Paxlovid for COVID-19 User Reviews (Page 3)

• Say...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 21, 2022

"Beware! This drug's side effects are worse than the Covid symptoms. I have hypertension, and I was told to start taking Paxlovid for a positive Covid test. From the first dose, I could tell something wasn't right. Severe body aches, weird taste in mouth, stomach pain, and diarrhea. After one day, I was done. Straight to the trash can. I have no idea who this is supposed to be helping or giving it a 10, but I experienced the worst side effects ever with this drug. If you can, please just wait the symptoms out."

• 31 ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 5, 2022

"Vaccinated/boosted. Diagnosed with Covid after recently recovering from bronchitis. I was really scared about two upper respiratory infections in a row. PCP sent it in for me after a telehealth visit. Symptoms included a fever of 102, sore throat, terrible aches, and cough. There is a lingering bitter taste while on this medication, but gum, popsicles, and frequent sips of cold water help. All symptoms were gone within 24 hours after starting except for cough. Unfortunately, with this medication, I had to temporarily discontinue my anxiety medication because I vomited while on both. Also, mixing cough medicine with this prescription is not recommended. So anyone waiting to treat a lingering Covid cough does have to wait until the 5-day course is over, which is annoying (unless trying at your own risk). A little frustrating, unable to treat the cough yet, but otherwise 10/10, absolutely would recommend. Even if you aren't 'high risk,' don't let yourself suffer if you don't have to. Would take again!"

• Jay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 11, 2023

"Fully vaccinated and boosted but diagnosed with COVID on Saturday afternoon after extreme fatigue, sneezing, muscle aches, gastro, and headache; symptoms started the evening before. Started Paxlovid 300mg that evening. Now a day and a half after starting this medication, I’m feeling so much better, though still have a few days to go until it’s done. Thought taking it with food and water would work best for me. I was wrong. It tastes like I’ve been licking a street lamp, the metallic taste is strongest within 30-40 minutes after taking with food. Then gradually subsides as the medication wears off. The taste is stronger when the pills are taken with water. Not so awful when taken with beverages that are somewhat sweet. Jolly Ranchers help keep the bitter taste at bay most effectively, Tic Tacs a little less effectively. Beats a hospital admission any day."

• Lyn...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 2, 2023

"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."

• Gol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 17, 2022

"Thank you, science! Now on day 4 of Paxlovid, and I almost feel like myself. Vaxxed and boosted, my doctor prescribed due to my asthma. Deep chest cough and bad sore throat mostly gone. The terrible metallic taste was the only real side effect. Woke me up every night and lasted pretty much all day. Seriously like sucking on nickels all day! But a small price to pay to stay out of the ER or ICU. Was very hard to find in metro Denver. Should be more readily available."

• Flo...
• May 18, 2022

"Had nasal symptoms with cough and tested positive. Given Paxlovid. Terrible metallic taste and dried up my mucous membranes. Low-grade fever gone in 3 days. Never had any breathing problems. After 10 days and for the next 3 days tested negative on a rapid test. 2 days later symptoms returning and testing positive on a rapid test again. Paxlovid clearly did not work and has nasty side effects. Think twice about taking it."

• And...
• June 11, 2023

"I am a healthy, 115-lb 68-year-old female with no major health problems. I became extremely sick very quickly with COVID, and so I opted to take Paxlovid. I was told of the side effects (diarrhea, loss of taste) but was worried that my symptoms would worsen and took the risk. Bad decision! It did work quickly on my COVID symptoms, but the effect on my GI system was unbearable. I constantly felt nauseous, could not eat a thing (everything tasted disgusting and made me want to vomit), and terrible GI upset all the time. I was worried about losing too much weight too quickly and called my doctor to talk to a nurse. She advised me to finish the 5 days and 'drink a lot of fluids' since I couldn't eat. I completed 4 days but could not finish the last day of pills. I lost 5 lbs in 5 days. On top of all that: I got Paxlovid rebound! This drug needs more study."

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

"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 quadrant of belly, blurry vision, felt as if my blood pressure was up, in addition to the more common symptom of diarrhea."

• Mon...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 11, 2023

"I experienced a dry mouth with a strong sour taste that wouldn't go away. I got nauseated, and I felt like my stomach was burning. I almost vomited and had horrible nightmares. I stopped taking it after the first dose."

• 38 ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 21, 2023

"I was diagnosed with COVID on 3/13. I went in to see a doctor, and they gave me this medicine. First off, if your symptoms are not that bad, please do not take this medication. The only reason I took it was that this doctor told me I would start feeling better after 14 hours. That was so far from the truth. It made me ten times worse. From the metallic taste to the gagging, diarrhea, and upset stomach, this was the worst decision ever."

• Joe...
• July 22, 2022

"Did nothing but make my COVID symptoms worse. They should not be giving this medicine to anyone. It’s all smoke and mirrors to make you believe it works and they saved you when, in reality, it does nothing at all but make you more sick. The horrible taste it leaves in your mouth is disgusting. It caused me severe kidney pain, heartburn, headaches 30 minutes after taking it. I took it for 3 out of the 5 days recommended, and it did nothing but make me throw up, bleed out of my rectum, and feel like I was dying. I can only hope the damage it did is not long-term. My wife and I both got COVID at the same time. She did not take Paxlovid and was better way faster than me with 1/4 of the symptoms."

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

"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."

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

"I tested positive for Covid on April 15. If Paxlovid is advised for your context, they say to start ASAP after symptoms and a 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. A 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 I am double vaccinated and boosted. My symptoms were: heavy congestion requiring mouth breathing, some throat discomfort and cough, sore top of head on the 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. One hour after the dose, my saliva is bitter for hours. I got used to it and feel much better. I am prioritizing bed rest, hydration, diaphragm breathing, nutritious food, and asking for help as needed."

• ene...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 4, 2022

"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."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 26, 2024

"For COVID-19, 'I tested positive for COVID three days ago. I had a slight fever, sore throat, headache, and lots of head congestion. I lost my sense of smell and taste. It wasn't fun. As soon as I saw the test results, I reached out to my primary care doctor, who prescribed Paxlovid for me. I would say within a day, I could feel a difference. The symptoms definitely lessened each day. I had some side effects, like diarrhea and a bad taste in my mouth. It really worked, and after 3 days of meds, I was already testing negative. Just know that any medication side effects, even some of the worst ones, are still better than a severe bout of COVID."

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

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

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

"Wife has emphysema, so we thought we would take this to keep her out of the hospital as she was hospitalized for 3 months 2 years ago. On the 3rd day, she was getting worse, then stopped breathing and is now on life support. The doctors didn't tell us there are drug interactions. She's on 3 BP meds."

• fal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 13, 2023

"I can't really tell you if Paxlovid worked or not. However, my COVID symptoms were very mild after the first treatment. However, this horrific rotten metallic taste took over my mouth within two hours of taking the medicine. It didn't go away until I finished the medication. It was almost terrible enough to make me not want to finish the medication. But 5 days of terrible taste is worth not having long COVID."

• kir...
• May 4, 2023

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

• Deb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 5, 2022

"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."

• Kri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 19, 2023

"Whatever, you don't take it. I started taking it, and it made me feel worse 3 days in. Then, over a week later, I'm 20 times worse. I have had diarrhea for 2 days now. Feeling tired, and I'm in extreme pain, nauseous, 104-degree temps, headache, and just dying. Don't touch it."

• cov...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 16, 2023

"I began Paxlovid after testing positive for COVID-19, two days post-symptom onset. I had received the vaccine a month prior and this was my first encounter with COVID. By day 3, I had a cough, fever, body pain, severe headache, and asthma tightness. I chose Paxlovid to potentially reduce the risk of long COVID by 25%, considering one in five contracts it. Despite not being high-risk, I insisted on Paxlovid due to its potential benefits. I'm middle-aged, fit, and at a healthy weight. Within 24 hours on Paxlovid, my symptoms remarkably improved. By Saturday, the pain vanished with lesser cough and no fever. Kudos to the creators of Paxlovid! The only minor side effect was a bitter taste."

• Mat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 13, 2022

"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 doctor 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."

• Mlm...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 19, 2023

"Took Paxlovid less than 24 hours after symptoms/positive test. Effects kicked in within a day and helped greatly. No side effects whatsoever. Helped me feel better but didn't get me to a negative test faster-that still took 16 days. No COVID rebound. Would definitely take it again."

• 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."