. . . there’s a feeling of . . . coming out of a fog.
Yeah. Turns out . . . I haven’t quite finished talking about my Covid adventure (or . . . mis-adventure?) quite yet. Because there is more to the story.
You might recall that two weeks ago today (to the day) I touted my joyous “re-entry” following Covid. And I did have several quite nice days of reprieve there — feeling good, testing negative — before Covid reared its head again with Paxlovid “rebound” infections, first for Tom and then for me.
Sigh.
Not what we were hoping for.
By now, you’ve probably heard all about Paxlovid. It’s a highly effective anti-viral treatment for Covid — especially effective for people over 50, and double-especially effective for people who are at risk for complications of Covid. Paxlovid . . . keeps people out of the hospital. The bad side of Paxlovid, though? Rebound infections. (And a really vile taste in your mouth while you’re on the drug.)
I happen to fall in that category of people at (I would say only slightly) higher risk of complications from Covid. Not because I have rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune disease) or because of any medications I currently take . . . but because of a medication I last took in late 2018. This particular medication really messes up your immune system for a number of years (something about T-cells. . . or maybe B-cells? I can’t quite recall, but it wipes out immune response for up to 5 years). (It also works really well, and I’m sad that I can’t have it right now. But the outcomes are too risky for casual RA treatment during Covid times.) Anyway, because of my history with this particular medication, I am on “the list” of compromised folks. My doctors recommended that I take Paxlovid as soon as I tested positive. (Tom took it, too.)
And the Paxlovid worked really, really well. After just a couple of doses, both Tom and I felt much better — and it didn’t take us too long before we tested negative again, either.
But, like I mentioned, both of us experienced “rebound” . . . with our Covid symptoms and postive test results returning. For both of us, the rebound symptoms were more like . . . bad head colds. Neither of us had fevers or body aches; just stuffy noses and annoying coughs. Tom slept a lot. I got terribly out-of-sorts (really awful crankiness) (but that happens to me whenever I get sick; I am just not a good sick-person). The rebound symptoms were milder than our original Covid symptoms — but still highly irritating. Because between the two of us – tag-teaming Covid from the beginning – it just seemed like such a huge step backward.
At first, I kept wishing I hadn’t taken Paxlovid in the first place. But . . . you really never know. I only had about 2 really bad Covid-symptom days before taking the Paxlovid. Who knows how things might have developed without Paxlovid. I am at (slightly) higher risk. I was at the end of my booster cycle (I’d been scheduled for my new covalent booster the day after I began taking Paxlovid). I was probably more vulnerable to Covid than I had been since being vaccinated. Who knows how I’d have responded without Paxlovid, y’know?
“You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from.”
― No Country for Old Men
The Paxlovid did what it was supposed to do. It minimized my Covid symptoms, and then – when I rebounded – my resulting symptoms were manageable (but irritating; have I mentioned that already???). I was uncomfortable for a few days. I had a nuisance cough and a baaad attitude. BUT . . . I didn’t end up in the hospital, nor did I need attention from my doctor. It was a like a bad head cold. And I got through it.
(FINALLY. Officially out of the fog.) (Just this morning, by the way.)
So I guess all this is to say . . .
I’d take Paxlovid if I had it to do all over again.
Tom . . . would not.
The scariest thing about Covid . . . is that people die from it (are still dying from it). And it seems awfully random sometimes . . . who struggles with Covid, and who doesn’t. As for me, well. I think I’d rather deal with a horrid taste in my mouth and risk a possible “rebound” . . . than end up in the hospital.
If you’re not at risk, I don’t think I’d recommend Paxlovid. But if you are – or if someone you love is – I think it’s an option worth considering.
(And I hope this is my last post about Covid.)
Darn! I thought you had escaped the Paxlovid rebound. I do hope this is your last covid post – not because I don’t want to read about it, but I do hope you are done with it. I’m scheduled to get my bivalent booster this morning. I dithered about scheduling it or not, because the immunity seems so short-lived, but then there are all those warnings for people over 60. I hope you and Tom are feeling back to normal (and benefiting from your longer-lasting but hard-won antibodies)!
Sigh. I have very mixed thoughts on all this, but I am so very glad that there are such smart scientists working so hard to help people… vaccines, medications, and all the things they do to make our lives much better and longer!
I think the biggest inconvenience was all the time you had to quarantine… that just plain sucks. But good for you for doing it, so many are not. (Steve’s work cannot break out of the COVID cycle… so I know it is just a matter of time before we have it here.)
Thank you for sharing your COVID/Paxlovid experiences! And I am so glad you are negative! XO
Oh geeze! So sorry to hear this Kym and glad you are now (ginally) out of the fog…and hoping Tom is as well. Fletch and I got our 3rd booster shots before vacation and I’m glad we did. We wore masks, did not hug our friends in NH, and saw many, many people without masks. It’s a scary mess, for sure. Next up we will get our flu shots and then our 2nd shingles vaccines. The cycle just keeps going round and round!!
Well damn. I had no idea this happened and I’m sorry that you had to deal with a rebound. I had actually not heard about that but I also don’t know anyone who has taken Paxlovid. I’m sitting here this morning with a sore throat and stuffy nose and pondering . . . allergies? head cold? Covid? Who knows!
You said it so well. We just don’t know! Our doctor wouldn’t think of giving it to us unless we had trouble breathing. So, we didn’t take it but some friends did (who were not at great risk) and they felt better quickly (like you did) and they did not have rebound. It’s just something we don’t know along with all the other things we don’t know. Is anyone working to figure all this out so we might know in the future? It seems the ball has been dropped with a thud.
I’m glad you are starting to feel better.
So sorry to hear you got the rebound from Paxlovid. This whole pandemic has been kind of hit or miss. I hope somewhere their are studies helping to figure out the mystery of Covid. Getting my flu shot this week but no third booster until the end of November.
I had not heard about this rebound thing, and I’m so sorry you had to experience it. But glad you’re better now.
I am sorry about the rebound, though it does seem to be a fairly common thing. I think what a lot of people seem to forget about the vaccines and the treatments is that they can’t prevent you from getting COVID, just like a flu shot won’t entirely prevent you from getting the flu. But we have learned that there is no predicting who will get really, really sick or die from it, so like you said, if it means a few more sick days and a bad taste, it is probably worth it. I certainly hope this is the last time you have to deal with it.
Caught up! Covid (ugh!), reading, your adorable PUMPKINS, the weather, your knitting, the darn deer! I’m so sorry to hear that you had Covid… but totally agree that ya just gotta enjoy yourselves & live a little.
I am sorry to hear that you have had a rebound and become re-infected, very frustrating. I don’t think Paxlovid is prescribed here in the UK, maybe it is, I have not heard of it. I am not in a vulnerable category thankfully nor have I had COVID yet so I guess it is not on my radar. I do hope you continue to feel better and have no more relapses.
Glad you are feeling better!!
Well darn it all. I am glad you are feeling better. I am sorry about the rebound. This happened to a friend of mine too. This Covid business is getting really really old. I still wear a mask in the stores. We’ve also had the latest booster. As I told my daughter, it’s just easier to wear a mask. I’m not sure if that is enough but what else can we do?
Glad you are FINALLY over it all. I know quite a few people who have evaded for so long, and now are sick. I think what’s hard about Paxlovid is also what people forget about the vaccines – there is no way to know what it would have been like for YOU without it. Because of our mid-summer COVID infections, we’re waiting a little bit longer for our next boosters, but got flu shots last week. Our doctor didn’t particularly recommend Paxlovid for US, but honestly, if I hadn’t heard about the bad taste in your mouth thing, I might have pushed harder for it. As it was, I was positive for 11 days. Tiresome, but lived to complain about it.