J226197

Hi guys, I’ve been having a look around the forum for a while but it’s my first post so hey!

I’m currently in my first “sober” week after deciding to eliminate alcohol from my life and am currently feeling really really exhausted - I’m assuming my body is adjusting to life without alcohol.

I’m planning to get my Covid vaccination this weekend but am a bit worried as I really feel wiped out and exhausted. Does anyone have any experience of having their jab when feeling similarly? Not looking for advice, just wondered if there are any experiences with vaccination.

Kind regards, J.

ScottFromWI

Welcome to SR J22 - and congrats on your decision to quit, you will not regret it. Regarding the vaccine question everyone is different of course, my personal experience was with Moderna and I had no side effects at all with either shot other than a sore arm at the site of the injection. My entire family ( wife and 3 kids ) all had the Pfizer shot and results were the same for them, no side effects other than a sore arm here and there.

stickyone

Congratulations on your first week of sobriety. My personal input regarding the vaccination if you can handle withdrawal then this is a piece of cake.

DriGuy

I never heard any knowledgeable person cautioning not to get the vaccination on a hangover. Think about all the crap you have done on hangovers in the past. This is only a vaccination. I had a smallpox vaccination when I was a baby, and I can't even remember it.

Anna

It's very normal to feel tired and exhausted when you first stop drinking. Congratulations on your decision to be sober.

Good luck with the vaccination. I had no problems at all with Pfizer.

advbike

You'll be fine. Good job getting sober!

Dee74

Hi and welcome

I’ve been sober many years but the AstraZeneca or whatever it’s new name is was fine for me. A little lightheaded ness on the first jab and nothing at all with the second.

Like Dri Guy said I did a lot of stuff hungover when drinking….I wouldn’t put off something important now, unless you feel you have good reason to, in which case talk to your doctor maybe?

D

sugarbear1

Drink water before you get the shot. I had no problems with it at all. Maybe it will take your mind off other things. Keep moving forward!!!!

tornrealization

This reminds me of when I had to do a colonoscopy. I heard so many bad stories about time on the toilet, that I was nervous. Turns out it was absolutely nothing compared to some toilet days I had after drinking. Not even close. It made me reflect how bad things where if I thought that was walk in the park….

Vaccine, I was ill like a day. Still was nothing compared to a sweaty cold shivers shaking nausea hangover I had grown accustomed to on nearly daily basis.

I’ve gotten flu shots during active drinking years and pneumonia vaccine….under medical care, things went fine.

Bekindalways

Hi J,

I had no effects from the first moderna vaccine but the second made me light headed and tired for day. Nothing too bad.

J226197

Thanks for everyone’s kind words. I had the first vaccination today hope all will go well.

Regarding tiredness and withdrawal, this seems to be getting worse, not better. Anyone have similar experiences? Struggling to function at the moment and just want to spend the whole day in bed.

biminiblue

Is there any reason why you can't spend a lot of time in bed?

When I was in early recovery from alcohol I treated myself like I was recovering from a life-threatening illness - because I was. Lots of fluids, lots of vegetables and fruit, not a lot of sugar, low caffeine, sleeping as much as I could. Just basically self-care for the first couple weeks and then I started a daily walking regimen.

The covid jab made me really thirsty and I took a long nap the day after.

Zebra1275

I had absolutely no vaccine side effects. My wife had some mild fatigue for about 24 hours.

But alcohol withdraw, back in the day, was a bitch. And I kept needing to go through withdrawal, time after time, because I would end up drinking again. It was 10,000 times worse than the side effects my wife had with the vaccine.

Get the vaccine, it could save your life.

tornrealization

If I read it correctly that you are in your first week - then this is normal. I also had to deal with going to work. Early sobriety is tough. I could be exhausted all day and ill and then when I would want to sleep most - I couldn't. I was also doing to this to myself repeatedly and knew that it took a minimum of 3 weeks sober to - feel like I could function and get an inch of sleep. Then about 3-4 months to really reap in the rewards. The worst is the first week - the first 3-4 days - but that's still early recovery. Stay in bed, you're sick. That's also how I treated it. Your body needs to heal, that's why you feel this way. It's worth it, so stick with it.

KAD65

It was fairly early in sobriety - within a week - that I received my first vaccine. I had no side effects other than some tiredness for a day or so. I needed the sleep anyway. I had no side effects at all from the second dose a month later, other than a sore arm and a little swelling at the injection side. I think you would be fine, but I guess you could check with your doctor just to be sure.

KissMyTiara

I had Moderna. First shot in March. Just a sore arm. Second shot in April. WHOOO BOOY! I was sick for 3 days with 102.8 fever, extreme chills and my arm was red and swelled up from elbow thru my armpit. I didn't get out of bed for 2 days. But this is extremely rare. I'm just worried about when I have to get a booster. But I will do it. It's important to me. I can live with side effects for the long term result.

KittyMama00

Hi J.!
Congratulations on your first week living without alcohol, and welcome!
I wanted to speak to your question about vaccinations...I am assuming it is the COVID vaccination?! I was also worried back in May when I received my first "jab". I read a NY times article where people my age and older (54) drank Pedialyte post vaccination and that this hydrating with electrolytes really helped them to feel better. After my jab (which in my opinion does not hurt at all, because the Pfizer Moderna vaccine has light viscosity) I went home and started hydrating with Pedialyte. The only side-effects of the vaccine that I experienced was a bit of a sore arm and light body achiness. I slept well and felt great the next day. After my second jab 3 week later, I literally had 0 side effects including any arm soreness, but I attribute this to the light touch of a 35 year veteran RN who administered my shot!
Good for you for getting the vaccine to take care of yourself and those around you! I hope that your energy increases along with your sobriety!
Best,
Jamie