SAN DIEGO (KGTV): It may be tempting to take Tylenol or Advil before receiving a COVID-19 vaccine to avoid side effects.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that this not be achieved, at least until further research is done.
The science is mixed, but doctors say there is a possibility that pain prevention medications can dampen someone’s immune response to the vaccine, based on research on mice and previous studies on children.
In the absence of stronger evidence, experts encourage people to try other remedies first. They advise people to only use pain medications if they really feel side effects like pain, headache or fever that they cannot tolerate.
“If you had a choice, I wouldn’t take it sooner,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UC San Francisco. “I would take it later.”
Some over-the-counter pain medications work by blocking chemicals in the body called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are hormones that trigger the sensation of flu-like symptoms, so blocking them can provide relief. But chemicals also play an important role.
They’re like a “horn horn,” Dr. Chin-Hong said, because prostaglandins summon immune cells.
Taking pain medication before vaccination could turn off the bugle and result in fewer “troops” (antibodies) summoned to the battlefield, he said.
At least that’s the theory, though he points out that science is fine.
One study found that mice given ibuprofen produced fewer antibodies to the coronavirus. Ibuprofen is the active ingredient in Advil and Motrin.
A 2016 study of children who took pain medication before vaccination found that they also produced fewer antibodies. But, through a broader analysis of several studies, it was found that pain medications did not really make a difference.
The Oxford / AstraZeneca clinical trial tested preventive acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, and found that it did not substantially affect the immune response, said Dr. Christian Ramers of the San Diego Family Health Centers.
The Oxford vaccine does not use the mRNA technology found in Pfizer and Moderna dams.
“The evidence is not conclusive at this time,” Dr. Chin-Hong said.
He says people should first get the shot and then try simple remedies like a warm towel or an arm movement if they feel pain at the injection site. If that doesn’t work, he says it’s okay to look for pain medications.
When side effects appear after the shot, the immune system is already mobilized. “You won’t make him mobilize less,” he said.
Some experts have suggested that people consider acetaminophen for vaccine-related side effects instead of ibuprofen, as ibuprofen affects prostaglandins more directly.
“Personally, it probably doesn’t matter,” Dr. Chin-Hong said.
While the CDC recommends that people avoid pain medications before getting the vaccine, doctors say people who regularly take medications for chronic conditions such as inflammatory diseases or arthritis should follow their usual routine.