After dodging Covid for a couple years, today I tested positive. I have a headache, fever, dry cough, chills and sweats.
Upon the advice of my doc at MD Anderson, I am going to start paxlovid today and pause my calquence.
I plan on getting an oximeter to monitor my oxygen, some cough syrup and NyQuil. I have Tylenol already.
For those in the community who have experienced Covid, do you have any advice on any other medicines I might take? What was the course of your symptoms?
We have had a household full of my kids and grandkids here for the holidays. My daughter in law and her two babies tested positive on Monday. I started feeling bad yesterday, but tested negative. This morning I tested again at home and was positive. So I guess in terms of symptoms, I am two days in.
I’m a terrible patient, so I’m hoping my symptoms resolve soon. For those on here who have had Covid, please let me know your experience with it and give me any tips on how you treated the symptoms.
I have been dodging and worrying about the Covid boogeyman for a couple years now. A part of me is relieved to get it over and done. The other part of me feels like crap. Lol
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Rest, rest, rest. I would avoid taking the “nighttime cold meds”. You want your cough to be productive - Guaifenesin is your friend (Mucinex without the cough suppressant, etc). Drink warm fluids. Rest.
I'm sorry to hear of your COVID bought after avoiding it for 3 years. I don't have any words of wisdom for you as I have also avoided it thus far. I get worried about catching it every time that my son and his family come over. They have three preschoolers who have all had it twice so far. He and his wife have also had it. Sometimes I feel the same way that you described as wishing I could get it just to get if over with. Then I get scared of it and think differently. I guess that we never know how our bodies will handle it. I hope that you get some good advice and that the Paxlovid keeps it from getting severe.
I've dodged it so far also, and have also felt like i'd like to get it and get it over with. The only problem with that is that once you get it your not necessarily over it. You can always get it again.
Sorry to hear it caught up with you! It caught up with me in July and I paused Ibrutinib and got Paxlovid. The first 3 days were the worst for me with fever,chills and aches. I took paracetamol for those symptoms. Then I lost my taste and smell and felt exhausted for another 10 days. The Paxlovid left a horrible taste in my mouth but must have done it’s job! I hope you start improving soon! But it is good to know that we can beat it.
1) don't take Tylenol or ibuprofen, or meds containing these, unless fever is too high, or you can't sleep at night, or feel so awful you can't get comfortable/rest. Nyquil has both Tylenol and a cough suppressant. A slightly elevated temp is Mother Nature's way of helping us kill viruses as well as bacteria. Bundle up, make yourself sweat if you can stand it. I like a low level heating pad on my upper back. Really push the fluids, so your mucus is thin and less likely to sit in your lungs where a pneumonia might set in on top of it. Aim for "minor uncomfortable" instead of "complete eradication" of the fever.
2) Minimize self-reinfection when possible. Swap pillowcase and comforter daily if you can. At a minimum, turn your pillow over every day if you don't have a huge supply of pillowcases, and put your top blanket/comforter either outdoors a bit to air out, or in the dryer (no heat needed). I sit in one room during the day while the bedroom is airing/not being used instead of staying in the same room. Disinfect toothbrush (rinse or store in alcohol based liquid, toss the liquid daily) and wipe off frequently touched surfaces with soapy water daily if possible. Leave a layer of soapy water on handles/switches if you can, especially if wiping everything down daily isn't feasible. Remember soap disrupts all coronavirus envelope, it's a heavy lipid base. So as you cough into the air and some gets on, say, a light switch, if there's some soap already there it can help. Change drinking glass at least daily. I do it twice a day, one for the day/living room, a fresh one evening/overnight. Don't wear the same robe, pajamas, etc daily, air them out along with the blanket/comforter. If your pillow gets drenched with sweat, air that out also if you can in addition to changing the case. I cover the living room couch small pillows with bed pillowcases, and bring out a bedroom pillow, to minimize stuff getting on the couch fabric. I also put a sheet on the couch in the living room, and that gets put in the dryer along with the couch pillow and blanket.
You get the idea, try not to touch or reuse items that might contain some viral particles that haven't yet died being away from the host.
Get an inexpensive incentive spirometer along with the pulse ox device, to monitor/chart your lung capacity. This will help exercise your lungs and maintain good tissue oxygenation, since you can't do regular exercise. Thus it helps keep cellular processes moving along, instead of waste products building up due to inability to exercise as normal. Flex your feet up & down, do shoulder rolls if sitting up. PBS has an entire series "Sit and Be Fit" for exercises one can do sitting in a chair, if you are feeling up to it/bored haha.
Consider an air cleaner/sanitizer, if you haven't yet gotten one. I use many of the products from airoasis.com and hypoair.com (same US company, different products for the different websites). I use other HEPA units not theirs, but probably will switch if mine ever die. I like the sanitizers as opposed to the HEPA overall, they are quieter, less maintenance, and actually sanitize the surfaces. HEPA units clean the air, but don't kill any germs I have spewed onto surfaces. I don't sleep with the sanitizers on, just run them in unoccupied rooms (except I have units placed near both doors that run 24/7) or during the day for a few hours only when I am in a room.
I also take a liposomal coated colostrum product. The coating allows the globulins avoid denaturing in stomach acids, plain colostrum doesn't so getting just any brand of colostrum may be a waste of money, you have to check the brand out. I buy Sovereign Laboratories Colostrum LD (plain powder) but there are now a few other brands of liposomal or enteric coated colostrum available in the US. Sovereign Labs has a "rewards program" but I am not signed up for it. It can also be purchased on Amazon, as well as from their website.
Hi Jeff, I got Covid too in October after 2 1/2 years of shielding. Mine came on as a really bad head cold with aches, but no fever. Somehow I got lucky with the strain I guess, I got Beblitovomab antibody treatment and was better in a day. It was amazing. My husband took the Paxlovid and felt better in a day or two from it as well. I think it will help you a lot too. Just be sure the Paxlovid doesn't interfere with any other drugs you might be taking.
I take Nyquil, Robitussin DM and Tyelenol. But one other thing that really helped me was medicated breathe right strips that you put on your nose. It helped me sleep at night.
I had kids and grandkids here over the holidays too and and now have a "regular" cold I guess. Whatever that even is anymore. I tested negative for Covid but they had just gotten over it so who the heck knows anymore! I'm feeling like am I ever going to be able to see my grandkids again or does this have to happen every time???!!! I'm supposed to see my hem/onc tomorrow and now I don't know if I should go. Sorry didn't mean to hijack your post.
I kept well hydrated. Did drink a bottle of gatorade a day as water gets old after drinking so much. Stopped my acalabrutinib for the 5 days on paxlovid. And my Eliquis was reduced to 2.5 mg twice a day from the 5.mg twice a day. Did change sheets every other day and rotated pillows. I also used neil med sinus rinse twice a day to keep my sinuses clear as possible. Took it as easy as possible. I never got a fever so lucked out there. I tested negative after paxlovid and then two days later positive. Got paxlovid rebound. Did not get retreated with paxlovid. My Specialist told me to stay hydrated and take tylenol . Took 25 days just not feeling good, some days worse than others, but only had two terrible days to get over and start to test negative. Hope you make out o.k.. Wishing you the best.
Vitamin C, D, zinc, one aspirin a day to keep the blood clots away. If your oxygen level drops below 90 see if they will prescribe a steroid inhaler for the lungs.
Drink as much as you can - hot water with lemon, decaf tea (I like with honey but that might not be good for some folks), if throat feels hot / sore gargle with warm water and a bit of salt (the taste is awful for a few seconds but there's almost instantaneous relief) you can chase it with another tasty liquid of choice. Get plenty of rest - wishing you a speedy recovery. CAVE
Jeff, I am sorry that the sneaky stealth virus found you, although I suppose that is was inevitable. It is very adept at finding the vulnerable.You have received some good advice from others. I really don't have anything additional to offer in that regard. I did contract COVID in October despite being super cautious with protective measures. Because of recent obinutuzumab treatments, my immunity is severely compromised so I had a miserable 3 days until the bebtelovimab infusion at MD Anderson kicked in and worked its miracle healing. It took me 21 days before I tested negative on the antigen tests so that I could emerge from my isolation quarters. If you need to protect other household members, the isolation practices are critical.
I, like you, felt a sense of relief as I was suffering in my isolation room, then remembered that reinfection is "normal" with these newer variants. All I know is that I never want to go through this infection again , based on how I experienced what was the worst illness in my life.
With your full (and happy sounding) house you might not be able to take my advice to rest, rest, rest. Paxlovid is effective at reducing symptoms fast in fact I tested negative on days 3 and 4 both times I had Covid. The secondary infections are the ones to worry about— RSV, strep, bronchitis etc. currently I worry more about those than Covid. Oh, and buy some lemon drops to mitigate the metal taste from Paxlovid. Hope you recover very fast.
hi Jeff , sorry to hear you finally got the bug .do not worry though it does not help. i do what sofiaDeo suggested plus the 5000 mg buffered vit c , some zinc , vit. d , goldenseal . and 10 deoderized garlic pills with meals every day till i'm better ... nothing to reduce the fever .... and a saline nasal spray plus gargle with it .it is simple cheap and very effective . along with the meds .you should be fine .. we will pray for you as well. blessings , james
Hope you feel better and improve soon. I had covid back in February last year after taking extreme caution. Because of heart problems I can't take pavlovid and back then sotrovimab was given. My recovery went well.
Thing is, there no "getting it over with." I definitely tested for more antibodies after covid and vaccinations but the virus and its new variants can still get you.
The immunocompromised are always going to have to take care.
Rest A LOT! Get some lozenges as the Paxlovid tastes horrid. My husband took it and recovered pretty quickly and he said it felt like a bad cold. And he had no rebound. He still managed to enjoy his food during his Covid confinement too. And his oxygen levels stayed fine all through. Just took paracetamol regularly. Paxlovid helped immeasurably. All the best.
Hi Jeff, sorry to hear it’s eventually caught up with you but there’s no reason it has to be really nasty. I had it last Christmas along with my family. In truth it was minor in comparison to this year’s colds and flu bugs.
I doubt you need any additional advice to the excellent suggestions already offered. Just take care and bounce back soon.
Adding my good wishes for a speedy recovery- lots of the advice given seems very good- resting is not an easy prescription to follow but it really helps - Hope to hear good news from you as you recuperate fully!
If you get bored , post a new post - there’s always someone somewhere in the world on our site who will be more than happy to reply !!
Order an Incentive Spirometer. I found one on Amazon and use it regularly for breathing exercises. Easy to take apart and clean too. i rebounded on Paxlovid so be prepared for that just in case. Best to you. 👍🏻
Sorry to hear you’ve succumbed. I just did as well after close to 3 years of being so vigilant & never getting it. My husband, daughter & I got it 12/17 & I started the paxlovid on 12/20. I had two intense side effects. 1) the paxlovid mouth. Nothing stops it & even eating only tamps it down a bit but it comes roaring back. I used Biotene dry mouth rinse several times a day —as much as needed really—to get relief from that taste. I highly recommend having Biotene on hand. Regular mouthwash may work but not as well. It sounds like I’m making a big deal out of a small issue but once that paxlovid mouth hits, you’ll realize you’re not in Kansas anymore Dorothy. It’s pretty brutal.
I also had burning itching skin all over that would not go away. I didn’t have any rash or even skin changes. No redness. But it would wake me at night it was so intense. Started mainly on my back and abdomen/chest, but then concentrated in my feet and it was really intense burning & itching. That kept me up for hours & it was so bad I finally used refrigerated Aloe Vera gel with lidocaine, which provided quite a bit of relief. And then I used a concentrated aveeno oatmeal hot bath for my feet and then covered them with tea tree oil and lotion. And covered with socks. That helped significantly.
The good news is as soon as I finished the paxlovid, within 12 hours of the last dose, the symptoms went away. So that is the upside. They don’t linger but they are INTENSE.
So I’d make sure you have Biotene mouth rinse, Aloe Vera gel with lidocaine, Aveeno oatmeal bath packets and a thick lotion to cover any body parts that maybe itching.
Best of luck to you. The good news is, we recovered quickly thanks to the paxlovid.
Sorry to hear about this. I got through Covid finally before Thanksgiving, started in October. This is what helped me:
I got Paxlovid and did end up with a milder (though still sick) rebound about day 3 or 4. I also developed the metallic taste(gross). I had sugar free cough drops, but it still is nasty tasting.
I was also administered antibodies via IV.
I am very asthmatic, in order to try to get ahead of respiratory issues I drank about a gallon of water— decaf tea and water with electrolytes. I took Mucinex which was incredibly helpful to help loosen congestion and Tylenol for a low grade fever. I also tried to be up as much as I could to prevent virus from settling in my lungs.
Do not underestimate the power of Chicken soup or chicken/beef bone broth, I drank lots. I stayed away from caffeine which can be more dehydrating. If you are congested, you want to do all you can to keep your secretions as loose as possible.
I was tired, sometimes exhausted, until the week before Christmas. Thankfully, I do not have any long term issues.
I had a four day course of Molnupiravir and stopped Acalabrutinib for five days, took paracetamol for headaches. I had Covid twice in 2022, same process both times. Rest is key, and even though you may feel fine after 4-5 days you really need to pace yourself and respect the need to take it a bit easy for the next week or two.
One caveat: this is just my experience - everyone is different. My second dose of Covid was notably milder than the first: the flu-like fever and headaches were over in 24 hours compared to 2-3 days the first time. Needless to say I'm fully vaxxed and was when I first caught it and kept myself well hydrated.
Obviously it's a good idea to monitor your temperature and oxygen, although for me they were undramatic and after the first three days there wasn't anything out of the ordinary.
All the best - enjoy the excuse to do nothing for a few days!
Everyone mentioned the vitamins, the fluids, and the rest (and even the changing of the bedding). What I will add - do NOT coop yourself up 24-7 in your room. Take a little time each day to walk outside and sit while the weather is at its best. If you feel up for it, take a very short, slow walk (especially if you've done a normal exercise routine pre-Covid). While outside, air out your room. This will be a boon to both your mental and physical health.
Again, if you're feeling terrible, just sit in that outside air. It will help. Just don't have anyone sit with you.
Wow, what a great collection of advice on dealing with Covid combined with so many stories of personal experience. This has all been so very helpful. Thanks to all for replying.
I had mild symptoms Tuesday, but tested negative. When I woke up yesterday, I was pretty sure I had Covid based upon how I felt and the fact I had three people with Covid in the house.
I took my first dose of paxlovid last night and my second dose this morning. I haven’t experienced any improvement yet, my symptoms are worse than yesterday. My fever got to 101 last night, I took Tylenol this morning and it’s down a half degree but I still have headaches, chills and a runny nose.
A common thread among most responses is it appears most everyone got better, some with an easy course, some with a harder course.
I hope to feel better tomorrow, I had a bad night last night. I have used many of the tips given by the community which I hope will speed my recovery and provide relief from the symptoms of Covid and the possible side effects of paxlovid.
Thanks again to everyone who took the time to respond.
hang in there Jeff! I myself had Covid last October and the first week was very hard on me, fever, body aches and massive headaches took a few days to go away, if not a week. You’ve got this, you’re going to get through it! Rest up and try not to eat much carbs, mostly just soups and stuff.
Jeff, I did not elaborate on my symptoms...my worst was severe sore throat, compared to strep throat when I was in high school. When I was at MD Anderson getting the bebtelovimab infusion, they did a chest xray, which showed lung infection, even though my oxygen was 95% at its lowest. I took a course of antibiotics for 10 days for that. The advice that you received to keep mucous moving and keep it out of your lungs is very sound advice. I had signs of pneumonia starting when I presented at MD Anderson.
hi Jeff. Similar story to yours. 5 days paxlovid. Tylenol for sure for fever and headaches should you get those. We were also told to take mucinex dm which helps with cough (just make sure it expectorates to help get gunk out). I did unfortunately rebound on day 5. Didn’t retake paxlovid per Dr orders. Day 22 and still have a bit of a cough and sniffles. Sense of smell/taste slowly coming back. It’s a doozy but I do believe paxlovid kept me out of hospital. COVID’s a doozy!!!
my husband got Covid on Christmas if that wasn’t bad enough I got it a few days later tested positive. We all tested only went to my parents and my son isolated at theirs for a weekend. This one feels like pneumonia Covid got it two times already. Stage 4 cll should call my doctor and will after I get off work. I work from home. It’s been pretty rough. I’ll see what they do. I already have oxygen at home since I have severe copd with emphysema so that helps.
I’m sorry you’re unwell. We have managed to avoid it so far, so I don’t have any tips, but I wanted to send you my good wishes and hopes for a speedy recovery!
hi sorry you have caught covid. I also have caught covid after avoiding it for years also. I am holidaying in Canada to visit our son and grand baby and my husband got it Xmas day and I Boxing Day. Managed to source paxlovid and took my 5 days and was feeling great day 10 and then last night I m all nasal congested again. Waiting to see how I go I feel ok just congested in the nose. So I haven’t tested negative yet. But did the first test yesterday so don’t know if this is a rebound. We have 9 days till we fly home so hoping I can test negative before then. And also so we can see our family here. Not been great having to quarantine in a hotel. I thought I would take a nasal decongestant nose spray tonight don’t know if I’m doing the right thing or not. I think it is all personal how everyone one reacts. Paxlovid did have some side effects for me and one of them on the last day was my legs aches and were sore and really tight calf muscles don’t know if anyone else is has had that. Hope it all goes well for you good luck.
We caught Covid at Thanksgiving last month. I was given infusion of Bebtelovimab and reduced Pavlovid to protect my kidneys My suggestion would’ve to take lozenges (zinc is ok) for the metallic taste of Paxlovid. Flavored Pedialytes is a big help to replace electrolytes. I am still using some of the Pedialytes.
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