Who here has not gotten COVID? Who has long COVID?

I also had a high heart rate, but Google tells me that can be a consequence of fever/dehydration. Once I really pushed fluids my heartrate went back to normal. (This was day 1, with no paxlovid)

Sadly, fluids did not help my husband when his BP shot up sky high with Covid. His fever was very mild, but he developed splitting headaches, so pulled his BP gadget and saw the huge numbers! I have never seen him so sick with a virus. It was genuinely scary. Paxlovid brought his BP back to normal after one day, and his headaches went away.

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Review estimates 69% 3-dose vaccine efficacy against long COVID | CIDRAP says that vaccine effectiveness against long COVID was 36.9% for two doses before infection and 68.7% for three doses before infection. But vaccination after infection showed no protection against long COVID.

These are helpful posts. @BunsenBurner was your husband recently vaccinated at the time? Same question to @ClassicMom98, @ Sweetgum and @cinnamon1212.

I landed in the ER today after seeking help by phone from PCP and cardiologist (who never called but went to find me at the ER). Atrial flutter and fibrillation. I had an EKG that resolved my concern about prolonged QT interval. Noone can answer whether COVID is riling up my heart, or the Paxlovid.

ER doc thought COVID was the cause so I took Paxlovid in the ER. Cardiologist kind of whispered to me that in his view I didnā€™t need Paxlovid, I was recenlty vaccinated.

I noticed blood pressure was high, and it is usually too low. Kidney function dropped quite a bit. Fever could have dehydrated me.

ER doc doubted Paxlovid would have taken me from very sick last night w/102 fever to 98.1 and feeling not that bad this morning. He said the same thing might have happened without the Paxlovid. So why was he urging me to take it?

I have taken three doses. Since I delayed the dose at the ER by 3 hours, I could swear I felt COVID creeping back, started losing my voice.

The crushing headache could be either COVID or Paxlovid too. Not sure what i am going to do for next dose.

I donā€™t know, what the Doctor talking aboutā€¦ when I had Covid a few months ago, I went from feeling like I was dying with a super high fever, headache& body aches, to feeling the best I have felt in years after just two doses of Paxlovid. Seriously. I felt so good I wished I could take Paxlovid all the time, despite the bad taste it left in my mouth.

Within 24 hours after I finished my last dose of Paxlovid, I felt awful again. Not as bad as I had that first day, but still really bad. Extremely congested lungs, very congested upper respiratory, pounding heart. I felt terrible. So I am pretty sure it was the Paxlovid that was making me feel better when I got better after the first day.

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Thanks so much for this, @MAmomto4.

If it is COVID riling up my heart, I really have to take the Paxlovid. So helpful to hear that dramatic improvement in 12-24 hours is possible! I have only taken 3 dose and barely feel sick- voice a little raspy, slight runny nose.

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I also felt better, in my case probably after the 2nd day of Paxlovid. And felt pretty fine (tho not 100%) for a few days after stopping Paxlovid, but the covid rebounded and I was sick again. It took a month for the fatigue to lift.

Is your question ā€œwas I recently vaccinatedā€? If thatā€™s it, the answer is no, I got covid just before the most recent booster was approved. So it had been 9 months since last booster.

No, he had the initial series of shots, so it was several months since the last shot, and we were waiting for the updated vaccines that came out in September.

My vaccine was 4 months prior. Iā€™m not sure if thatā€™s considered to be recent. At the time they said within 2 months was best. I didnā€™t qualify for paxlovid. Or no doctor around here would have likely given it to me. Only 50 years old and otherwise in good health

My husband says Paxlovid worked like magic! I caught the darn virus but never needed Paxlovid because my case was just a bunch of sniffles and positive tests for a few days. We both had a rebound, not by symptoms, but by tests that went from suoer positive to very faint positive and suddenly to super positive again before turning negative in a couple of days.

I rely on the advice of Katelyn Jetalina, an epidemiologist, whom I know you also follow. Anecdotes arenā€™t good enough. But sure, a lot of people are like my dad, who says only, ā€œI heard bad things about the vaccineā€ when asked why he doesnā€™t get it. He canā€™t be more specific. Itā€™s maddening to me.

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That just seems bizzarre since both times Iā€™ve had Covid thatā€™s exactly what happened shortly after the first dose of Paxlovid.

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Our family of 4 all got covid in mid-July, testing + after momā€™s funeral. I was initially exhausted and nauseous ā€” couldnā€™t keep my 1st 2 doses of paxlovid down until i started soda crackers and water. I started feeling better in 24-48 hrs. S and D both started feeling better pretty quickly after starting Paxlovid too. H had to take 9 days before he felt better and finally tested negative at day 10+.

I took Paxlovid at 4am today but am concerned about kidney function (went from eGFR 51 to 37 with two doses, could be dehydration from fever).

But with ER visit with afib yesterday, still concerned about heart and whether Paxlovid or COVID is the culprit. Just found this:

  1. FDA Warning: According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Paxlovid can cause changes in the electrical activity of the heart, potentially resulting in an irregular heartbeat or even sudden cardiac arrest. This risk is particularly higher in individuals with underlying heart conditions or those taking specific medications2.

Wish I had not taken it again! Calling PCP at 8 am. Alternative view is that COVID is causing the arrythmia. If I get afib in the hours after taking Paxlovid I will have more of an answer. Blood pressure was high too, usually low.

why are you testing so often?

My misery of indecision is over after finally talking with a provider who knows me well. The problem here is that over the weekend none of the providers knew me, by phone or in ER. We all know about weekend care!

I am back in afib when I move- okay in bed. He said fine to go off Paxlovid. With my kidneys, heart and sensitivity to meds he would not have prescribed it for me. Oh well.

He said cases they are seeing are mild. I may get sicker again but thatā€™s a lot better than having my heart feel like this.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I hope you feel better soon!

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Happy Thanksgiving to you and hope you feel better soon!

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I am still feeling pretty awful. Time to cancel the rental car and drive to MA and back for Thanksgiving. Poor, poor pitiful me. At least I saw everyone at the wedding (minus one cousin, oh well).

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Starting Monday, each household can get yet another four free tests

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