Can I Take Painkillers For Kidney Stones After 3 Days Of COVID-19 Vaccination?

COVID-19 vaccinations are happening all across the globe. Millions of people have taken at least the first shot of the vaccine. However, the interference of the vaccine with certain medical conditions and their prescribed medications are still under study. Amidst this, one of the concerns that most kidney stones patients have come up with is – Can I take painkillers for kidney stones after 3 days of COVID-19 vaccination?

The answer is Yes. Because there is no evidence of any side effects of painkillers after the vaccination.

However, patients may experience some other side effects after the vaccination such as:

• Fever 
• Headache 
• Muscle pain
• Diarrhea
• Pain and swelling on the arm where you get the shot. 

For how many days do the vaccine side-effects last?

The intensity and duration of these reactions can vary from person to person. Generally, these side-effects continue for at least 2-3 days after inoculation. These reactions are a good sign of the effectiveness of the vaccine. The only medicine(s) that your doctor may allow you to take during this period is to control the fever and other earlier mentioned reactions.

Kidney stone patients should be cautious before popping in any medicine after taking a vaccine shot. If you rely on pain killers to manage kidney stone pain, you must avoid them for at least 3 days after the vaccine or till all the side effects of the vaccine disappear.  

Why should you not take painkillers immediately after the COVID-19 vaccine?

Vaccines usually work by tricking the body and the immune system into believing that a virus is present inside the body. As a result, an immune response is generated in defense of this virus. This causes symptoms like inflammation, soreness, or fevers, and these symptoms usually indicate that the vaccine is working.

Most painkillers target inflammation in order to reduce the pain. In such a case, if you take painkillers immediately after getting vaccinated for COVID-19, the painkillers may interfere with the effect of the vaccine and curb the production of antibodies in the body. Therefore, it is advised to avoid painkillers, unless absolutely necessary, in the initial few days after getting the vaccine shot.

However, if taking a painkiller is the last resort, discuss it with your doctor. Also, try to prefer painkillers that contain acetaminophen (Tylenol) as it does not interfere with the immune response of the body. 

You can try these tips and remedies to ease kidney stone pain without a painkiller:

• Walk around the house as for some patients, movement can help alleviate the pain. You can also try a little stretching to ease the pain. Remember to stretch gently only.
• Take a hot water shower or use a heating pad for 20-30 minutes in the area. You can do this a couple of times a day to reduce the pain.
• Stay hydrated and keep drinking water and other fluids. This will enhance the functioning of the kidneys and flush out any waste materials continuously.
• Try to sleep on the side where the kidney stone is present. This will reduce the pain and also allow the stone to move down the urinary tract. 

When to call your doctor?

If you have recently received your vaccine shot for COVID-19, it is normal to experience fever and inflammatory reactions for 2-3 days. However, if the symptoms persist even after 3-4 days or if you notice severe redness or tenderness in the arm where the vaccine shot was given for more than 24 hours, immediately get in touch with your doctor without indulging in self-medication.

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