What medications are safe to take if I test positive for COVID?

[Bobbydoodle]

So far I have been lucky not to get COVID.

I am double vaccinated and have recently had my booster.

I know that eventually it is inevitable and we are all likely to catch it at some point to varying degrees of effects.

I have APS and Lupus and I take warfarin, hydroxychloroquine and vitamin D.

I thought I should stock up on some medications incase we do all get it in the house and can’t leave to buy supplies but as I’m on warfarin I am limited what I can take ie I can’t take ibrubrofen or I guess things like lemsips. Any suggestions?

[Star13]

Paracetamol is ok to take but you would have to watch your INR more closely anyway as the virus itself may well have an effect. Hopefully if you were unlucky enough to get it the effects would be minor.

[KellyInTexas Administrator in reply to Star13]

Yes- watch paracetamol- will raise the inr.

Antibiotics ( some ) will raise inr and steroids will definitely raise the inr.

It’s patient to patient dependent.

My husband ( very healthy, double vaccinated last spring, age 63) got a breakthrough case in mid September when Texas had a surge. He had a mild case- like a cold. Yay Covid vaccine!

I had just had my booster two weeks prior- I did not get it- anecdotal, but is it really? 👍🥰

Take care, mask up, do all the things… all the things , all the things. As I say, it’s like the shampoo bottle instructions now. Lather , rinse, repeat- we’ve heard it so long and do often.

[Tofino5 in reply to KellyInTexas]

I’m glad to hear he’s okay!

[MaryF Administrator]

Hiya, do check with your GP, so you stock up with he right things, as said above, Paracetamol can effect the INR, so as with any illness/virus, checking of our INR regularly is good move, I hope you stay well. MaryF

[Ray46]

Right to be cautious - seeing breakthrough infections in UK left right and centre. In fact I think I may now know more people who've had it since being double-jabbed than before jabs - I'd have to try and remember them all and tot it up, but it'll be close at best.

Main difference is that I know no-one who's ended up in hospital double-jabbed whereas I know of several who did pre-jabs and more than one who didn't come out (alive).

We are right to be concerned though, today I found out that one of my neighbours has it despite being triple-jabbed already (relatively early booster due to working in frontline social care). Many of the breakthrough cases I know are quite ill, off-work for several days and suffering fatigue issues for weeks afterwards - for the vaccinated it seems it is a really really bad cold, or maybe mild-medium flu. None of those people had pre-existing conditions, none were old (most are middle aged - 40s and 50s). Who knows what it would do to us - I'm not in a hurry to find out.

Hopefully as well as vaccinations, if we can avoid it a while longer we'll also have much better treatment options available if we do get infected - some are starting to come through approvals now, but it'll still be a while before there is data on what works & is safe for APS patients.