Hi
I had Covid in February and recovered reasonably quickly with help from Paxlovid which I was able to access fairly easily.
I suspect the rules have changed so just wondering if anyone else has been recently able to access antivirals while just taking 20mg MTX like myself.
The eligibility was updated earlier this year. Methotrexate only qualifies for antivirals if it is taken for interstitial lung disease or asthma. You can find the info on this link under “immune mediated inflammatory disorders”.
nice.org.uk/guidance/ta878/...
Thank you 😊
Glad you feel better. Can you please share with us the process you went through in accessing the antivirals. Thank you
They keep changing the process. I’ve had covid 3 times (the last time was May) and taken antivirals each time as I am on Rituximab. Each time the process has been different. My advice would be if you test positive check you are eligible (see link above) and then call your GP asap or at the weekend call 111.
Thank you. I’m on Rituxmab too. Believe it or not I still wear a mask when I go out
Unfortunately I have two teenagers at home so it’s rather inevitable!
I'm on RTX too and wear a mask if going into shop or group setting. Had my first experience of covid when I tested +ve 4th October [ 3 days after him]. When i rang GP surgery i was told no GP available to ring me so 'try again tomorrow' but they could offer me the flu vaccine, didn't know what anti-virals were. 111 didn't know either when I rang them!! Daughter persisted with surgery, got the same response but said 'not good enough' then ' do you want to take responsibility for her death risk' when offered call back from a nurse. Told them a GP had to refer me for urgent treatment. The next day a taxi was sent to take me to an isolation unit and home again after getting anti virals...it took 14 days to test -ve but am now on the mend, slowly slowly. Hospital wanted to know why he refused to isolate after 1.5 days, not 10 as recommended... I think i need anger management training .. Stay safe folks xx
If you don’t me asking when did you take your RTX infusion? It may effect the speed of recovery
Dec 22 and Jan 23. Also the consultant has agreed to postpone next infusions til May/June 2024 to avoid clashes with winter and spring boosters, provided I contact her if the pain becomes a major problem or domestic stresses increase. She says I'm a stoic.. last of a dying breed.
BTW I have never received any communications re anti-virals but that is a reflection of the state of play here in N. Ireland where I have lived since the mid 1960s after marriage to an Ulster man.
Earlier in the year it was very straightforward, I registered my positive LFT result on gov.uk and was contacted automatically by a doctor who asked about meds/symptoms etc and prescribed the antivirals.
Sadly, seven months on as Runrig01 said in her reply antivirals aren’t available for people on 20mg MTX like myself. It may be different for you depending on meds but the process will definitely be different.
It’s worth asking as I have found annoyingly that different health authorities, GP’s, Consultants are applying the rules differently as I recently found when trying to get the Shingrix vaccine and was knocked back by both my GP and Rheumatology.
Some people on this forum have advised that they were able to access the vaccine when on MTX only at 20mg like myself and in some cases less. Seems unfair as I will have to pay £440 to have it privately. I feel that there should be a more consistent interpretation of the rules but am not surprised as I have come up against this continually since the onset of Covid.
Good luck!
Thank you for your reply. I’m on Rituxmab though and I think the criteria is quite different
Accessing antivirals in South Tenerife? 
Paxlovid Antiviral Treatment 
Covid & Antivirals
Antivirals at last
