Age: 59.0
Sex: F
Vaccine: COVID19
Symptoms: Hypertension, Immediate post-injection reaction, Injection site pain, Lymphadenopathy, Mitral valve incompetence
Clinical narrative: On April 6, 2021  I was vaccinated with Janssen COVID-19 vaccine one dose lot #042A21A at 3:40PM.      After vaccine I immediately had left sore arm at injection site (lasted one month), dizziness (dissipated after day one), headache, and fatigue.   After one week I had swollen lymph glands under both arm pits for 3 months. Two weeks after injection I had leg pains in both legs.    Hypertension increased and I had to double my hypertension medicine, make it extended release and add a second class of hypertension medicine.  I relieved leg circulation pain by taking a circulatory remedy for 5 days, I was diligent on taking hypertension medication and added Natto kinase in place of aspirin (can?t take aspirin) to reduce any type of blood clotting.  This occurred around the time woman reported blood clotting and drug went on hold. The leg pain was temporary and has dissipated since then.       Since I?ve had the vaccine, I have had  constant fatigue (more than usual) and sporadic headaches have continued over last 6 months.  Some days are worse than others.  I also feel achy with joint and muscle pain.     On 7/28/2021 I tested borderline positive for ANA with no specific indications and then repeated ANA on 8/6/21 testing positive with antibodies indicating two forms of lupus- Systematic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Neuropsychiatric SLE, 4 months after taking vaccine. With our government making this vaccine mandatory and with the CDC stating this vaccine is ?safe? I assumed that I would not have any side effects so I was surprised when I saw my ANA turn positive for lupus.   My ANA antibodies went from borderline positive of 1.4 to definitely positive at 1.8.  I repeated ANA testing on 10/14/21 and my ANA levels remain positive at 1.8.     The risk of taking this vaccine so far has outweighed the benefit from the vaccine.  I have repetitively done the COVID PCR test and I have never been exposed to COVID 19 or any variant in the last 2 years to warrant needing a COVID vaccine. Now, I may have lifelong challenges with side effects from lupus- systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Neuropsychiatric SLE lowering the quality and possibly shortening my life.     SARS COV2 AB IGG bloodwork was repeated on 8/30/2021 and I now have COVID antibodies from the COVID vaccine.  My other concern was micro clotting issue from vaccine as it relates to understanding the headaches, I have experienced in the last 6 months after the vaccine.      A D-dimer test was completed on 8/30 and  10/14 and so far, shows no micro clotting to explain intermittent headaches.   D-dimer will be repeated periodical as well as ANA for lupus over time.    I discussed above with doctor on 8/24/2021 and covered some of the short-term side effects with doctor in previous office consults on May 17, and June 22 to adjust my hypertension medication.   I assumed these symptoms were temporary and would go away so I did not highlight this with my doctor as a possible side effect from vaccine. It was not until my ANA test came back positive and I have other symptoms which are not normal for me (headaches, extreme fatigue, muscle/joint aches)   that I started thinking maybe I am having  medium to long term side effects from the vaccine.     Since my blood pressure was high and doctor had to adjust hypertension medication twice, I established myself with a specialist on July 14 and had (2) heart tests August 5th (ultrasounds EKG and treadmill stress test). I received my ultrasound EKG test on September 29, 2021 and two new issues were found related to my heart which I never had before the vaccine.  I now have mitral and tricuspid regurgitation.  I consulted with  a specialist, on 12/2/2021 as it relates to the  EKG/Ultrasound results done on 8/5/21 and asked if the mitral valve and tricuspid valve regurgitation could be COVID vaccine related .  He said ?nothing comes without a cost? meaning every vaccine comes with risks and benefits.   I initially did not report short term side effects in VAERS because my side effects from vaccine were minor.  Now that I am seeing side effects which may be longer lasting, like lupus and heart valve issues I feel it?s my obligation to report these issues.