about a week ago as of 09Apr2021 because she was still not feeling great. They did an EKG, ordered echocardiogram and chest x-ray which were done on 05Apr2021. Test results came back on 08Apr2021. She had pericarditis fluid in the past and that's what they were checking for with the echocardiogram. The lab tests and procedures for investigation on 21Mar2021 included: chest X-ray: negative, EKG: negative, blood work: negative, negative. The action taken in response to the events for the methylprednisolone was unknown. The outcome of achy, back discomfort, back pain was resolving, the outcome of short winded was resolved in 2021, outcome of headache was resolved in Apr2021, the outcome of other events was unknown.  Information on the batch number has been requested.