How has the vaccine impacted your experience with diabetes?

[Cherrelle DUK]

Hi Guys,

I've seen a few posts re members having the vaccine and then having issues with their BS numbers or general management of diabetes. This is unchartered territory so worth looking into to see if there are patterns and anything that could help those who are having a similar experience.

Can anyone shed light on what they've experienced so far and what the outcome was over time?

 

[nonethewiser]

No impact at all, only felt off next day after first dose but that's all, bg stayed steady after both AZ doses. Was expecting higher levels as sometimes get this after flu jabs.

 

[Ljc]

Thanks fir this thread.
After my first jab a little over 12 weeks ago though I was feeling rough for three days my BGs were fine I had the 2nd jab 12 weeks later ( last Thursday) I felt iffy for day but my BGs went up within hours and I am still needing increasing Basal and doing corrections as I can’t seem to nab my new ratios atm .

Am glad I’ve had the jabs though.

Mine was the AZ Vaccine

 

[Robin]

I had the AZ, and after the first dose I had to increase basal by 25% for about five days, (and I think I took the odd few extra units of bolus here and there). After that, I tapered it off back to normal levels. After the second jab, I put it up just in case, and had to put it straight down again.

NB, it would be helpful if people specified which sort of vaccine they’d had, I assume.

 

[pm133]

My glucose levels dropped both times and I required less insulin.
For the first jab, I didn't need insulin for a week - either basal or bolus.
I was able to enjoy eating whatever I wanted, before my background levels slowly started to rise again at the end of that week.

For the second jab, I was able to drop my basal by 2 units (any more than this and my levels would show a small rise during the night but 2 left me steady). I have also been able to go from 1:10 bolus to 1 or 2 units less than that. My breakfast for example is 60g. I used to need 6 units but I was able to drop to 4. I'm able to eat my lunch now without bolussing at all (salad) and I can add a bar of chocolate or an ice cream without spiking. My second jab was a couple of weeks ago so the effect was less dramatic this time around but has lasted longer.

 

[Inka]

I had the Pfizer. The first dose made my levels noticeably low for a number of weeks. I had to cut my basal and bolus insulins. The second dose made me high for a few days instead and I had to increase my insulin.

 

[helli]

I had the AZ vaccine.
My first jab resulted in 3 days fighting off hypos and then I was back to normal.
I had my second jab over three weeks ago. Following my previous experience, I was prepared to reduce my basal. I am still (after 3 weeks) on less than 75% of my usual insulin dose.

I experienced no headaches, nausea or sore arm.

 

[Grannylorraine]

No side effects at all with first one, no changes in blood sugars, although no side effects with the jab, my blood sugars were high for about 5 or 6 days after the jab, but this did not come on until 5 days after I had had the jab.

I had the AZ jab.

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

I had the Pfizer and had low blood sugars for a few days after each jab, after the 2be one I experienced very bad fatigue for 3 days, literally couldn't do anything.

 

[Lanny]

I had the AZ & it lowered my blood sugars for a few days that needed a -2 reduction in my basal Levemir injections at 6am & 6pm! Just had my 2nd vaccine now & will test closely today & see if I need a reduction again today at 6pm or maybe the next morning?

 

[eggyg]

I had AZ ( headache and felt “off” for a day or two with first jab, no side effects with second dose) and didn’t see any noticeable lows or highs with either jab. No change in insulin ratios required.

 

[Amity Island]

My glucose levels dropped both times and I required less insulin.
For the first jab, I didn't need insulin for a week - either basal or bolus.
I was able to enjoy eating whatever I wanted, before my background levels slowly started to rise again at the end of that week.

That's something of note.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Hi Guys,

I've seen a few posts re members having the vaccine and then having issues with their BS numbers or general management of diabetes. This is unchartered territory so worth looking into to see if there are patterns and anything that could help those who are having a similar experience.

Can anyone shed light on what they've experienced so far and what the outcome was over time?

Same reaction as I would have to a virus/bug/infection. Deal with it by checking blood sugars and altering insulin up or down as needed.

I'm more interested to know what people blame their wayward numbers on if the vaccine wasn't in the picture 🙂

 

[pm133]

Same reaction as I would have to a virus/bug/infection. Deal with it by checking blood sugars and altering insulin up or down as needed.

I'm more interested to know what people blame their wayward numbers on if the vaccine wasn't in the picture 🙂

That would presumably depend on whether our numbers were normally wayward without the vaccine.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

That would presumably depend on whether our numbers were normally wayward without the vaccine.

Ah but no one ever has perfect numbers 🙂 We may wish we had and we strive to do the best we can, bottom line is we are not machines and no one ever achieves perfect numbers 24/7 365 days of the year.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Ah but no one ever has perfect numbers

Sure, but @pm133 's changes seem rather extreme for a typical sort of variation.

My side effects (for the Pfizer vaccine) were just a smallish fall in BG (so I had to reduce insulin by ~15% or so) for a few days.

The amount wasn't surprising, but the direction certainly was: I was expecting an infection/stress sort of change (so requiring a bit more insulin for a few days).

 

[mikeyB]

I had a slight fall in BGs after both AZ jabs, but nothing drastic. Back to normal two days later.

 

[Cherrelle DUK]

Very interesting so far!

Clearly, no one has perfect numbers all of the time, but it's useful to note the correlations so that we can prepare ourselves for the potential adjustments that may be needed.

Please do keep your experiences coming, even if they differ from what you experienced initially, as it's really helpful to build a picture of the impact that the vaccine is having over time.

 

[rebrascora]

The first day after the first vaccine (Oxford AZ- 11th Feb) all was fine and then I had a few days of erratic levels both high and low and about day 5 my levels started to rise and I was having to inject corrections every couple of hours or so... regularly stacking to try to keep control. Eventually upped my basal but levels continued to rise and needed more corrections. This continued for 3 months and my basal needs doubled in that time (16 daily units up to 35 when they would normally have decreased at that time of year) They increased a little more after the second vaccine but thankfully started to decrease about 2 weeks ago. I am currently on 24 units and had to top up with carbs a few times yesterday and today with carbs so there may be another reduction in my morning basal depending upon what my Libre graph shows happening as a result of my evening reduction tonight.

I half wondered if the vaccine had triggered my immune system into another (possibly final) cull of my remaining beta cells ie an end stage of my honeymoon period (2 years in on a low carb diet that might be feasible), but it remains to be seen whether my basal doses eventually return to pre vaccine levels or remain elevated.

 

[pm133]

Ah but no one ever has perfect numbers 🙂 We may wish we had and we strive to do the best we can, bottom line is we are not machines and no one ever achieves perfect numbers 24/7 365 days of the year.

You've got me confused now.
Nobody is talking about perfect numbers.