I received my first Pfizer mRNA Covid vaccine on April 1, 2021. That night, at 11:30 PM, I woke up with a massive heart rate increase that “peaked” around midnight and subsided by 12:30 AM. This continued every night. During my visit to the arrhythmia department at DS, I asked if my pacemaker could be causing the palpitations.

The nurse responded that one might notice when the pacemaker “restarts,” but it usually doesn’t happen at the same time. The palpitations worsened after the second dose and became even more severe after the third. I also developed a blood clot in my leg, inflammation under my teeth, and the skin condition granuloma annulare. I’m allergic to colophony (a substance similar to the excipient PEG in the vaccine).

I sought help, sending a letter to the responsible team at DS and had two emergency admissions via ambulance. In my letter, I included images of my blood pressure monitor and my Apple Watch readings. Following this, I was called in for a doctor’s appointment, which I attended with my husband.

About a month later, I was informed that my pacemaker would be replaced.

When the 14-year-old pacemaker was replaced, the nightly time-bound heart rate increases stopped!

Despite this, all referrals from my primary care doctor over two years led to no further investigations.

Sara Lindqvist (pseudonym)
Sweden