Can I take painkillers before or after a COVID-19 vaccine?
It’s best to avoid them unless you routinely use them for a medical condition. Although the evidence is limited, some painkillers can actually interfere with what the vaccine is trying to do: trigger a strong immune system response.
Vaccines work by tricking the body into thinking it has a virus and defending itself against it. That can cause arm pain, fever, headache, muscle pain, or other temporary symptoms of inflammation that may be part of that response.
“These symptoms mean your immune system is on the rise and the vaccine is working,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a recent newsletter.
Certain inflammation-targeting pain relievers, including ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, and other brands), can slow the immune response. A study on mice in the Journal of Virology found that these drugs can reduce the production of antibodies – beneficial substances that prevent the virus from infecting cells.
If you’re already taking any of those medications for a health condition, don’t stop before getting the vaccine – at least not without consulting your doctor, said Jonathan Watanabe, a pharmacist at the University of California, Irvine.
People should not take a pain reliever as a preventive measure before getting a vaccine unless a doctor has told them to, he said. The same goes for after an injection, “If you don’t have to take it, you shouldn’t,” Watanabe said.
If you need one, acetaminophen (Tylenol) is “safer because it doesn’t alter your immune response,” he added.
The CDC offers other tips, such as holding a cool, wet washcloth over the shot area and exercising that arm. In case of fever, drink a lot and wear light clothing.
Call your doctor if redness or tenderness in the arm increases after a day or if side effects don’t go away after a few days, the CDC says.
___
The AP answers your questions about the corona virus in this series. Submit them to: [email protected]. Read more here:
Can the coronavirus travel more than 6 feet in the air?
How long can I be contagious before I get a positive virus test?
How do I politely ask someone to wear a mask?