i was recently diagnosed with covid omicron variant ? I was put on paxlovid for 5 days by my primary care md. I was on the renal dose. and felt much better and was testing negative by the end of the 3rd day. however this medication left a poisonous taste in my mouth and stomach issues (mostly nausea). During those 5 days i had a pre arranged appt. with my nephrologist who said that she had not had too much experience with this drug but would have prescribed it herself. i am due for kidney labs and fear that this medication may have had some affect on my kidneys. has anyone taken this medication and had labs afterwards. and was there any decline in kidney function ? I would appreciate any information anyone may have personally experienced. thanks so much.
Paxlovid and CKD Stage 3a: i was recently... - Kidney Disease
Paxlovid and CKD Stage 3a
I am but one data point. 64 yr old male. Diagnosed at Stage 3A in 2016. eGFR was in the upper 50's. It's still in the low to mid 50's and I was on Paxlovid exactly one year ago. I'm convinced it kept me out of the hospital. Bottom line: No kidney damage.
makes me feel better. thanks so much.
My nephrologist will not prescribe Paxlovid to me as I recently had a kidney transplant. He does not recommend any of the treatment for Covid for recent transplants. I pray I do not get Covid. Be safe at this season, BB
i can understand that. just follow all precautionary measures, thats all any of us can do. the new variants are not usually as severe as they were in the past.
Make sure you supplement with Vitamin D3 and K2 and/or cod liver oil. Get as much sun as you can.
hard to get sun during cold new england winters but i do take vit. d every day and have since my 2018 diagnoses.thanks for the tip.
I was given LAGEVRIO™ (molnupiravir) instead because of my CKD. I'm very surprised they gave you Paxlivid.
paxlovid was prescribed as a renal dose.
it had to do with your stage and egfr number. im at 50.
I am female age 56 and was diagnosed stage 3 earlier this year (egfr 53) and had my first 6 mos labs scheduled for mid September but I got Covid. My GP gave me Paxlovid - also the renal dose - I felt so much better almost immediately (except for the very bad taste in the mouth) and recovered quickly. My neph advised to wait until mid October to have my labs done to make sure I was recovered and hydrated - which I did and my labs were great. My egfr came up to 61 - my neph attributes that to being compliant with the new diet and hydration. Both my GP and neph thought it was better to take the Paxlovid and not run the risk of long Covid or severe Covid or whatever other problem may come up with Covid that they can't predict. My family and I agreed. Merry Christmas everyone!
i agree. i will wait a few weeks before labs. no longer positive for covid. neph said to have labs when feeling better. i usually have them every 4 months. so hopefully all will work out for this 70 year old.
I had terrible headaches and nausea from the Paxlovid when given. However, turns out I had a virus, but not covid variants…I could not complete taking the medication due to the side effects being worse than my viral symptoms. Did not know if it was the renal version.
were you tested or did you test yourself for covid prior to taking paxlovid ? i understand, i found it difficult to get through the 5 days with the side effects. it also takes about 2 more days for side effects to subside. however i am no longer testing positive for covid and thats a positive. just hope i do not get a rebound case.
I tested negative for covid. But I misread the test! I THOUGHT I tested positive so the dr took my word for it and provided the paxlovid. That stuff was awful for me, but I’m reading good results for other people, so THIS IS GOOD. Must be a personal rather than widespread or common sensitivity. Really good to hear it has been helpful for others!
so you took a 5 day supply? you say it was awful, is that because you did not have covid ?
Not a lot of medical studies yet as the medications are relatively new and studies specific to CKD are from a much smaller population group but here are a couple that show if the dose is modified for renal insufficiency and only administered once despite potential reinfection after treatment.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...
These are from PubMed.gov a US cite so if in the UK you might check the NHS website, the Lancet medical journal or the European Society of Nephrologists websites for UK specific information. Generally the treatment is thought to be safe but very little information available as they were emergency approved by the FDA in the US (read approved with little or no testing or any stage 1,2,or 3 clinical trials) and usage is very recent so not a lot of “real world” evidence to be gathered. Still, if given and administered by a doctor or pharmacist and adjusted for your specific CKD illness the risk of potential long-term additional kidney damage should be minimal and not cause undue stress or anxiety. My best in your CKD journey!
well, i guess i finally found the answer on my own. although i think im successfully over covid. however went in for labs yesterday and found that my egfr dropped from stage 3a 50 to 3b 40 in 5 and 1/2 months , most dramatic drop since diagnosis in 2018. all i can blame it on is covid and paxlovid because that is the only change in lifestyle in those 5 and 1/2 months. wondering if this is the start of disease regression. will not be able to speak to my nephrologist until sometime next week. any thoughts would be appreciated.
Been on it twice now. Had bad Covid the first time (see below). Paxlovid didn't hurt my renal function. Second time I was Paxlovid was 4 months ago (I think there was a second wave) and my eGFR declined 5 pts or so. That's not even enough to attribute it to the Paxlovid. Both my primary and nephrologist didn't know jack about the drug, but my primary prescribed it anyway. I'm thankful he did because it made a huge difference. I was about to go to the hospital the first time.
I am glad it worked for you, also worked for me in that I was also negative before the 5-day paxolvid period was over.My egfr eventually went down to 27. Now it is back up in the high 40s and hoping it will get better than that. But with this disease who knows ? I can only hope, and try and live a healthy lifestyle.
Hello renegade 70, I want to inquire on how you are doing with the COVID/CKD. I am 3b Egfr 34 and I just came down with COVID again. I had it in Aug and was prescribed renal dose Paxlovid. At that time my labs showed GFR 31 after the PAX. This time I don’t feel too terrible just like a medium flu. I’m not sure about taking Pax again since I have labs coming up, and Pax raised my BP. How were your labs after the Pax? My BP is 100% normal, I eat my labs (thankfully I am normal with the 3 P’s) . I just have a lot of anxiety about slipping to stage 4.
Any info you can pass along would be grateful,
Or anyone else in this community that can post about CKD/COVID/Paxlovid
Thank you
well, i had covid last dec.I took a renal dose of Paxlovid for 5 days. I think the Paxlovid made me feel worse than COVID itself. My EGFR was 50 prior to COVID-19 and decreased to 27. It was a very anxious period for me. I lost close to 30 lbs. just from anxiety. My EGFR has gone up to 47 since then. At my last test in mid Aug. it was 47. I am due for kidney labs soon. Keeping my fingers crossed. M neph reduced my bp meds during that period, she felt the decrease was caused by low blood pressure. I'm not so sure. My BP seems fine. I'd say keep doing what you are doing and try not to worry. Try and keep your mind on other things. and eat based on your last labs. That's what i try and do. My best to you . Anxiety just makes matters worse. Helps nothing.
Addison's Disease and stage 4 CKD and several other autoimmune disorders
Stage 5 CKD 
ckd stage 3a
22 year old with possible CKD. Confused, worried, and seeking advice, experience, guidance, and opinions. Possible stage 2/3A CKD patient.
