RA and the Covid Booster

Hi . We are not medical experts, so keep that in mind when you get responses here. From what others have posted here and in our Facebook community, it seems any reaction to the COVID vaccine, like a flare or the emergence of a comorbidity, occurs pretty quickly after the vaccination, usually within a few weeks. It is more likely that your body has adapted to Humira and that it has become less effective. When that happens, it is time to try something new. Could that be what is happening to you? Here is an article about one advocates struggle this same question: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/biologic-working. I thought it might interest you. I hope Prednisone brings this flare under control and that you go back into remission. If not, it might be time to talk with your doctor about a new treatment plan. Wishing you the best. - Lori (Team Member)

I agree it’s hard months later to know if the vaccine was part of your flare. Flares have been around long before Covid disease or vaccines. I do try to log my symptoms and have experienced many flares. I tend to flare after stress (from good or bad events), travel or too much activity. Or, maybe half the time I can’t identify a triggger. I’ve had Covid, pneumococcal, shingles and yearly flu vaccines since my diagnosis. Luckily, I notice no or mild symptoms the day after. Much like I did before RA. I think I’ve been lucky that way because others have had more difficulty. I Hope for your flare to end soon, Jo (moderator)

It's always a mystery for me what causes a flare, and I always think I've done something to cause it. Eaten something, didn't sleep enough, pushed myself too hard, who knows. Usually, it shows within a few days but if something happens months later I usually just chalk it up to the vagaries of RA and chronic illness. Living with unpredictability and having no rhyme or reason why things happen can be hard. I know that's not the answer you were looking for, but either way just know you are not alone. Keep on keepin' on, DPM

Hi . As noted in this article, "The American College of Rheumatology issued guidance regarding COVID-19 vaccination on Feb 8, 2021, and acknowledged a theoretical risk of flare of autoimmune disease after vaccination with moderate consensus:" https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8009616/. The article presents a case study where the individual had such a flare, but the flare occurred 12 hours after the second vaccination. This more recent article discusses a couple of studies on the topic of RA flares after the vaccine, including one that found this to occur in about 5% of cases. It is not specified, however, how soon the flares occurred, but I highly suspect they were looking at a shorter time frame than you describe. Trials usually operate on a shorter time-line in initial side effect reporting. This, of course, is not to say that the vaccine could not have played a part in your flare. It was a change for your system that involved the immune system, so the exact impact on your autoimmune condition is an unknown. I know this is an unsatisfying answer, but the most important thing now is to try to get your RA back under control. Has your doctor discussed any treatment beyond the steroids? Please feel free to keep us posted on how you are doing. wishing you the best. Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)