Ibuprofen is not recommended after vaccination. How long should you hold off?

If you experience mild side effects after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, then it is not recommended to take ibuprofen, more specifically NSAIDs. As Bartosz Fiałek underlines, this is a recommendation, not a prohibition. “If you are taking these drugs on a long-term basis because of a clinical condition or are allergic to paracetamol, then you can take ibuprofen,” he says.

1. Mild to moderate side effects are the common, but not inevitable, reaction of the body to the vaccine against COVID-19.
2. It is recommended that you do not take ibuprofen in this case. – These drugs may worsen vaccine protection – says Bartosz Fiałek, emphasizing that this is not an explicit prohibition
3. The doctor also explains why there is no information on how long you should not take these drugs
4. More information can be found on the Onet homepage.

Pain after receiving the vaccine. What kind of painkiller?

The most common side effects after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine are pain at the injection site, headache, muscle aches, chills, and fever. It is the reaction of the immune system to the preparation, our body produces antibodies and immune cells.

Of course, not everyone experiences these symptoms after receiving the vaccine. However, when they do appear, it is a natural instinct to use painkillers and antipyretics. Some experts, however, recommend that you refrain from it and let your body “do its thing”. And when we have to support ourselves with the drug, it should be paracetamol rather than ibuprofen. Why?

– Due to the mechanism of action of non-steroidal analgesics, not only ibuprofen, but also ketoprofen, diclofenac, nimesulide and others, at the cellular level they may affect the generation of a weaker immune response. They can, but this does not mean that they will definitely worsen this vaccine protection. Therefore, the preparation of choice in the event of post-vaccination side effects is a drug that does not belong to the group of non-steroidal painkillers, and also works well against fever and pain, i.e. paracetamol – says Bartosz Fiałek, a specialist in the field of rheumatology.

1. Expert: Fewer infections may prove vaccination effectiveness

– It is recognized, and it is understandable from a molecular point of view, that paracetamol has less influence on the generated immune response than NSAIDs. The mechanism of action of paracetamol is different, central – adds the doctor.

Vaccination against COVID-19. How long should ibuprofen not be taken?

Many people who have struggled with pain after receiving the vaccine note that it is clearly stated not to take ibuprofen in this situation, but there is no precise information on how long you should wait with it.

1. Also check: How many adverse reactions after vaccination against COVID-19?

How does Bartosz Fiałek explain this?

– Regarding the time we can use NSAIDs after vaccination, there is no scientific evidence to support this interval. From a biological point of view, it would be advisable to wait the minimum time when the expected immune response is deemed to have been generated, i.e. when we achieve fully vaccinated status. In the case of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca, these are two weeks after receiving the second dose, in the case of J&J two weeks after the first dose.

So as you can see – the time varies depending on the preparation. First, however, it must be said that it has not been investigated, so we do not know for sure. We can presume from immunological processes that it is best to wait, if possible, before taking NSAIDs until fully vaccinated. Plus there are individual features, after all, everyone responds individually, so it is difficult to find a universal period of time here – explains the doctor.

1. Is it worth checking if I have antibodies after being vaccinated against COVID-19?

– However, in the context of taking NSAIDs, this is only a recommendation. If a patient is chronically taking NSAIDs due to a clinical condition (disease) or health problems (rare allergy to paracetamol), then in the case of ailments after vaccination, which must be relieved with painkillers or antipyretics, we take NSAIDs. It is recommended to avoid them, but if you cannot give them up, then you should take this medicine – emphasizes the rheumatologist.

Also read:

1. The number of people infected with COVID-19 is declining. Prof. Kuchar: the worst is over
2. How to deal with brain fog after COVID-19? [WE EXPLAIN]
3. In May, the number of COVID-19 infections worldwide decreased. In which countries is it still growing?
4. Could more coronaviruses threaten people? Scientists concerned
5. Vaccinations in Poland – how do we compare with other countries?

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