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Posted 8/16/2022 1:40 AM (GMT 0)
Can I take Paxlovid if I've had Lupron injections? My wife and I tested positive this morning...
Posted 8/16/2022 4:36 AM (GMT 0)
There is a sizable list of meds you will have to stop. Your dr will know all about them.

https://www.drugs.com/paxlovid.html

I hope you and your wife get past it without event!
Posted 8/16/2022 6:14 AM (GMT 0)
I'm not aware of any reason you shouldn't take it, but I'm just some random guy on the Internet and there is no actual medical advice to be had on this site. It's a question for your doctor. Do talk to him/her quickly since antivirals work better if administered sooner.
Posted 8/16/2022 6:22 AM (GMT 0)
Just curious, if one tests + for Covid, should that person immediately start paxlovid? Even if no symptoms or very mild symptoms? We have relatives who did test +. They are relatively young and had minimal symptoms. Recovery went well (uneventful).

Mel
Posted 8/16/2022 1:43 PM (GMT 0)

compiler said...
Just curious, if one tests + for Covid, should that person immediately start paxlovid? Even if no symptoms or very mild symptoms? We have relatives who did test +. They are relatively young and had minimal symptoms. Recovery went well (uneventful).

Mel

Mel, here is a simple explanation of the answer from Yale Medicine -- this seems to be in line with the more complex descriptions of who should take it: "That means you must either have certain underlying conditions (including cancer, diabetes, obesity, or others) or be 65 or older (more than 81% of COVID-19 deaths occur in in this group). The more underlying medical conditions a person has, the higher their risk for developing a severe case of COVID-19, according to the CDC."

So the young people you describe were not candidates for Paxlovid unless they had serious underlying conditions.

Jim

And for this reason, i was pretty surprised, when my son age 42 with no comorbities or immunocompromising issues at all was told by his PCP to start Paxlovid. He was feeling pretty crappy, on day 3 he started the Paxlovid and day 4 he was feeling much better.
I did find it odd.

Post Edited By Moderator (Pratoman) : 8/16/2022 7:58:52 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 8/16/2022 2:05 PM (GMT 0)
Jim and Stephen point in out the main use of Plaxovid. Remember it does not have full FDA approval, only emergency use approval for a narrow range of vulnerable people. It is not intended for the masses at this time. Plus, it has to be administered within a short time of the onset of significant symptoms. As it is being used we are learning more about its side effects. One being a relatively high occurrence of re-infection. I have known several people who have taken it and nearly all have suffered from the re-infection, though all have been mildly affected.

The issue with Lupron is interesting as you can not simply stop taking it. Each shot has an effective period of anywhere from one to six months that can’t be undone. For guidance concerning drug interactions and restriction simply Google it. Also know that it is not a new drug. Simply it is two specific drugs that have long been approved that are taken together. It is the combination specifically for Covid that had to be tested and approved.
Posted 8/16/2022 2:42 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for your input everyone. Feeling better this morning, but not myself yet. Going to lay low today except for my last radiation treatment later this afternoon. The clinic rescheduled me to the end of the day when there are very few people left at the clinic.
Posted 8/16/2022 3:48 PM (GMT 0)
I am on ADT and I took Paxovid. No problems and it worked.....
Posted 8/16/2022 3:59 PM (GMT 0)

JNF said...
. As it is being used we are learning more about its side effects. One being a relatively high occurrence of re-infection. I have known several people who have taken it and nearly all have suffered from the re-infection, though all have been mildly affected.
.

Jack, several of the people I know who have taken Paxlovid also have experienced this phenomenon of testing positive again shortly (days or a week) after they tested negative. It seems to be more than the small percentage that is predicted.

Anyway, one of the anecdotal things I have noticed about non-Paxlovid takers and Paxlovid takers is that those who don't take it seem to test positive for a longer initial period but with no rebound. For example, my wife tested positive for 10 days while many of the Paxlovid takers (like Pres. Biden) seem to test negative after 4-5 days. I have no idea if this is a real phenomenon or just happens to be my observation of a small sub-set of COVID patients. In any case, here is a fairly interesting (at least to me) article about the Paxlovid Rebound issue: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-paxlovid-rebound-and-how-common-is-it/

Jim
Posted 8/16/2022 4:44 PM (GMT 0)
Still a dilemma if say I test +.
I have an underlying condition: PC.

I assume I would defer to my symptoms to decide...or is there no question that I should be on it?

Mel
Posted 8/16/2022 8:42 PM (GMT 0)
Mel, your doc has to prescribe it. They are going to want to assess your symptoms and underlying conditions and the timeframe to make the prescription. If you self tested, they may want to run another. If you are asymptomatic, they probably will not prescribe. However, if you make a case due to age, cancer, etc. you will most certainly get the prescription if you are in the proper timeframe from when the symptoms began.
Posted 8/16/2022 9:53 PM (GMT 0)
Here in Florida, in the land of the old people, pretty much everyone who calls their doctor with a positive test and symptoms (even mild) gets a script for Paxlovid. Probably because of meeting the requirements of age and naturally almost everyone has some sort of underlying condition. Also maybe if they don't prescribe it and the patient dies then legal trouble may ensue.

And actually some pharmacies can and do provide it as well w/o a doc's prescription. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-pharmacists-prescribe-paxlovid-certain-limitations#:~:text=today%2c%20the%20u.s.%20food%20and,assessment%20and%20prescribing%20of%20paxlovid. Note that the patient still has to supply all sorts of health records to the pharmacist to get the drug.

Jim
Posted 8/16/2022 11:53 PM (GMT 0)
Paxlovid is metabolized by the liver by CYP3A and is involved with drug metabolism and synthesis of cholesterol, steroids, and other lipids. This gene can increase the risk of adverse reactions with other drugs that involve CYP3A. For example, eating grapefruit and taking many drugs such as cholesterol-lowering medicine can increase drug levels to dangerous levels due to CYP3A.
Posted 8/17/2022 3:05 AM (GMT 0)
I believe one of the standalone criteria for being eligible for. Paxlovid is age, i think the threshold is 65? So Mel, you would, if you are following guidelines, want to take it, within the first day or two or three of testing positive.

I was very surprised when my son age 42 with no health issues at all, tested positive and his PCP prescribed Paxlovid. He was actually hesitant to take it, although he was feeling pretty crappy. After two days he decided to take it, and started to feel better te next day. No way to know if it was the paxlovid.
Posted 8/17/2022 2:06 PM (GMT 0)
Ken, had a similar situation with one of my sons, similar age as yours. He was on vacation with us and one day felt terrible and self tested….positive. I got him in quickly to my doc and was rx Paxlovid. He does have an underlying health condition that reared it’s head and was successfully treated a couple of years ago. I agree with the previous statement that most docs are going to err on the safe side and prescribe it if it is within the proper time frame.
Posted 8/17/2022 4:42 PM (GMT 0)
Glad it worked out well for your son Jack.
I recall a couple years ago, you telling me, this will be around for years. At the time, which was the beginning of the pandemic, i couldn't even fathom that thought. Hard to believe, here we are, three years later.
Posted 8/17/2022 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
Ken, as I understand most common colds are due to four strains of coronavirus that scientists have proven have been endemic in humans for more than 100,000 years. Understanding that told me early on that this coronavirus was not going to end or be defeated anytime soon.

Many of my doctors said from the start that this is something we will have to learn to live with like other infections of the cold and flu. As entrenched as it has become and with each variant being more infectious than the previous one is prima facia evidence that it will be around indefinitely.
Posted 8/17/2022 7:28 PM (GMT 0)
Ironically, my 37 year old daughter and her 8 month old infant were just diagnosed with COVID (her husband had it 8 months ago just before the baby was born). Daughter and baby both have cold-like symptoms. PCP did not suggest Paxlovid, rather treatment as for a cold, e.g. bed rest, fluids, Tylenol as needed, etc. Same for pediatrician for the baby -- watch for fever but keep hydrated and rested, i.e. treat it as a cold.

Jim
Posted 8/17/2022 8:05 PM (GMT 0)
Paxlovid seems a little sketchy after I did some looking around, and apparently it isn't really a good bet for everyone. Aside from that, it doesn't seem to work as well as Pfizer initially claimed (surprise, surprise). Then there is sometimes a rebound where the person's symptoms are worse than they were in the first place. Fauci reported this as personal experience. And also, "Plaxovid mouth," which is a foul taste in the mouth that people describe as "really gross."

When I finally get COVID, I will need to be provided with a compelling reason to take this drug.
Posted 8/18/2022 2:12 AM (GMT 0)
Recently after my son and daughter in law caught it, so did my wife and I. We were mild to moderate symptoms for a few days, but did not go for any treatment. Did fine without the paxlovid.
Posted 8/18/2022 3:53 PM (GMT 0)
Jack, the hope is, that treatments (and maybe vaccines) get better, and our understanding of long covid and how to prevent or treat it becomes clear. Once that happens, i think we go back to normal with Covid being just another annoyance

Tud, hop your daughter and her 8 month old continue to have mild cases and recover quickly.

My 3 year old grandson had it, would never have known if he hadnt been tested because my daughter and son in law had it. He ran around like a lunatic just like he always does, had a bit of a runny nose for a day or two, nothing else. Funny, as far as we know, his brother 8 months old at the time, did not get it, he tested negative multiple times. Could be he still had antibodies from his mom who got a booster vax when she was 4 months pregnant
Posted 8/18/2022 4:25 PM (GMT 0)
I agree. It appears this will be around indefinitely with many variants. Hopefully it will not return to a situation with hospitals overwhelmed and people dying. Perhaps there is now enough immunity around to prevent that. Regarding the drug, guess I'll have to rely on doctor's advice. So far I have avoided it (getting Covid)

Mel

Post Edited (compiler) : 8/18/2022 4:29:54 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 8/18/2022 5:31 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you everyone for your input. My PCP recommended that I just treat my Covid like the flu. If my symptoms got really bad, to call him back and he would prescribe something. I just drank plenty of fluids, rested, took cold/flu OTC 12 hour medication and now, I'm starting to feel better. I still have a sore throat, but nothing like yesterday when I could barely swallow. Also, had some great night sleeps, 8+ hours which is definitely abnormal for me. Also, I was able to get my last 2 of 44 radiation treatments in on Monday and Tuesday. The clinic had me go in at the end of the day when the only people there were the technicians, my radiation oncologist and the RN.
My wife's NP, went over all of the side effects of Paxlovid and gave my wife the option to take the medication. After hearing all of the possible side effects, my wife chose to ride out the storm and treat her Covid like it was the typical flu. She's doing better today with some congestion, coughing and a sore throat.
Posted 8/18/2022 7:07 PM (GMT 0)
Boomer, congratulations on getting to the other side on your RA treatments. Hope you and your wife get over the Covid symptoms soon. My best to you and your wife.
Jack
Posted 8/18/2022 10:45 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you Jack
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