COVID vaccine water weight gain?

I know this is all a bit off-track - but as I've watched endless news footage of needles going in arms, it seems the needle looks larger than the one used in my annual flu shot. I'm wondering if larger means more cost-effective given the number needed and if this is the reason for so many sore arms.

Also wondering if anyone doubled down of their social distancing after the first injection since your immune system was being challenged by the vaccine.

Can you guys tell I'm getting nervous as vax day approaches?

MsCzar wrote: »

I know this is all a bit off-track - but as I've watched endless news footage of needles going in arms, it seems the needle looks larger than the one used in my annual flu shot. I'm wondering if larger means more cost-effective given the number needed and if this is the reason for so many sore arms.

Also wondering if anyone doubled down of their social distancing after the first injection since your immune system was being challenged by the vaccine.

Can you guys tell I'm getting nervous as vax day approaches?

I doubt that's an issue, personally.

N=1, my arm was sore after my flu shot in the Fall, sore enough that it was uncomfortable to lie in bed on it but not really IMO a huge problem. Soreness after Pfizer #1 was not a problem at all. After #2, it stung for a few moments (nothing major) right away, later (next day) I could feel some light soreness if I pressed on the injection spot, but could sleep on it without noticing anything in particular.

With n=1 data for Pfizer only, I don't think there's some needle size issue vs. flu vax.

Keep in mind that skill of the person doing the injection, and (probably more important) random factors about a particular injection, may lead to different superficial effects at the vaccination site. For example: I routinely bruise after blood draws, and quite frequently after injections into muscle (like these). I had no bruise after Pfizer #1, a small one after Pfizer #2. I suspect that accounted for the difference in how it felt, because pressure on a bruise is something one can feel. That's about technique or random luck, not about what went into my arm, which was the same both times. (I can't remember whether I saw a bruise after the flu vax.)

No, I didn't double down on social distancing after vax 1. I was already taking what I consider to be about the maximum but still practical precautions, so nothing feasible to increase, personally.

I'm not a medical professional, but if your immune system is weakened by revving to create antibodies, I would think that most of that period, you wouldn't be at substantially higher Covid risk, in the sense that there *are* antibodies, and even vax #1 and things less than the full 2 week wait have seemed to confer some contagion/severity reduction benefits, so you have a speculatively negative effect (immune system depressed in the abstract because busy), with a positive effect (getting some antibodies on patrol). 🤷‍♀️

You're probably going to have a non-event, or close. Many people do. People more often speak up when they experience problems, and news sources like to report drama, not boring stuff like "I felt fine". It distorts expectations.

Hoping it's very non-distressing for you!

I was also randomly up 3 lbs in the days after my first dose of pfizer. Then a week later, I stepped on a dirty nail in my garden wearing flip flops. 11 years since my last tetanus shot, so I had to go in and get that, despite recommendations to not get any other vaccinations within 2 weeks of the COVID vaccine. The doctors had no idea what to do, and ended up calling several state health departments to see if it was ok for me to have the tetanus shot.

Eventually they decided that a slightly less robust immune response to the COVID vaccine was preferable to dying of lockjaw. Then I was up another pound after that one! Now I am 2 weeks out from COVID dose 1 and 1 week out from tetanus and 2 antibiotics, and finally down a pound again.

On the needle/pain, the tetanus was WAY worse than the COVID. Much of it also depends on the person giving the vaccine. My COVID was a trainee being supervised, and she was super careful and I barely felt it. The tetanus shot, the surly nurse said "don't pass out on me" then jammed it in. My arm hurt way worse after the tetanus shot (which I guess is normal).

MsCzar wrote: »

I know this is all a bit off-track - but as I've watched endless news footage of needles going in arms, it seems the needle looks larger than the one used in my annual flu shot. I'm wondering if larger means more cost-effective given the number needed and if this is the reason for so many sore arms.

Also wondering if anyone doubled down of their social distancing after the first injection since your immune system was being challenged by the vaccine.

Can you guys tell I'm getting nervous as vax day approaches?

I actually told my husband immediately afterward that I thought it was so much skinnier than the flu shot You can do it!

MsCzar wrote: »

I know this is all a bit off-track - but as I've watched endless news footage of needles going in arms, it seems the needle looks larger than the one used in my annual flu shot. I'm wondering if larger means more cost-effective given the number needed and if this is the reason for so many sore arms.

Also wondering if anyone doubled down of their social distancing after the first injection since your immune system was being challenged by the vaccine.

Can you guys tell I'm getting nervous as vax day approaches?

The needle is tiny - like the tiniest needle I have ever had I think - I didn't even feel it. And contrary to what others experienced my arm didn't hurt at all after (I did have a headache and fatigue for a couple of days).

MsCzar wrote: »

I know this is all a bit off-track - but as I've watched endless news footage of needles going in arms, it seems the needle looks larger than the one used in my annual flu shot. I'm wondering if larger means more cost-effective given the number needed and if this is the reason for so many sore arms.

Also wondering if anyone doubled down of their social distancing after the first injection since your immune system was being challenged by the vaccine.

Can you guys tell I'm getting nervous as vax day approaches?

Cant speak for everywhere - but where I work in a Dr's surgery in Australia, we are using same standard length and bore needle as we do for other intramuscular vaccines ( flu vaccine, tetanus etc) and the compulsory covid training modules just recommend standard needles.

Re OP - no, didn't notice any weight gain.
Sore arm, very tired following day, that's all ( astra zeneca)

Had my 1st Covid vaccine on Saturday (Astra Zeneca), still have a sore arm, feeling tired, headache has now gone, but no change in weight. I'm always hydrated and drink on average 2,200 ml of fluid a day. Maybe that helped, but I'll make sure I'm well hydrated before the 2nd vaccine.

dragon_girl26 wrote: »

This is purely a curiosity question....but did anyone else experience a water weight gain when receiving the vaccine? I got my first dose Wednesday, and the next day I had a 3 lb jump on the scale! Since then I've been up about 2 lbs. I'm not fretting about it..I just thought it was interesting and wondered if anyone else noticed something similar!

I'm not sure how I could possibly isolate changes in water weight to a particular event like getting a vaccine...I can be up or down anywhere from 0-3 Lbs day to day for no reason at all other than the fact that its completely normal.

I didn't have anything of note going on after either my first or second vaccine. Both were on a Friday after work and everything was normal...went home and ordered pizza and watched a movie with the fam as per our usual Friday. Up and at the gym on Saturday morning by 8.

I was definitely up after shot 2 but, like others, I drank so much water. I felt like I was battling a dehydration headache with water-- when I felt it coming on, I chugged water and then within 10-15 minutes, I'd be fine.