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- Experts advise against taking over-the-counter pain relievers before the coronavirus vaccine, as they can interfere with an optimal response.
- After the vaccine, avoid taking pain relievers to deal with side effects unless you have discussed this with your doctor.
- Keep your immune system strong before and after your vaccine by limiting alcohol, getting enough sleep, and drinking plenty of water.
- Visit the Business Insider homepage for more stories.
After receiving the coronavirus vaccine, it is common to experience mild side effects such as injection site pain, muscle pain, headache. Some proactive people have sought to help prevent these discomforts by taking over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen (sold in the United States as Tylenol), before their dates.
But experts are now warning against taking pain medication before vaccination because it’s unclear how they can interfere with the effectiveness of the shot. They may mitigate it by suppressing the immune response that both causes the body to fight off the coronavirus and causes side effects.
“We do not recommend premedication with ibuprofen or Tylenol prior to COVID-19 vaccines due to the lack of data on its impact on vaccine-induced antibody responses,” Dr. Simone Wildes, infectious disease specialist at South Shore Medical Center and a member of the Massachusetts COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group, told ABC News.
If you’re already taking a pain reliever regularly for an unrelated condition, however, don’t stop doing it without a doctor’s advice.
Read more: Why you should wear a mask for a few months after receiving your COVID-19 vaccine
After your vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends talking to your doctor before taking pain reliever if you feel uncomfortable. Other ways to relieve sore arms are to cover it with a cool, damp washcloth and keep your arm active, he says. In case of fever, drink plenty of fluids and dress lightly.
Call your doctor, the CDC advises, if the pain and redness gets worse after 24 hours or if other “worrying” side effects don’t go away within a few days. Call 911 if you think you are having a serious allergic reaction after leaving the vaccination site.
Limiting alcohol consumption before and after your vaccine may also help it work best.
The vaccine works by training your immune system to fight off invaders that look like coronavirus, so it is in your best interest to receive it with a healthy system. In other words, you want to put your best players in the game, not the ones on the injured list.
In addition to avoiding pain relievers, which can again suppress a desired immune response, experts recommend limiting alcohol before and after receiving the vaccine. A BBC report found that three glasses of Prosecco was enough to lower immune function.
Read more: What pregnant women need to know about the safety of the coronavirus vaccine
Other ways to support your immune system to both protect against the coronavirus and help the vaccine do its job include drinking plenty of water, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, managing stress, and eating. balanced.
While you can’t boost your immune system overnight, doing these practices for a few weeks can make a difference, Insider has previously reported.
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