Nirmatrelvir / ritonavir for COVID-19 User Reviews (Page 4)

• Jon...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 14, 2023

"I have a very bad dose of COVID. When I started these, I had a terrible taste in my mouth, almost like the aftertaste of tonic water, getting worse with each dose. I'm 2 days in, and if anything, I feel worse taking them, with stomach aches and nausea. They are apparently really hard on the liver and kidneys, and seeing as they have no long-term data and are just for emergency use, I have decided not to be a guinea pig with my internal organs. I binned them."

• Pea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 21, 2022

"I would not take Paxlovid unless you are deathly ill. It is beyond disgusting. I took only one dose and got a nauseating metallic taste. I immediately stopped. I’d rather have the sniffles than take this poison. I’m glad it can work to save lives. However, I think Pfizer needs to tweak the dosage. It’s way too strong. Six pills a day for five days - are you kidding me? Also, with only one dose, it gave me a “false negative” COVID test. Again, if you’re just suffering with cold symptoms from COVID - they’re better to deal with than that poisonous, nasty medicine!"

• Ske...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 22, 2022

"LOTS OF INTERACTIONS! Doc called in Paxlovid for me after two days of severe symptoms. Hydroxyzine seems to be the big culprit for me, ironically, I take it for anxiety. 36-hour panic attacks with terror and that awful metallic taste in every drop of saliva. I'm boosted and, in retrospect, had no reason to take this med. The way it metabolizes inhibits enzymes that are common in many meds - if you have multiple prescriptions, sit down and figure out if this is safe with your pharmacist BEFORE you need it. I wish I had never taken it, but the time crunch of starting it within the first five days was real. I quit after three doses. I wasn't able to feel relief from the side effects for almost 48 hours. Just awful."

• Ext...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 4, 2023

"This medication caused me massive headaches and completely left me in a very confused mental state during the daytime. Sleep was almost impossible due to the constant pounding of my head. My wife had a different Covid medication and had absolutely no issues. I would flatly refuse to ever take this medication again and would suggest the same to everyone else. Clearly, there is a problem that the drug company Pfizer is ignoring because of all the profits they are making."

• Sic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 16, 2022

"My first day of COVID symptoms began at 2 AM with headache and body aches. The intensity of these symptoms and new symptoms increased rapidly. Same day, I was tested and prescribed Pax. Tiny improvement the next day and then more symptoms, daily “revolving” symptoms, very sick. The only noticeable side effect is the metallic taste. So back to the doctor to hear, “It doesn’t always work.” (He suggests monoclonal antibodies infusion.) So a little research and I find this info on the Yale Med School website: “For high-risk unvaccinated persons, Paxlovid is still the most effective antiviral therapy when started within five days of symptom onset,” Dr. David Boulware, an infectious disease doctor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, tweeted Tuesday night. “But if vaccinated (or prior infection), then benefit is likely minimal.” Unvaccinated!"

• Cra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 17, 2022

"The side effects were brutal for me, a healthy 65-year-old male. I had nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bad aches and pains. My first dose was yesterday early evening, and by 1 AM I was a mess. My Covid symptoms are receding, so I intend to call my doctor to advise her I intend to discontinue. This is approximately day 4 of Covid symptoms onset."

• Kit...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 18, 2023

"Completely vaccinated and boosted. Became symptomatic and tested positive. Temperature shot up to 102.5 with regular doses of ibuprofen. Horrible sore throat, intense coughing. Temperature stayed there for 3 days until I got Paxlovid. One dose brought my temperature down to 99.6... sore throat gone! MAGIC! I'll take the metallic taste. Easy trade-off for me!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 16, 2022

"2nd day evening sleep was disturbed. Bad abdominal pain day 3, made sure I drank lots of water when I periodically woke up. The drugs create dry mouth and must create the same internally in the stomach. Lots of fluids needed when you take them. It brought down all the COVID symptoms - day 4 feeling great."

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 24, 2022

"4 vaccinations. Slight sore throat. Positive test. Started Paxlovid the same day. Felt like getting a cold. Tired. Went to bed early. Woke up in the middle of the night. All better. No fever. 4 days later, tested negative. Only downside is an awful taste."

• Per...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 15, 2022

"Tested positive 3 days ago, started Paxlovid that night, so have taken 5 rounds. As others have mentioned, terrible taste ever since. Hard to take the pills for a couple of days since they smell so awful but better now. After the 3rd round, I felt a lot better all of a sudden and even better after round 5. Cough still sounds like a barking seal, but it's less frequent. Fever kept going from 99.8° to 101.6° and back until after round 5 when it dropped to 98.4° - hope this is it for the fever. I was very hesitant to take Paxlovid, so I hope there aren't long-term problems."

• gie...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 6, 2022

"I tried this because I have Sjögren's, which puts me at risk for severe COVID. I wish I could tolerate it. It gave me the worst sore throat ever, it looked like my throat was bleeding. In addition, I had projectile diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps. Diarrhea was so bad that I could not make it to the restroom before I filled my pants. I also got it on the bedsheets, apparently having diarrhea in my sleep. Now concerned about what I can take now?"

• Sto...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 3, 2024

"I was prescribed Paxlovid a day ago after being diagnosed with Covid. I was already nauseous from being sick, so I took my prescription ondansetron for nausea. It helped. I’m also on acid reflux medication, so the OTC Walmart brand helped. The metallic taste is here, but my tea is helping with that. I am on dose 3, and my symptoms have gotten better. I pray everyone gets better!!"

• Flo...
• July 8, 2022

"What a miracle! Tested positive on Tuesday, got Paxlovid Wednesday morning. 100% better by Friday afternoon. Side effects are real. Awful taste in mouth and diarrhea, however, well worth it. Glad I’ve taken it. Best of all, it’s free of charge."

• Sha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 26, 2023

"I started the first dose on a night when I was feeling particularly bad. I was on my third night with a sore throat and a temperature of 102.3—I was having auditory hallucinations. The bad taste was almost immediate, but I tolerated it. I thought the first dose was okay and had no qualms about the second one. That’s when I started noticing discomfort. Firstly, my sore throat. I couldn’t talk or swallow—the drug made it intolerable. I was also dizzy, and I had a major headache. I detected a strange sensation on my lips and in my throat, but I went ahead with the third dose. Mistake! I had some dexamethasone, so I got it ready for an allergy. Didn’t need it. The worst part was that it sent me into a hypertensive crisis—I normally don’t have hypertension. My BP was 170/110, I was retching, and my head felt like exploding. Thankfully, I happened to have a prescription for a beta blocker on hand. Then I had explosive diarrhea. Never again."

• lla...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 6, 2023

"I took Paxlovid, and it made my mouth taste horrible. It fried my throat so badly that I thought I needed to go to the hospital. Gargling with warm salt water made the burning sensation a little more tolerable. However, the burning diarrhea was incredibly terrible, and it caused me to start bleeding. That's when I decided enough was enough and called my doctor. I was prescribed Epak to help alleviate the symptoms."

• Ann...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 21, 2023

"I wasn't really aware I had Covid, but once I'd tested positive, the doctor recommended Paxlovid as I have reduced kidney function. After the first dose, I felt very nauseous but persevered for 2 more days until finally the morning dose caused me to throw up. I'd already tested negative twice, so on my doctor's advice, I stopped the Paxlovid. Overall, it made me feel so unwell. I think that if I get Covid again, I'll just stick it out without antivirals."

• Can...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 27, 2023

"Omg, the taste is no joke. Started 30 minutes after the first dose. All I can smell is rotten milk and garbage, and I can’t eat anything at all because the taste is so bad. I’m already severely underweight, so if the taste doesn’t go away soon, I’m in trouble. Never again will I take this medication."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 18, 2024

"Got positive results on Tuesday starting Paxlovid. Today is Thursday. Have an awful metallic taste, light diarrhea. Fever was 102.6, now 98.7. Medication is working, but I will have to force myself to finish it. Yikes."

• Amb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 15, 2023

"I believe Paxlovid has helped tremendously with the symptoms of COVID-19. I began experiencing on Day 1: moderate sinus congestion and moderate headache, low-grade fever, slightly elevated resting heart rate. Day 2: severe sinus congestion, severe headache, high fever, elevated and irregular resting heart rate, severe sore throat, minor cough, moderate body/muscle aches/pains. Began OTC cold/flu treatments: Day/Night Mucinex formulas, Nyquil PM, Sinex Severe, acetaminophen/ibuprofen, cough drops. Day 3: all of Day 2's symptoms intensified, OTC meds not doing a thing... took COVID-19 test, indicated positive. Contacted PCP, advised of situation, was advised to continue OTC meds to treat the symptoms I was experiencing but also advised to take a prescription of Paxlovid, 3 pills every 12 hours for 5 days. An hour after my FIRST DOSE, my fever broke, my resting heart rate began decreasing. I actually fell asleep and awoke with no headache or fever, and all symptoms have been dissipating."

• Jul...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 10, 2022

"When I was prescribed, I was hesitant to take it because of the reviews. But the way I was feeling, I had nothing to lose. I am a fully vaccinated 46-year-old healthy female. A bit overweight. I had every symptom of Covid except fever. It was awful. The night I took Paxlovid, the next morning it was like magic. I had no symptoms except a tiny bitter taste in my mouth that does not last long, on and off, but it does depend on the individual. Honestly, I think one side effect they have not studied or are aware of is the toll it takes on you mentally, that medicine really does mess with your brain - very scary. I became negative in 8 days, so it does work. It has been 6 negative days, and I have not tested positive."

• Buz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 11, 2023

"I tested positive for COVID last January and took Paxlovid. It totally screwed up my GI tract, and even up to 4 months later, I still cannot eat much of anything. My doctor should have checked the EUA and my chart and known that I should not have been given the full dosage, but because they are idiots, they didn't. Do not take this Rx, it may have made some better, but not me."

• SM1...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 11, 2023

"My husband and I both tested positive for COVID. He took the renal dose, and I took the regular dose of Paxlovid. He had minimal symptoms, and I felt very sick before taking the med. After about 3 doses, we felt great. After the last dose, we tested negative for COVID. The only side effect we experienced was the metallic taste, which wasn't nearly as bad as we expected. About 3 days after my last dose, I began having COVID symptoms again, so we retested. We both again tested positive (my husband had no symptoms) and are back to square one with 5 more days of quarantine, etc. My rebound symptoms were no less severe than I had initially. Had I known then what I know now, I would not have taken Paxlovid and would not have had to endure COVID recovery twice, plus we wouldn't have had to miss spending Easter with our grandchildren. From my experience, I would not recommend Paxlovid, and I will never take it again unless there is an adjustment in either the dosage or the length of treatment time."

• Amb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 26, 2022

"I found out I had COVID 2 weeks ago. I had taken 2 different tests, and they both were positive. I called my health care provider, and she prescribed Paxlovid, and after the very first dose, I was feeling 70% better. I'm not kidding, it was amazing. I had no side effects at all. I'm very thankful they came out with it because it helped me get through COVID a lot easier than I thought. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who has COVID. Thank you to the makers of Paxlovid, it helped me a lot. Good luck to anyone out there who is going through the COVID sickness. Please give it a try, it was so helpful. Thanks again. It also was very easy to take 3 pills in the morning and 3 pills in the evening."

• Col...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 23, 2022

"I am an immunocompromised female in my 40s. I am fully vaccinated and boosted, but unfortunately, even as a vaccinated individual, COVID-19 still kicks my butt due to my immune issues. I have had COVID two times now, and both times have had to take Paxlovid to get over the illness. For me, the drug has been a game changer and huge relief. Both times, within 24 hours of starting the treatment, I have greatly improved to where I feel almost back to normal. Going from 103.5 fever, unable to walk, eat, or function, to being able to get out of bed and prepare a bowl of oatmeal feels like a victory! I have found the aftertaste everyone complains about is real, but I have the perfect trick (works for me at least). I suck on Apple Gin Gins - they help mask the bad after flavor and make it bearable, they help alleviate any nausea - I am not a ginger fan, but hey, it works for me. Small price to pay for five days, for me, this medicine works well."

• Zip...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 14, 2022

"I was double boosted and came down with COVID. After three days of miserable symptoms, i.e., headache, achy muscles, sore throat, dry cough, and mild fever, I had my doctor prescribe the Paxlovid for me. Unfortunately, the side effects from Paxlovid in my case were worse than the COVID. It started out with the awful metal taste many here are describing. Soon after, I began to feel nausea. Then the dry heaves and retching followed for the next six hours! It was awful, and I stopped after only one dose. My COVID symptoms may have improved, I can’t say for sure it was due to the Paxlovid or simply I was beginning to resolve anyway. But after the dry heaves, there was no way I could take another dose."