Age: 62.0
Sex: F
Vaccine: COVID19
Symptoms: Massage, Mobility decreased, Movement disorder, Muscle tightness, Musculoskeletal stiffness
Clinical narrative: I received my second dose of the Moderna vaccine for COVID-19 on 4/12/2021. On the afternoon of 4/24/2021, I was walking down the street when my left leg suddenly became so stiff that I couldn't move it or bend it. I had to actually shuffle sideways to walk to my car, because I wasn't even able to step forward to drag it. I was working out 3 times a week with a personal trainer at the time. The trainer and I thought that maybe the stiffness was a result of an injury I had sustained while training, so I didn't seek immediate medical care. Instead, I went to a sports medical massage specialist. As the specialist was massaging my leg, he noticed that he just couldn't get the muscles to loosen up. No matter what he did, they remained extremely tightened. I saw the massage specialist 3 times over the course of May 2021. I put a brace on my left knee, and by the around the end of May, I was able to do some walking with the support of the brace. Shortly thereafter, I began having sinus infections, which caused me difficulty breathing. My doctor prescribed me some antibiotics, which helped some while I was using them. However, as soon as I finished taking them, the infection would return and get worse. This happened about every 2 weeks or so, and I ended up spending most of June, July, and August 2021 in bed. On 8/23/2021, I had a telehealth visit with my functional medicine doctor, because all of my joints had been hurting during the entire summer. I asked him if it was due to adrenal fatigue. He said no and that he thought that I had a severe case of leaky gut. He ordered some tests through a medical company. They were tests for food sensitivities and allergies, leaky gut, and a wheat zoomer test. The tests were then delivered to my house. On 9/7/2021, I saw my PCP; I was given an albuterol inhaler. I also brought the test kit. The doctor drew my blood for the testing procedure and then the tests were sent off. On 9/30/2021, I had a phone conversation with a dietician who is affiliated with the medical company. She went through the test results, which indicated severe leaky gut and a very long list of food allergies. She then prescribed me some nutritional supplements. I did a follow-up conversation with her on 10/21/2021, because I had had to do a very drastic overhaul of my diet, and she wanted to see if any progress had been made. By this point, my sinus infection had cleared up, but the joint pain had not and was still a problem. On 11/15/2021, I had my first visit with a local chiropractor. I asked him if he could help me with my joint pain. He wasn't sure if he could, but he suggested doing 6 sessions to see if they would possibly help. I ultimately ended up having 12 sessions with him. The sessions improved the quality of my sleep, but unfortunately, they did not help my joint pain. I went back to my PCP on 12/20/2021. The dosage for my thyroid medication had to be increased for the first time. In January 2022, I went to a body fascia repair specialist to see if she could help me. I then finally started to get relief for the joint pain. I saw the body fascia repair specialist in January, February, March, and April 2022. On 4/13/2022, I had my first visit with my new PCP, who ordered 20-30 blood tests and an EKG, because he wanted to see if any abnormalities could be detected with the use of traditional medical tests. I saw the new PCP twice in April, once in May, once in August, and once in October 2022. None of the traditional tests indicated any abnormalities, but the PCP told me that he would follow the results of the tests from the medical company. As a side note, I would like to add that I began doing Pilates twice a week in August 2021; it's one-on-one training with a physical therapist, and I have found that this has also helped with the joint pain. I still continue the twice weekly sessions to the present time. Also, in September 2021, I began receiving autoimmune acupuncture treatments. I sometimes get them once a month and sometimes more than once, and I have found that they have gradually helped improve the functioning of my immune system. On 6/16/2022, I saw my old PCP, whom I still consult with regularly, and she informed me that I had developed Hashimoto's disease. As a result, she again increased the dosage of my thyroid medication and also prescribed low-dose naltrexone. This has finally gotten rid of the inflammation and pain in my joints. I have appointments to see both my old PCP and my new PCP in December 2022. On 10/24/2022, I did a telemedicine consult with my dietician. Because I cannot reintroduce various foods on account of my allergies and sensitivities, she has ordered from the medical company a comprehensive stool test and a food zoomer bundle/food sensitivity tests, which also involve blood work. I have not yet taken these tests, as I have been busy traveling for work, but I do plan to take them in the very near future. My old PCP and my new PCP have both expressed the opinion that my issues are related to the Moderna vaccine and the Moderna booster (lot number 065F21A) that I received on 11/15/2021. At the present time, my joint pain is very minimal, except when I exert myself. However, I still have various food allergies and sensitivities.