Should I take paxlovid?

[Anonymous]

I would take it. I loved it. I tested negative after 48 hours and no rebound. Same with my husband.

[Anonymous]

There's no evidence Paxlovid helps long Covid. Only evidence is that it helps reduce hospitalization in older individuals (I think over age 65.) I think it's massively oversold and many researchers are concerned it could lead to more resistant strains of Covid if so many people keep taking it.

[Anonymous]

I was going to post the same question at exactly the same time as OP. I got a prescription from my doctor at 11 am and now around 35 hours later am feeling so much better. The only drawback is I have the absolute worst taste in the back of my mouth. Like metallic.

[Anonymous]

Why not? Rebound is just the COVID returning, usually more mildly.

You already have COVID, so there is nothing to lose.

[Anonymous]

It takes your symptoms away very quickly. I expected the taste, and did not find it to be that bad.

I also got subtle diarrhea towards the end of my course, but that was mild.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It helped me and I’d take it again in a heartbeat.

Same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It takes your symptoms away very quickly. I expected the taste, and did not find it to be that bad.

I also got subtle diarrhea towards the end of my course, but that was mild.

It has to vary by person because it is a horrifically bad after taste for me. So gross and is lasting all day.

[Anonymous]

I had COVID this time last year (for the first time). I was 26 weeks pregnant. My symptoms were absolutely horrible, but I was still hesitant to take Paxlovid, though I ultimately did. I just did what I thought was best for me and my baby (with guidance from my OB). Between being pregnant and having asthma, I really think I would have been hospitalized if it weren’t for the medication. Thankfully, I gave birth to my healthy baby girl in March.

The medicine was fine except for the awful mouth taste. Though, I’ve heard not everyone gets it? I think being pregnant made it even worse. I had “morning sickness” the entire pregnancy.

I would take it again if I had to.

[Anonymous]

I'm taking it now.

I went from feeling like I was dying and unable to breathe to being tired yet able to walk around the house. Yeah, I have that bitter taste in my mouth but it's better than not being able to breathe.

[Anonymous]

Op here-thanks everyone.

I decided to take it. I felt improvement in my lungs within a day. That feels like a big deal because my lungs never fully recovered from the first time I had Covid. Other than fatigue and the metallic taste, I feel okay now.

Keeping my fingers crossed I won’t fall into the category of rebound folks and that I won’t fall back into my original long Covid symptoms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's no evidence Paxlovid helps long Covid. Only evidence is that it helps reduce hospitalization in older individuals (I think over age 65.) I think it's massively oversold and many researchers are concerned it could lead to more resistant strains of Covid if so many people keep taking it.

Disagree. JAMA had a big study supporting the idea it helps

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna119737

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here-thanks everyone.

I decided to take it. I felt improvement in my lungs within a day. That feels like a big deal because my lungs never fully recovered from the first time I had Covid. Other than fatigue and the metallic taste, I feel okay now.

Keeping my fingers crossed I won’t fall into the category of rebound folks and that I won’t fall back into my original long Covid symptoms.

Update? Are you glad you took it, OP?

[Anonymous]

OP - I'm right there with you. I was dx'd this weekend and hesitant to take it. However, the NP made a pretty good argument for it and had taken it herself. The response to it was very impressive. I'm a little uneasy about rebound, but what I've seen is that the percentage of people who do get it is from 2-20%. Either way, that's still 80% minimum that don't. I am trying to think of it like Yelp reviews. You hear more from the people who aren't happy.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, the first time I got COVID in May 2021 I took Paxlovid and got a terrible rebound. It was worse than the initial infection. I don't know if it was the COVID or the Paxlovid but even after I was feeling better I had terrible stomach trouble and loss of appetite that took almost two months to resolve. I got COVID in May 2023 and it was a much milder infection, I did not take Paxlovid and was better within a week or two. I think it really is a gamble but given my experience with Paxlovid I will not take it again unless there is more evidence to show it prevents long covid or they fix this terrible rebound situation. I am 44 with two kids and live a very busy life. The whole experience in May 2021 really F'd up my entire summer. On the plus side I lost 10 pounds but that is the only positive. I probably had no business taking paxlovid in the first place. It doesn't sound like they have a whole lot of scientific proof that Paxlovid helps low risk people at all.

[Anonymous]

In studies I've seen, even people who didn't take Paxlovid have reported rebound. My doc said that, more than likely, people who experience it had a very high viral load and 5 days of medicine wasn't long enough to knock out the virus. The med doesn't cause rebound, per se, and the person would have been sick or positive that long anyway.

I have a lot of family members who have taken Paxlovid and they've had good experiences (minus the metal taste).