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

• Lynette
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 2, 2023

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "Took Paxlovid as prescribed. Because I understood the foul metallic taste was to be expected, I tolerated it until day three, however, I then started vomiting, and my bowel motions became a very pale cream color. I stopped and it took some days for my body to return to normal. This was now ten months ago, and while I am still relatively well, I suffer unusual symptoms like spontaneous mild nausea that goes after a couple of hours, fleeting stabbing pains anywhere from time to time, and I know my body is not the same. I totally regret taking this medication."

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

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "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."

• Miss...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 27, 2022

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "It took Covid symptoms away within a day but then I had: extreme nervousness, sleeplessness, awful constant headache, ringing in ears, nightmares when I did sleep, pain in upper right quardrant of belly, blurry vision, felt as if my blood pressure was up in addition to the more common symptom of diarrhea."

• Kitty
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 18, 2023

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "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!"

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

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "I would not take Paxlovid unless you are deathly ill. It is beyond disgusting. I took only 1 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. 6 pills A DAY A for 5 days - are you kidding me? Also with only 1 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!"

• Debmg
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 5, 2022

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "My doctor prescribed Paxlovid, although my symptoms are relatively mild, due to my age (70). I took the first dose at night and had that same awful taste in my mouth that others have described here. I even got up at 3 AM to brush my teeth, to no avail. Oddly enough, the major Covid symptom I have is loss of taste. So lucky me - the one thing I can taste is this terrible medication. I took the second dose this morning, and have decided I will not be taking any more. I would rather have a stuffy nose a few more days than live with this gross taste. I cannot wait for it to wear off."

• Gerry
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 17, 2023

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "Took Paxlovid at the end of day one. COVID was causing serious symptoms—high pulse, increased blood pressure, bloating, mild nausea, congestion, sore throat, and fever (100). Surprisingly, after taking one dose of Paxlovid, I slept soundly all night and woke up free of the above symptoms except for a lingering milder sore throat. It's only day two, but Paxlovid is working effectively!"

• Exper...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 18, 2022

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "I just came down with a nasty case of Covid and was only offered Paxlovid. I took 3 days worth of the morning/evening combo packets (out of the 5 day treatment) and I can not continue any longer due to the nasty side affects. Okay, your super sick but have a 99.9% survival rate. Now lets stack on diarrhea, restlessness, nausea and a foul taste in the mouth that can not be minimized even with sour patch kids. Then you are supposed to give all credit to Pfizer when you get better. How would you really know that this drug helped you? Answer: You would never know. This drug is experimental and was rushed through at a record pace (1 year). I feel bad for the lab rats in Connecticut that had to endure these tests"

• Matt
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 13, 2022

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "I was diagnosed 3 days after symptoms started, I was ill and my husband took me to the ER. Sore throat, fever, chills. I asked about the infusion, and the Dr said they had pills, I said that’s great and took them (Paxlovid) for 3 doses. I have NEVER been so sick in my life, gastric nausea ….. I quit after the 3rd dose . That was 1 week ago. My whole trunk area severely aches! This should not be on the market in my opinion. I recently talked to 2 other people that had the same reaction I did. I am worried about liver and or colon damage."

• Ottol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 21, 2022

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "I tested positive for Covid April 15. If Paxlovid is advised for your context, they say start ASAP after symptoms and positive test result, but not later than 5-7 days from onset. I did a CVS E-Clinic. We had to make calls to find a pharmacy that had it in stock. Google search can also help. I am finishing day 1 of Paxlovid and have a positive experience. I am not in optimal health at 64, but am double vaccinated and boosted. My symptoms were: heavy congestion to require mouth breathing, some throat discomfort and cough, sore top of head on right and right neck lymph nodes, an acute headache for two days. I took Advil until I realized I could add back in coffee. That took the headache away and I don't need the coffee while recovering. No diarrhea and no loss of taste. 1 hr after dose, my saliva is bitter for hours. I got used to it, and feel much better. Am prioritizing bed rest, hydration, diaphragm breathing, nutritious food and asking for help as needed."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 30, 2024

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "I've been vaccinated and boosted. I've had COVID 6 times now. The first 5 I've gotten an awful bout of pneumonia afterwards. This time I called the doctor for Paxlovid on the first day of the positive test! I'm so grateful I did. In a day, I felt great. Two days later, I was testing negative and doing much of my normal routine at home and back to lifting. I'm baffled by how well it works. I do get a slight nausea after the morning dose, but the evening never seems to bother me. I do wake up with the awful taste... but all of that is mild compared to how I feel. Don't wait it out if you don't have to."

• enester
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 4, 2022

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "I'm halfway through my dose regime. I had recently been diagnosed with lung cancer and was in and out of the hospital for tests. I'm fully vaccinated with two boosters. On the day that symptoms became obvious - mild fever, cough, vertigo, nausea, headache, sinus. I tested positive on two home tests - and then called my doctor and left an evening message. I woke up with a message that Paxlovid was waiting for me at the pharmacy. I took the first dose right away. That day was similar to the bad symptoms as the day before, but when I awoke in the morning I was remarkably different. I felt much better, and the only thing that's held on is the sinus issue, and some fatigue (though much less). After reading these reviews, I feel fortunate that I haven't had the bad taste. My wife now has Covid, and I feel bad for her. With no underlying conditions she's just powering through, and isn't well. I'm very thankful for this product."

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

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "My first day of covid symptoms began at 2 am with headache, body aches. Intensity of these symptoms, and new symptoms, increased rapidly. Same day I was tested and prescribed Pax. Tiny improvement next day and then more symptoms, daily “revolving” symptoms, very sick. Only noticeable side effect is the metallic taste. So back to Doc 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, tweetedTuesday night. “But if vaccinated (or prior infection), then benefit is likely minimal.” Unvaccinated!"

• trist...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 28, 2023

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "I tested for COVID-19 2 days before I was prescribed this medicine. And yes, the taste was not good. The aftertaste was like metal, and I was not having an appetite. But after a few days, I swear by this medication. I weighed 172 pounds 2 weeks ago. Now I weigh myself this morning without clothes, I was at 159.2 pounds, so this medicine does make you not feel like eating and suppresses my appetite during this time. I went to the restroom often and slept most of the days in bed. Still, my morning breakfast was a slice of toasted bread and butter, lots of water, and 3 cups of tea. That's basically all I ate and drank for the first 3 days. I think this helped a lot with the weight loss. But anyhow, I am grateful for this medication, metal taste or not. I feel better than before because now I am on my last dose today and still do not feel hungry and tired anymore, but I have more energy and alertness. My goal is to get better and the weight loss along the way, that's a bonus!"

• Justa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 11, 2022

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "Horrible. I quit taking it after the 1st day due to horrible vomiting an hour after taking with each dose. It made me feel worse. I am back to alternating Tylenol and Ibuprofen. Praying I get better soon."

• Brandiq
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 13, 2023

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "I woke up with a severe sore throat and crusted-up mucus in the back of my sinuses and knew it was COVID. My home test confirmed. I had it once before in 2022 with no treatment available and was quite ill. When I called my doctor about the test, she called in Paxlovid. I'm 40 with 3 life-threatening autoimmune disorders and very high risk, though I have been triple vaxxed. My mother was hospitalized and died from COVID early this year, a little over a week after stopping this med after 2 doses due to the bad taste in her mouth, so I expected the bad taste and just dealt with it. Yes, it scared me considering her health was better than mine is! Would it have saved her? We can't know. However, it did appear to keep me out of the hospital this time. Please be aware that one of the drugs in this medication is a booster. It makes the other work better. This can affect other medications you take as well and can be dangerous, so read the package insert to be sure nothing is overlooked!"

• papa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 23, 2023

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "Just finished day 3, and yes, the metallic taste is unpleasant and yes, my rectum burns a bit today as I drop a little poop and for a few minutes after. HOWEVER, I am not a big advocate of pharmaceuticals normally other than antibiotics, yet I would take Paxlovid all over again. In that, I have leukemia, lymphoma, Sjogren's autoimmune disorder, and diabetes, and I am obese at 64. Although I managed to dodge COVID for 3 years, I came down with it 6 days ago, and would most likely have ended up in the hospital or dead without the Paxlovid. So, I fully endorse it. I don't do flu vaccines, though I did have the COVID vaccines plus two boosters, the second booster being bivalent. However, I did not have the latest COVID vaccine, so I credit Paxlovid and Tussin DM and lots of hydration with potentially saving my life. And when I could feel the COVID trying to get into my lungs, with my starting to wheeze twice in the last couple of days, the Paxlovid and Tussin DM stopped it in its tracks. Thanks, Pfizer."

• llareau
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 6, 2023

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "I took Plaxlovid, 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."

• the...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 23, 2024

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "After 3 years... Covid found me. I have a somewhat weakened immune system from cancer treatments. I was a bit hesitant to start Paxlovid... so I waited. By day 3 of Covid... my situation was heading south. I got a prescription, and I started the 5-day treatment. This is day 3 of my Paxlovid treatment. Here is what I've learned... 1. Paxlovid does make a difference! 2. The improvement comes quickly. 3. You will certainly get diarrhea... (you can't go anywhere/anyway). 4. The metallic taste in your mouth is a minor irritation (a zinc tablet helps with this and boosts immunity). All in all, this med does what you want it to do, but with some cost in medication side-effects."

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

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "LOTS OF INTERACTIONS! Doc called in Paxlovid for me after two days 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 first five days was real. I quit after three doses. I wasn't able to feel relief from the side effects for almost 48hours. Just awful."

• Max
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 4, 2022

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "I am 55 with lupus, asthma and high blood pressure. My biggest fear has been getting Covid because of my pre-existing conditions and the fact that I have had pneumonia several times over the past six years. I tested positive for Covid 8 days ago and by day two I had a 102 fever and was in the worst pain of my life. The Dr. in the ER prescribed Paxlovid and I believe it saved my life. Yes the nasty mouth taste is gross but I’ll take it 100 times over compared to how incredibly sick I was. Paxlovid truly works and thank God for that."

• kira
• May 4, 2023

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "HORRIBLE. Resolved my head congestion but made everything worse, left an awful taste in my mouth that made me so nauseous so that it wasn’t worth taking the medication anymore. I couldn’t sleep or focus on anything that taste my month was so bad."

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

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "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 ok 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."

• Candib
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 27, 2023

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "Omg the taste is no joke. Started 30 minutes after first dose. All I can smell is rotten milk and garbage and I can’t eat anything at all because the taste 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."

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

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) "4 vaccination. Slight sore throat. Positive test. Started Paxlovid same day. Felt like getting a cold. Tired. Went to bed early. Woke up middle of night. All better. No fever. 4 days later tested negative. Only downside is awful taste."