So what did your dr. think? Does he think it's related? It sounds weird, since it was 6 days later. Where did you have your injection? Health Department? If so, I would call there (or maybe would regardless) and see what they think. Around here, it seems our health department would have the most info on the vaccine. It may be different in your area.

I know several who have had the injection but I have not heard anything about hives. Not even soon after. But still, hives would be better than Covid. I wonder if taking an antihistimine before the second injection would help? Maybe several days before and then afterwards?

I broke out in a rash as a kid when I got my measles shot. But only lasted a day. Association does not mean causation. I would not rule out the vaccination, but I would also take a look at what else might be causing you to have an allergic skin reaction. I struggled for months and months with an unusual reaction to a dye in a medication I was taking, and had every test in the book to determine the bacteria, fungus or virus that was causing the rash. Since I guess no doctor had ever heard of the rash as a reaction to the dye, it was only after I stopped taking the medication for a long while and then started it up again and then the rash started again that I made the connection. I did not see that side effect mentioned anywhere! I now take a different pill, same active ingredient just without the dye. So it is possible that you are having a vaccine reaction, but also something else could be causing it too.

Have you had other vaccinations and had a reaction? My experience other than that one as a kid has been minimal reactions other than muscle soreness to vaccinations. Cipro as an antibiotic is another story. That one can cause permanent tinnitus, as I and some of my friends have discovered . . . So yes, consider the vaccine but also consider other changes or causes that might come into play . . . seriously your doctor should be more proactive helping you on this, but from my experience, most doctors, even dermatologists (which I saw for my mystery rash) don't know much about atypical allergic reactions.

They said it was likely not an allergic reaction if it was the shot due to the length of time, but definitely hives and nothing new has been used or eaten. They did seem to think based on that it could be due to the vaccine, but nothing definite told to me.

still having new spots, but smaller ones and it has slowed down In spreading.

I got it at a drive through event, put on by 4 counties in the area that was done at the fairgrounds in one of the counties. Maybe I can call that county health department as I’m not aware of our county even having a health department- rural.

I will ask the doc about what can be done. Been taking antihistamines since the day after it started.

I have read several articles about others gettIng hives around the same time frame, but it was around the injection site. They did mention it as an immune response and a sign the vaccine is doing what it’s designed to do, but it scares me as most of what I’m reading says the second shot can have a stronger reaction.

Yes definitely better than having COVID as I can only imagine how my body would have responded to that if it did this to in response to the vaccine. I’ve never even noticed anything from any other vaccines I’ve had.

Yes, absolutely. Is it on both sides of your body? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25545307/

I belong to an online group (over 3000 people) that is monitoring our vaccine reactions, by posting our own experiences. Although I haven’t seen anyone who had something 6 days after the first dose, it is amazing how differently bodies are reacting to it. Hope you are ok after your second dose.

I read something that helps explain the stronger reaction to the second shot:

The immune system is primed from the first shot and kicks in with a stronger response.

"These symptoms mean that your immune system is revving up and the vaccine is actually working,"

Dr Walensky of the CDC.

lyfia, I am very sorry you are experiencing hives. I have serious allergies and had zero problems with my first vaccine. I had a reaction three days after taking Levaquin, an antibiotic. I ended up on steroids for a week. It stopped the reaction cold. One thing I would consider doing is ask the doctor for an Epi-pen and take it with you when you get your second shot. I took it with me just in case. In addition, I occasionally get hives with no identifiable allergen exposure.

Thanks @nosoccermom when googling that I don't think that is it. None of the spots they mention seem to match very well or the description of the look. However if I look at a picture of the lymphatic system many of the spots seems to follow that except a few. I have finally a day of not noticing any new spots so far. Most are on my front. Only have a few on my bottom and one spot on my lower back.

Those articles aren't hives, but something similar. A week later, the hives are not likely a reaction to the vaccine, but they could be a sign that your immune system is ramped up and you could be having a stronger reaction to something that is not normally so troublesome. One of the things about hives is that you often never know what caused them.

Lyfia, I'd definitely go outside your doctor on this. Aren't hives due to an allergic reaction? I had them once in college, all over me and I was miserable and I still don't know what happened, but I was allergic to lots of food back then and my reactions always happened in the throat.

Maybe when you go in for your booster tell them about your reaction and stay put for awhile to make sure you don't react to the booster.

I'd call Dr. Fauci. :)

I pinkmoutain, I also thought it might be shingles.

@Oakley - now that is funny on calling Dr. Fauci - if we only could ;). The doctor said allergic reactions tends to be fairly close to when you actually see the reaction occur and I had absolutely nothing new added and antihistamines has done nothing to improve it either and it kept getting worse for 5 days until it finally started slowing down some. I still have been taking Benadryl as it knocks me out so I can sleep through the itching.

@l pinkmountain - no it wasn't shingles and didn't even resemble shingles or how it manifests itself according to the doctor. It was a very clear case of hives according to them and I just googled pictures of hives and that is a perfect match to it. The did say the usual causes are allergic reactions or viral infections. Except I've had no other symptoms of anything else.

I did find that a rash is common with COVID so don't know if symptoms from the vaccine could be similar to symptoms of COVID although all I have are the hives and then of course others having had the vaccine and had a rash occur around the same time frame except theirs started around the injection site. Mine started on the same arm as I was injected in, but not where I was injected.

Shingles follow a nerve path and are generally very painful.

I thought about shingles as well. It can be brought on by stress, and who isn't under stress right now? It is unusual to get an allergic reaction so many days after the injection.

I'm really annoyed with Houzz right now as not all responses appear to be showing up all at once. When I responded I only saw Oakley's and l pinks responses and now more are showing up, that were posted before I responded. Very irritating that I'm not seeing all responses when they were made.

@maddielee do you think if your group minded if I joined. I still have almost two weeks until my 2nd shot. I read the same thing about the second dose. Just scared if this would get worse as it is so itchy and uncomfortable and for it to be even worse .....

@lizbeth-gardener I had nothing new or different. My days for the last month have been very much the same and nothing new eaten or exposed to anything new besides the vaccine. I work from home, and we cook at home using no new ingredients and I drink only water. I will ask for other anti-histamines if it happens again. I seem to finally have turned a corner.

@lascatx - this is at this point what I'm leaning towards and will bring up again to the doctor as I did as if it was an immune reaction since I have several auto-immune conditions it could very well be my immune system.

No pain, only small blisters in two spots which both were on my wrists, the other 11 spots had no blisters, just itchy spots looking like this picture that pops up when using google and typing hives.

Only 3 of those spots were on my torso one near the navel and below it that looked like the middle picture going up and down near the navel. One like the first picture right below my breast on the ribcage on my left side and another like it in the general area of the lumbar vertebrae. Others were on the inside of my thighs and all was either like the first or second picture. Top of my knees, on my wrists, in the bend of my left arm, one on the right side of my neck under the chin and then my bottom. Doctor said it was not shingles. Nothing on my sides of the torso or wrapping around.

ETA: No difference in my stress levels which are on the low side.

Well, sometimes reactions aren’t seen for awhile...this article is on a local television station website. EIGHT a days after the Moderna vaccine.

“Author: Tim Blodgett

Published: 10:21 PM EST February 4, 2021

Updated: 10:21 PM EST February 4, 2021

SAN DIEGO — As thousands of Americans are being vaccinated for COVID-19 every day, many people are reporting side effects associated with the injection. Fatigue, fever, headaches are all common in those who have been recently vaccinated. However, one effect of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine that seems to be cropping up recently is known as “COVID Arm.

“It was almost exactly eight days after my vaccine, so all of a sudden it showed up and I was like, wow, my arm’s really burning," said Kara Leeper, a speech therapist living in Los Angeles. More than a week after she was vaccinated with a dose of the Moderna vaccine, she noticed a red rash on her arm where the needle went in. "When I looked at it, it was just a big red bull’s eye rash and it itched and hurt and was warm to the touch,” she said.

Though she said the rash on her arm only lasted about 48 hours, she still wondered what could of caused it.

“So it’s either an immune reaction, but delayed, So it’s your immune system revving up. Or it’s just reacting to one of the components in the vaccine," said Dr. Mark Shalauta who is the Co-chair of the vaccine committee in Rancho Bernardo after seeing the photos. "But it’s not really an allergy, so it’s not dangerous and absolutely OK to get the next one.”

He says that the vaccine is still safe and effective and there is easy ways to cope with pain or discomfort that the shot may cause like a cold compress or an antihistamine. But keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t get worse.”

Just because you have never reacted to an allergen before does not mean that you will not develop a allergy or sensitivity over time.

Well at least you are doing better. I would definitely think it was caused by the vaccine and like you said, maybe your immune system is reacting, more than an allergen, especially since antihistimines are not helping. Shingles definitely do not look/act like hives.

Hope it is over completely soon and that you do not have another reaction after the second dose.

@RNmomof2 zone 5 so true except I'm improving now and still eating the very same things and using the same products so I would think I would have to remove whatever the allergen was if that was the cause for it to improve.

Hives can result from many kinds of allergens. The first time I had them I was in high school and we were blowing up balloons to fill a Great Pumpkin costume -- I reacted to something in or on the balloons and wound up taking benadryl and going to sleep -- the only thing that relieved them. I have blown up so many balloons of all kinds inthe years since and never had a similar reaction. The thing you have been reacting to could be a pollen, a chemical, or any other number of things.

Make sure to tell the people administering the vaccine once you get your booster. The second shot could cause you an even worse reaction. It is probably something in the vaccine to give it shelf life or just a carrier. I know some people with egg allergies have trouble with some shots. And you can all of a sudden develop an allergy. That was me with the red dye. It's frustrating trying to figure it out. Just be careful and watchful . . .

I had a bad dose of mold allergy last year, and I had never had that before. But spending more time inside, and our house having a lot of old carpet, all added up to it getting worse for me as I've aged. Hubs and I both have it now, having never had it in our younger years . . . boy I tell you these minor inflammations are really annoying. Not enough to make you really sick, just feeling generally not up to par . . .

Just popping in to say that my mom and I both got hives 8 days after our first Moderna vaccine. My mom's reaction was just on the arm the shot was given. Mine was trunk of my body and wrists and ankles. My mom's doctor said it was a reaction to the shot - an immune reaction to the vaccine and nothing to worry about. She also contacted Moderna who told her it is safe to get the second vaccine. We are both getting the second shot this week.

Shingles are only on one side of the body. Hives come and go over a few hours.

I know of at least two people who had something like this appearing 5-6 days after Moderna vaccine:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5480068/

If you have some immune system issues, you may have some unusual reactions -- direct or indirect. It might not be a reaction to the vaccine so much as having your immune system revd up and that causing something else to happen. I would mention it to your doctor. You could ask whether they feel it should be reported as a possible side effect and whether you should take any precautions with the second dose.

I am convinced that this is not due to an allergic reaction as nothing has changed. Still eating the same things, hadn't left my house except to pick up groceries from curbside which was the day after the vaccine and of course to get the vaccine before this happened. I have since gone places and picked up groceries again, but I'm improving so doubt that has any affect. Haven't done any new things at home or touched things I don't touch regularly etc.

@harp2164 - your reaction sounds similar to mine and my wrists were the worst of all. Good to hear what your doctor said. Still waiting on mine and will be contacting them again soon. I hope you don't have to go through the misery again with your second shot. Good luck!

@nosoccermom - thank you for that information of the two you know. Although that article does not seem applicable as Pityriasis Rosea as they describe it doesn't fit.

Seems that knowing others got it makes me feel a little better and that is normal for some. I still have skin discoloring where it was and one area is still itching, but that is getting better. If I'm lucky I'll have two weeks of nothing (2nd shot is next Wednesday) and then I'll have to go through it again. Best would be if it was just a one time thing and won't happen with the second shot.

Lyfia, I hope you are doing better. Three days after my dads moderna vaccine and he’s developed itching on his face and neck. But it only happened after he took his medicine in the morning, and lasted about an hour. No hives, but lots of itching. Pharmacy says same bottles of meds he’s been taking for several weeks. I’m wondering if his is from vaccine.

Just saw this article today about another immune response to the vaccine, which causes blisters, very dangerous if not treated. We know so little about the immune system, and doctors often know little about immune responses to various things. I went to see a whole host of specialists for my rash but finally figured it out by myself. One thing for sure, these symptoms should not be ignored by doctors just because they're not sure what is causing them. They should be investigated. Do read this story, linked here. Thankfully the doctor of the woman featured did some research and outreach to try and find treatment for her, better than what would have happened if s/he had just said, "Oh it will go away" . . . or kept at the standard protocols and didn't realize that there were new developments.

Having had some "atypical" responses to other medications, and my one serious but not life threatening reaction to the measles vaccine, I would say that one should err on the side of caution and monitor the situation closely with the help of a GOOD doctor. It's difficult sometimes to decide how seriously to take these minor annoyances because most of the time they just resolve on their own, except when they don't . . . I'm always paranoid I will ignore some skin cancer sign . . .but on the flip side I don't have the time or money to be running to the doctor for every little thing . . .

https://www.yahoo.com/news/few-covid-vaccine-recipients-developed-133911410.html

Edited to add that hubs had a recurring rash that he said he picked up "in the pool at college" which recurs whenever he spends time in a public pool. It looks like the "whole body" pictures of the Pityriasis. It comes and goes at other times too. Like I said, association is not causation, because I got my first Pityriasis outbreak in college and had never spent time in the pool there, although I did go to the hot steam sauna a couple of times which necessitated going into the locker room. But still, that's just the age I was, of the typical outbreak. It came and went with me having no idea why. I did not realize that it could occur later in life. I have not had a flare up again of it. I don't have a problem with our town's public pool or locker room so far, although I never frequented it a lot.

Edited AGAIN to add that delving into the fine print of the whole article Nosoccermom posted, Pityriasis rosacea is also indicated as a possible side effect of taking omoprazole/Prilosec, which hubs has started taking for acid reflux. https://www.drugs.com/omeprazole.html

Ah the mysteries of the immune system . . .

@legomom23 - it could be, but the only way to know is whether it happens again when he takes his normal medicine. Ie if it only happens when he takes his normal medicine he could suddenly have developed an allergy to it. However the sudden development of an allergy is also an immune response so it could be tied to the body mounting its immune system as well based on what I've been reading. I hope he doesn't feel anything again and it was just a short term thing. I highly recommend using the Vsafe system to report on how he is feeling.

The immune system is certainly a complicated thing and everyone reacts differently. Since I already have some conditions which has caused my immune system to go awry it is not a surprise that it could again. The thing is you can take your chances with the virus or the vaccine either which have the potential for causing immune conditions and worse or you may be lucky and not get exposed. I like to be out and about and traveling and being high risk I don't want to continue to be stuck at home as we mostly have been. At least I'm an introvert so that helps, but I like a change of scenery and really want to go home and see my mom who has sudden onset of dementia. At least the vaccine is a controlled amount vs. you don't know what the effect of being exposed to the virus would be - small or a large amount and even those that have been exposed to a small amount have had complications.

I really appreciate all weighing in on this. I still have discolored skin, but the itching is finally gone - none this am so hoping this is it for now at least,

Yes, I can confirm a similar reaction. Eight days after first shot(0n 2-26-21), I started acute Urticaria (hives) within few days it was on my muffin top area, all over legs and arms up to top of bicep muscle.Nothing on face, back or stomach/chest. I've had four doctors appointments.

PCP ( via video visit) first gave me an antifungal regimen 7 days and Methyl-Prednisone 6 day regimen. Some slight resolution but at Urgent care, Dx was Acute Urticaria. I received large shot of Methyl-prednisone in thigh and Xyzal ( Levocetirizine) strong antihistamine 3x/day/5 days and then one a day until supply (30) is gone. I am still itching severely , rash has most faded but skin still has discoloration. Need to wait until rash and itching are completely gone before taking second shot of ?.Good Luck, I guess it's a small price to pay protection against against Covid-19 virus.

Lyfia, I posted about getting hives recently. I didn't think it was the vax, because it was more than a week out for me, too.

I thought it was sulfites from a white wine reduction. But tonight I made a citrus beurre blanc with white wine reduction and, no hives. So it may have been the vax.

Uffda!

I wish I could help you guys that are suffering!!!

Luckily....I had basically ZERO side-effects from my 2 Pfizer shots. VERY minor headache-like sensations the day OF the shots. I've sometimes wondered if my taking weekly allergy-shots way back in HS (1978?) may have helped in some small way for this Covid-vax issue?! The 1st of the 4 or 5 vials was virtually CLEAR (very weak), & the last vial looked like Coke (full-strength!)!! I remember the first few shots caused a big "bump" on my arm!! At some point, each shot only caused a little "mosquito-bite" bump.

After all these years, I'm still so thankful I got those shots!!!

Might getting "Allergy-tested" help some of you?

Faron

I have not read any of the comment you have received, and so I will respond to your original post:

Yes, I did get a red rash about six days after my first Moderna vaccine, but I could not go to the doctor because we had gone to Palm Springs for three weeks right after I got my vaccine. When I returned to Los Angeles to get my second shot four weeks later, the technician told me that a rash like I had was a common reaction, whether it is publicized or not. She told me to take Benadryl, which I did, and that helped, and then when I saw my regular doctor, he gave me a steroid shot, which helped even more. Three weeks after the second shot, my rash is gone, but for the second, third, and fourth weeks after the first vaccine, the rash was horrible, and it bled quite a bit. I soaked it, put lotion on it, and even tried to get it to dry out in the sun, but the lotion was only a very temporary (about an hour) relief.

My rash was on the tops of my feet, my back, my legs, and my arms. I had to buy a special tool to be able to apply lotion to my back. When I scrubbed the rash with a bath brush, it would bleed. I took Ibuprofen for the pain. I'm glad it's over.

I've not read about this type of rash as being a side effect of the Moderna vaccine, but my doctor and the technician at the Santa Monica Hospital confirmed that it is/was.

My rash only flared up slightly after my second shot, but then I was able to see my doctor for the steroid shot, and I think that helped take care of it.

Yes, I’m getting hives 10 days after first shot

Yes exactly the same happened to me and I’ve been living on antihistamines now for a year and a half. Phyzer vaccine def affected my immune system. Allergic to everything now and constant itching and rashes all over. It’s not fading away as I had expected and hoped. Life changing for sure.