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Hi everyone,

I recently tested positive for Covid and started Paxlovid 2 days later. I think o qualified for high risk because of the UC but then really could find that on a list anywhere. Anyway, I stopped taking my one loperamide tablet per day for about six days. I decided, myself, with the way Paxlovid works I would just take no other meds while I was in it. I probably should have asked my Gastroenterologist.
Well the butt burn got excruciating around day 3. I also have a fissure so ouch. I also read that the Paxlovid uses lactose as a binding agent. Pretty sure lactose when I drink milk everyday with cereal causes butt burn for me. My fissure bleeds when irritated and that had picked up as well. I am hoping that is all it is and now that I started the loperamide and stopped the Paxlovid. I'll get back to my more normal feeling bowel movements. I am nervous though- that something was triggered.
had anyone else taken Paxlovid- or had Covid trigger anything. Also in the past when I don't take loperamide for a couple of days I think I usually feel burn.

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I've never had to take immodium (knock on wood).  I'm lucky I guess.  Usually if I get liquid stools I take some Liquid IV hydration, a couple rounds generally resets my hydration levels and water absorption.  Before that I often had to take Lomotil or something to slow things down, it's almost as if getting a little dehydrated triggers a response where further water absorption stops.  Completely weird and counterintuitive.  But yeah... hydrating quickly usually restarts better absorption and control.

I contracted a Covid-19 infection during travel. I was symptomatic and placed on Paxlovid on day 5. I was considered high risk because of my Inflectra infusions and age. I developed very liquid stools prior to starting Paxlovid. It only got better after starting Paxlovid. I considered the taste no worse than taking flagyl.

I am back to baseline now.

Jan

I have now officially tested positive for Covid on both the Antigen and PCR tests. I started experiencing symptoms (fever, chills, nausea) Sunday afternoon and started Paxlovid today. I am not really understanding the comments here on the taste of the pills as I haven't noticed any bad taste at all (and I have not lost my sense of taste). I am wondering if the posters here are dry swallowing it or else savoring it and swishing it around the mouth like wine or candy? When I take pills like this, they barely hit my tongue. To me flagyl has a noticeably much worse taste, but I flush it down and off my tongue quickly with copious, aggressive chugs of liquid. I don't suck on the pills like they are Jolly Rogers, because they aren't. The Paxlovid pills touched my tongue only briefly, but long enough for me to sense any foulness, and I had no such sense. I took them with a meal, which was pork and shrimp dumplings that were quite tasty.

My doctor told me to stop taking two of my medications, cialis and tamsulosin which I am taking for some urinary difficulties. These interact with Paxlovid.

I am mainly concerned about the other side effects like diarrhea and nausea. We will see how that goes.

Last edited by CTBarrister

Hey CT- you are lucky then.  The foul taste comes about 30+ minutes after taking it and persists for as long as you are taking the pills (5 days), ending only once you stop taking the medication, a few hours later.  My let theory is that the medicine expresses into your saliva- I found the taste was worse if I was salivating and after I ate.

I actually stopped partway through because it was so bad.  It tasted like something had died in my mouth, for days.

I have tried using the Ricola liquid center cough drops, first because I am coughing from the Covid infection, and second because they have a potent menthol flavor that wipes that strange taste out of my mouth.  It will be interesting to see if the taste is still in my mouth when I wake up tomorrow.

Also, I feel like I am salivating excessively, so I am wondering if that is my salivary glands trying to excrete the medicine out, resulting in the strange taste, which would be in accordance with your theory on the medication.

Last edited by CTBarrister

I was just wondering how soon after finishing Paxlovid did you guys start testing negative? I finished Paxlovid Sunday, 12/11,  tested negative yesterday (12/14), but then tested positive this morning, 12/15. It's being called a "Paxlovid relapse" because I have absolutely no symptoms, nor have I had any symptoms since last week. Anyway below is this morning's positive result- I am very bummed because I am out of work for the 9th straight day today:64A41140-F4DA-4288-A85B-8CA413B62AD0

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Last edited by CTBarrister

I rebounded too- tested negative on day 3 of medication and then positive again 5 days later.  Seems to be pretty common occurrence.  There seems to be uncertainty whether the rebounds are true infections or false positives from virus particles that aren’t scavenged due to the reduced immune response that you have when taking Paxlovid.

I think that is probably all correct.  However, because of the positive test, I cannot go to work, must continue working remotely from home (which I hate, because I cannot do everything I need to do at home), and I am going to miss my firm's holiday party tomorrow night, which is a MAJOR bummer.

I also wanted to tell everyone I know exactly how and why I got Covid and to caution everyone on this board, because we are now in the midst of what  appears to be the usual post-Thanksgiving Covid and flu spikes.  I got infected at the UConn-Oklahoma State men's basketball game at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut on Thursday, December 1, 2022.  I had brought a mask to the game, but failed to wear it.  There were over 10,000 fans in attendance at that game, and during and after the game I was in close proximity to other fans.  Some fans at the game wore masks, but I would estimate probably 10% or less.

My symptoms developed exactly 3 days later, on Sunday, December 4, 2022.  Unfortunately, over that weekend, I was in close contact with my 85 year old father (who lives next door to me in his own, adjoining condominium).  My father developed symptoms and tested positive on Tuesday, December 6.  Fortunately, he was vaccinated and boosted x4, so his symptoms were relatively mild.  He also went on Paxlovid and is now symptom free, thankfully.

Anyway if you are all going out to holiday parties and family events, mask up!!!!!!!  Do not let your guard down like I did.

Last edited by CTBarrister

So I took the paxlovid again because I got covid for a second time this past week. I again got the same symptoms, really bad butt burn and more frequent runny stools. It's crazy, but I had forgotten about starting this thread back in May. I had even forgot about the possible side effects I experienced the first time. Now I am wondering if my jpouch never really got that much better after my initial post.  I did end up giving up coffee in August which really seemed to reduce to the butt burn to almost nothing, but I feel like I am having more rectal bleeding in general.  My GI gave me Anucort suppositories and did not seem that concerned, but I still need to give a stool sample. I think I am going to request another scope just to put my mind at ease. It has been about 19 months since my last one. Hopefully it is jut my fissure and hemorrhoids. So has anybody else had elevated Pouch symptoms since having Covid or trying Paxlovid? Or does anyone have issues with bleeding and burn from fissure and or hemmorroids? Another change in my lifestyle is I have become more sexually active and as a female, I am wondering if that can irritate my pouch? I am told I have a rectocele as well.

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