A question for those who have an Auto-immune disease & been Vaxxed

[electric_blue68]

my longest (and dear) friend from college who has
hashimodo's disease (maybe something else) is terrified of getting vaxxed.
She's in general a liberal so she's not gone off that deep end on beliefs.

Some doctor who had some Auto-immune disease she followed dropped dead a few days, or less after getting the shot.

Luckily she' left NYC (while still keeping payment for her apartment there) when cv19 began to spread, sequestered up in the hills of NYS (her old boy friend's house), only sees a few people, and gets driven into town for supplies. She's somewhat gregarious, so this also takes a toll on her.
She masks, distances, does wholistic health stuff (as do I), and worked in a hospital for ?30 yrs.

At some point hopefully she'll return to NYC.

In the meantime I tried w no success to convince her - but this Delta variant...

Could some of you share your vaxxed experiences.

Maybe I'll try again to convince her using examples from you folks.
She's a beautiful soul as a person, and talented, too, as a poet and artist.
Thanks in advance. 👍🙂

[Sanity Claws]

1. My friend has celiac disease and got the Johnson and Johnson one-shot

She chose the one-shot vaccine to minimize her contact with others. She had no adverse effects.

However, I don't like the idea of convincing your friend to get the vaccine based on others' studies. With her health issues, she should really just listen to medical providers who really understand her condition.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. My son has alopecia areata, an auto-immune disorder that causes hair loss.

He has the most extreme form, called universalis, meaning he has no hair whatsoever. No eyebrows, eyelashes, body hair of any kind. He's never had to shave.

He got the vaccine, I forget which one, and has zero side effects.

For some reason individual reactions to the vaccines are highly individual. As for the doctor who is supposed to have dropped dead shortly after getting the shot, that's one person out of how many millions, tens of millions, over 100 million in this country who've been vaccinated? As compared to how many have gotten very sick and died? Also, there may well be absolutely no connection between getting the shot and dying.

[hlthe2b]

3. She really needs to discuss her specific risk-benefit with her treating immunologist/endocrinologist

Hers is unlikely to be an issue of auto suppression from medications received as much as an overstimulated immune system given her Hashimoto's Disease. However, if she was treated long ago for her autoimmune thyroiditis there may be no current issues. So, she ought to be advised according to where she is with her specific condition.

Unlike cancer patients and others who are IMMUNE-SUPPRESSED as a result of their disease and treatment and for whom vaccination is nearly always recommended since the worry is one of deficient response rather than an exaggerated response, her situation is more complicated. Her treating specialist should advise her based on her current specific response to disease therapy.

Sometimes people with an autoimmune condition develop more than one, called polyautoimmunity. So, if one has Hashimoto's, they may be at higher risk of having developed or developing another autoimmune condition. So, again that is why her treating specialist should advise her.

[Wingus Dingus]

6. Yes, no substitute for asking actual MD's. This person's friend should have done that.

[Wingus Dingus]

4. My mother in law has Hashimoto's and rheumatoid arthritis and was vaccinated, no problem.

My aunt has Hashimoto's and was vaccinated, no problem. I'd be more concerned that the meds they're on make the antibody response less effective or some other similar issue, but they didn't have any bad outcomes from the vaccine itself.

[Darwin2019]

5. I have Hashimoto's and a couple of other autoimmune diseases

I had both Pfizer shots and except for some fatigue, I was fine. I was more afraid of Covid; I kept thinking how sorry I would be if I had to go on a ventilator knowing that I could have avoided it if only I had gotten vaccinated.

[viva la]

7. I have 2 auto-immune diseases-

Including Hashimoto's. 2 Pfizer shots, no problems at all. I haven't heard of any of my FB group with H's that had any major side effects.

There is a risk-- if she's taking immune suppressant drugs-- that the vaccine won't be as effective, but it's stil more effective than nothing (and a third shot in the fall will probably fix that).

Of course, everyone is different, and auto-immune diseases cause all sorts of weird complications. But it's been a breeze for me, and my doctors weren't worried at all. (The only med I'm taking for it is synthroid every day, so I don't know about other drugs.)

[viva la]

8. .... and remind her that one danger of auto-immune is that viruses like Covid can trigger overwhelm-

... where the immune system blows up trying to quash the virus. That would be worse.

[slightlv]

9. My daughter has Hashimoto's

She caught covid early on, and (probably because of her autoimmune disease, IMO) is one of the long-haulers. She was vaccinated as soon as it became available to her, and other than the sore arm and fatigue for 2 days many of us have felt, has suffered no ill effects. In fact, it seems like her situation has gotten better since she was vaccinated.

I have Lupus SLE. Like your friend, I was at first afraid of the shots. I was afraid it would cause me to go into uninterrupted flares as my immune system went nuts. I was SO out of the ballfield with that idea. I got the shots (2 Moderna) because I wanted to see my Mom at the nursing home, but I wouldn't put her in any danger. Mom had already survived one asymptomatic bout; I didn't want to be the cause of another bout.

I had 2 days of very bad fatigue, and it launched me into a very mild lupus flare. The pain levels of the flare were tolerable with minimum medication, and I decided to not fight the fatigue and just go with it. All in all, I was on my feet and feeling fine within 3 days.

Like others, I agree your friend should talk to her specialist about her specific case. I will say, tho, I've had my ears to the ground for months regarding effects of shots and autoimmune diseases. And I've heard nothing like I was afraid of happening.

IMNSHO, the risk analysis comes down on the side of getting the shot. My doctor agreed.

I had my shots in March. Because of Delta, I'm more than ready and willing to get a booster, if it would help avoid this variant, both for me, my daughter, and my Mom.

[Goonch]

10. I'm blessed with two auto immune disorders plus

a handful of chronic life threatening co-morbidities and l'm dirt old. I have a thyroid condition similar to Hashimodo's - no big deal. Millions of folks have thyroid immune disorder diseases easily treated with meds. I've had my two Moderna shots with absolutely no ill effects whatsoever and am looking forward to a third if it becomes necessary. Delta is Deadly.

[GPV]

11. Have colitis, got the J&J. Mild flu tamed with Nyquil, and a sore arm

[viva la]

12. The doctor who "dropped dead"

Some doctor who had some Auto-immune disease she followed dropped dead a few days, or less after getting the shot.

Could be this guy-- he doesn't seem to have had an a/i disease before-- developed ITP, which is an a/i condition involving platelets-
From NBC-Miami
Though there is currently no medical or scientific evidence to suggest that Dr. Michael’s death was triggered by the vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is conducting a routine investigation into the incident due to the short timeline between the two events.

This ITP problem is a side effect, I know, of some medications for a/i diseases.

There are always risks, especially with auto-immune conditions because by definition then our body reacts unpredictably to things. But since there's evidence that many a/i diseases are set off by a VIRUS like Epstein-Barr, not a vaccine for a virus, I personally opted for the vaccine.

[emulatorloo]

13. I have an autoimmune disease and was vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine months ago, no problem

She shouldn’t be worried.

[superpatriotman]

14. Wife has RA

Doctor told her to absolutely get vaccinated. She received Pfizer doses in early spring.

Just remember every body chemistry is different.

[marybourg]

15. I have several autoimmune diseases, one quite serious.

I took the Pfizer shots the second week they became available, without any hesitation. I don’t take any immune suppressive drugs. I had a satisfactory (to me) immune response to both shots. The virus is a much greater threat than the shot, to people with and without autoimmune diseases.

[Lisa0825]

16. According to the AI docs I know personally and professionally...

the biggest issue with someone with an AI getting vaccinated is that they might not have as strong of an immune response to the vaccine (may not make enough antibodies to be fully protected). This largely depends on what immune suppressant meds they may be on.

I have not come across any information linking AI's to adverse reactions to the vaccine. If that doctor truly dropped dead after his vaccine, it was probably a total coincidence.

I got vaccinated months ago. My main concern now is if I need/can get a booster.

[we can do it]

17. I am vaxxed, have hashimotos and a couple others.

No adverse reaction.

Get the shots.

[LiberalLoner]

18. I have multiple sclerosis and had transverse myelitis and I gladly took the J&J as soon as it

Was offered and had no problems at all. Will take any and all boosters when I can, no fears.

My neuro also reassured me that I had nothing to worry about in taking the vaccines, if that helps any.

Take the vaccine and live. ❤️❤️❤️

[ColinC]

19. I know people with autoimmune disease

They were fine and the vaccine barely even made then sick.

[electric_blue68]

20. ***Thank you*** All! It's late here, so I'll read the respones

with a clear head tomorrow (later today). 👍

But you know I'm not sure if she consulted with a doctor...
Duh, me for not asking!
I think I was so shocked at her response...

TY, again! 👋

[Straw Man]

21. I have myasthenia gravis.

I'm on two medications for it, one of which is an immunosuppressant. I got the Moderna vaccine last spring with no negative effects. The clinic where I was vaccinated knew of my condition and my medications. My neurologist also had no reservations about my getting the vaccine.

[Meowmee]

22. The disease is called hashimotos

Not “hashimodos“ Many people think they have it but unless you have the specific antibodies for hashimotos you don’t, you probably have non Autoimmune hypothyroidism. In autoimmune disease your body is attacking itself and there are specific antibodies for each disease which are diagnostic of that. People with autoimmune disease have an overactive immune system. It is fairly common also to have more than one, and there is always a hereditary factor of autoimmunity somewhere in your family if not for the same disease.

I have several autoimmune diseases including hashimotos hypothyroidism. The others are type 1 diabetes- by far the worst, asthma, celiac and eczema. I had both pfizer shots with no adverse effects other than my normal vax type reaction of feeling achy/ ill etc. for a few days. The pfizer vax reaction was much less severe and shorter in duration than the flu shot is for me.

There is no reason imo someone with autoimmune disease should not get the vaccine. I had covid double pneumonia early on, I was sick for weeks and am now a lh. My father had it in January( he also has hashimotos) and his health is destroyed with severe effects. Ebv was also reactivated for me by covid. I was lucky to survive and there were a few reasons I believe I did, including already being on blood thinners. We would gladly have taken any vaccine vs having covid.

Imo your friend is crazy to think any possible risk from the vaccine is going to even compare to the risk of covid itself. And so is everyone else who uses similar excuses not to get vaxed. It’s just plain stupidity.