Hi, I thought I’d write a follow up to my post a month ago re. taking antivirals for Covid in case someone finds themself in the same position as me.
I contracted Covid on 10 October. I rang my gp as soon as I tested positive to request an antiviral. (I previously had Covid in July 22 and was put on a course of Paxlovid). On this occasion I was refused antivirals and told that I didn’t meet the criteria. With hindsight I should have argued the toss but I was feeling so sick and didn’t query it.
Long story short after a really bad bought of Covid I’m still suffering. As soon as I started to feel a bit better I looked at the NHS and NICE regulations regarding antivirals and felt that I should have been prescribed them. I have a chronic autoimmune condition (PMR) and I’ve been on 10mg Prednisolone for well over the 28 days specified. I rang my surgery and asked them to speak to the doctor that refused me the antivirals to revisit the regulations. Last Tuesday I finally had a phone call from the GP apologising profusely saying she was wrong and should have prescribed them. Her reason for not prescribing was that she ‘thought’ I was on less than 10mg Pred.
Because I’m under a Rheumatologist for PMR there is nothing to indicate on my GP notes my current dose of Pred and she should have queried it with me.
The moral of this story is that you have to fight your corner and if you are too unwell to do it, as I was, get a family member or friend to help you.
Sorry for the long post but I hope this might help someone who has similar issues in future. Tiggy 🌸
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Thankyou for finding the energy to post. "I thought" isn't good enough - they should ALWAYS check their thoughts are correct, There is an article in the Guardian about the problems sharing info that can lead to a patient's death - so if a doctor happens to have a compos mentis adult patient in front of them, shouldn't they be asking the questions before assuming anything?
Thank you. I’m just praying that it’s not going to develop into long Covid. Apparently you have to have symptoms for 10 weeks or more before doctors make that diagnosis. Apart from the awful exhaustion my mental health has taken a nose dive and I’m trying to avoid taking the ‘happy pills’ that another GP has just prescribed for me. We’re due to go away next Tuesday to a warm sunny climate for 10 days. Provided I can get there ok I think it will do me good and lift my spirits. I have booked airport assistance.
Don't rule out the pills - sometimes they have a role to play too. Hopefully your holiday will do the trick - where are you off to? I spent a few days on Lake Garda last week while it was still warm and it was so good for me.
Sounds idyllic! We’re off to Hurghada (Egypt) to the Premier Reve hotel. This will be about our 6th visit in the past few years. It’s a small adult only hotel with wonderful food and the beach and Red Sea only a few yards from the hotel.
I haven’t taken any of the pills yet as I’m nervous about side effects whilst I’m away and having to see an Egyptian doctor. I’ve been prescribed Propanalol (betablocker) up to 3 times a day when needed for anxiety and Sertraline (Anti depressant) one tablet daily. If I take the Sertraline I’m not sure when to take it as I’m worried it will interfere with my Pred absorption. I take my pred around 9.30 am with my breakfast. I could take the Sertraline in the evening but insomnia is listed as one of the possible side effects and I already take 4 other tablets at night. This is all adding to my stress. What do you think you would do please?
Why do you think it will interfere with the pred? And why does it have to be nighttime for taking the sertraline?
This is a case report of using the 2 together - with no problems.
You need to try what suits you best: some people become drowsy on sertraline, other have sleep problems. It all depends which you are. And it needs to be taken at the same time every day, ao a good way to deal with your fears about not absorbing pred would be to take the pred in the morning and the sertraline a couple of hours later - though you are taking your pred very late. But taking the sertraline at night would do that too.
Many thanks for your reply and the links. I normally take my Pred after breakfast which could be anytime from 8.30 am to 10.00. I’ve been sleeping in a lot longer because of the after effects of Covid. I will maybe try and take the Sertraline an hour after my Pred. I think I remember seeing posts where you’ve said it’s generally absorbed after an hour (I take uncoated Pred). I’m already taking 9 prescription meds and 3 prescribed supplements (17 pills daily) plus insulin twice daily. Unfortunately I’ve become very drug averse. I need to get over my health anxiety but I’ve had it for a long time and it’s been much worse since I got PMR and Covid came on the scene.
As always many thanks Pro for your responses. I don’t know what we’d do without you and DL. 🌸
Hardly surprising you have some anxiety - and even I'd be anxious after Covid!!
Meant to say before - yours is the luxury holiday - I was away with my VW campervan, grabbing the last few days that were warm enough to pretend it was summer!!! Have a lovely time!
I am not an expert or medically trained but I too am on sertraline (only 25mg daily) , a beta blocker and pred. I take the pred and sertraline in the morning after breakfast and the beta blocker at night (as I found I had vivid dreams when taking it in the morning ???? I have not noticed any difference in the effects of the pred since starting the sertraline thoughvI know we are all different .
Thanks for your response which is reassuring I haven’t taken the beta blocker or Sertraline yet but I will take them on holiday with me in case I get worse. I would be less apprehensive about taking them if I wasn’t about to leave the UK for 10 days.🌸
I don’t know yet Nancy as I haven’t taken any. I’m reluctant as I go on holiday abroad tomorrow and I’m worried about side effects whilst away. The doctor who prescribed it said I could take a 10mg tablet up to 3 times a day if I was struggling with anxiety. For problems like high blood pressure, angina, arrhythmia the dose is much higher.
With hindsight I may have had more luck getting antivirals if I’d contacted Rheumatology instead of my GP. It feels like pot luck on who you get to speak to and how vigilant they are!
I'm so sorry Tiggy70 and hope you are feeling better soon. Hopefully, your post will give others the courage to say....Hey, wait a minute!!!! I DO qualify.
I know, any case I've heard about, they have quickened the recovery and I'm sorry you didn't get them!!...hope it is sooner rather than later that you feel better~!!💞
Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know about this. When my husband got Covid he felt absolutely wretched until he started Paxlovid three days later. It was miraculous. After 24 hours most of his symptoms were gone. He did get rebound Covid, but it was very mild. It is unconscionable that they wouldn’t give Paxlovid to you this time around. I have MS in addition to PMR and live in fear of both Covid and long Covid. Hope you recover soon without further complications.
Thanks for your good wishes. I’m certain if I had been allowed to take Paxlovid this time it would have alleviated some of the worse symptoms. I was very poorly for just over a week and had every symptom that Covid could throw at you. I’ve read that the worse your symptoms are the more likely you are to get long Covid but it’s not always the case. Since Covid first appeared I’ve always been very careful with mask wearing etc. but now the majority of people with mild symptoms aren’t testing themselves anymore as it’s no longer a requirement. They are walking amongst us spreading the disease to the vulnerable. 🌸
I know. I tend to treat people as if they might have the plague, which is sad but necessary according to my doctor. My husband and I still mask anywhere we are going to be indoors. The risks are just too high for me not to. I’m wishing you the very best in getting over this latest bout.
the first time I contracted COVID I was put on paxlovid I was at 40mg of prednisone down from 60 and 25mg of methotrexate I felt crumby for a week and gradually got better the second time i decided to go without paxlovid it has its own side effects plus was on 15ish mg and 25mg methotrexate wasn’t long before I figured out that was a bad choice covid lasted much longer first 2-weeks were awful and I struggled to keep my blood oxygen above low 80s for months I am pretty sure I now have long covid I still have shortness of breath my blood oxygen never goes higher than 90 at rest have terrible brain fog and I developed a skip beat I now have to stop frequently when walking to catch my breath not long after second bout of covid I developed Ménière’s disease lost all my hearing in one ear and have constant tinnitus so although everyone is different taking paxlovid might be worth looking into..
So sorry to hear about your health issues. It’s so difficult to know what to do for the best and whether to take antivirals. The doctors are still finding their way with Covid. This second bout of Covid has certainly hit me much harder. Time will tell whether I’m going to have long Covid but the signs currently aren’t looking good.
Best of luck I hope you shake all the effects from Covid..I think the medical field has only just begun to find all the long term effects from Covid and Covid vaccines…
I’m so sorry for how you were treated. The same thing happened to me in August. GP didn't want to help advised me to call 111, who did look into my case and said I needed anti viral meds due to health problems and told to go to A&E. They contacted them ahead and when arrived I was put into a single room. After bloods consultations and discussing my case they eventually prescribed paxlovid. Whilst waiting the local health rang me to say I didn’t meet the criteria. Luckily I had just collected the medication. How can a hospital you’re under for liver and Crohn’s disease along with other diseases and the local authorities refuse. I was prescribed them the previous years. I’m grateful I got them thanks to 111. Enjoy your holiday.
Hi, It’s a bit of a lottery isn’t it. With hindsight I wish I’d contacted my Rheumatology dept or 111. I might have had a different outcome but you can’t change history 🌸
My rheumatologist gave me a letter detailing who to ring in the event of needing the anti virals and the letter clearly states that I should have them. Maybe your rheumatologist could issue you one?
interesting to hear…I had Covid badly, positive for 15 days, in bed for five (unheard of)! I as refused antivirals as only on low dose of pred…but I have other illnesses & weaknesses, which meant I really needed them. It’s not just people on pred who need it who are being refused!! I argued, but as the Dr who rings you is unfamiliar with your case, you don’t stand a chance, tbh! I still have breathlessness & other issues from it, & waiting to see my Dr. Will be asking if I can be put on a ‘should have it’ list! We are shielding, but I caught it at the Dr’s, when I was having a coccyx injection…15 mins lying on your front without movement means no mask! My husband was in hospital with pneumonia, but was discharged home while I had it. Dr just said ‘he’s had his jabs’, & that was it! I lived in our motorhome on our drive until I was negative. The system is flawed, so we are shielding again!!
Sorry to hear of the issues you had. I hope you are starting to feel much better now. It’s hard enough with PMR without adding the remnants of Covid to deal with.🌸
Not yet, I’m afraid…I’m still very breathless if I go slowly upstairs or uphill, & the fatigue is worse than PMR. However, I suffer from Fibromyalgia, Raynauds Syndrome, Osteoarthritis, Hypermobility, Essential Tremor, Vertigo, Trochanteric Bursitis, Haemangioma - spinal, Asthma, Sciatica, Orthostatic Hypertension, Blepharitis & macular Degeneration…as well as PMR, so some of my problems may be related to that list & not Covid!! Waited two months to see Dr, & don’t have an appointment yet!
Oh my goodness that’s a lot to contend with. As you say it’s not easy when you have multiple health issues to know what’s causing what. I have type 2 diabetes controlled with two medications and insulin and I’m waiting for an orthopaedic appointment as some of my right shoulder tendons have ruptured again. I had two rotator cuff surgeries in 2022 but the problem is back with a vengeance. Prednisolone and tendons don’t get on. Take care.
I am heading towards diabetes, & have bloods tomorrow to see if I’m up to that level now…I’ve been high level pre-diabetes, but had some symptoms recently…but, as you will now understand, it’s very hard for me to know what’s causing which problems!! Ijnteresting you should say that, it looks as if my year of ankle issues are tendons…I didn’t realise there’s a link with pred! Thanks!
Unfortunately Type 2 Diabetes is a disease that does get worse over time. You can mitigate the speed that that happens but it’s not easy and you have to be really strict with your diet. I had pre diabetes for 10 years before it became diabetes then it was borderline. I managed it with diet only for over three years then had oral meds. It’s only since having PMR In 2020 that my numbers (HbA1c) rocketed. I’ve had to use insulin since February this year but it was my choice as my HbA1c was 77 last Christmas.
My Aunt had adult onset diabetes for 20-30 years & I watched her struggle. My blood tests are today, I’m quite depressed, & really don’t want anything else!!
Thanks for that info…I had many many courses over a two year period, about 12 years ago, a lot of them IV in hospital…had very bad infection issues…& it was often ciprofloxacin, which I think is one of those! I’m hoping it will be lower this time, I’m having a hell of a time dropping from 2mg to 1.5mg, but some fatigue could be long COVID, or several of the other stuff I plough through…I think fibro, hypermobility & some others have fatigue as a symptom!! It’s a huge struggle to get up this morning, feels like I’m dragging myself out at 2am!!! S x
Yup - cipro did it for me!! GP prescribed it for a UTI (guidance is it shouldn't be used for them) and in 3 or 4 days the achilles started up. When my husband was given it, no history of pred, HIS achilles started hurting within 24 hours!
But I think it’s a bit late for it to be what’s damaged my Achilles tendon this time!! Think it was the bad fall a year ago, when they diagnosed sprained ankle due to swelling & xray showed no break! Tbh, I’m having problems with other tendons, too, & hoping the forthcoming injection will help!! Really interesting, thanks! S x
I was put on Cipro in 2022 when my shoulder became infected after surgery. After 48 hours I could barely walk as one of my Achilles tendons had swelled up!
Regarding the long Covid, I very recently read that nicotine patches alleviate the symptoms almost straight away. Furthermore, it was also found that using them didn't lead to addiction, presumably because they only need to be used for a short time. Here's a link to one of the articles I read.
The Paxlovid rules in the UK are interesting , as in NZ , we can get it if over 65. When my husband got Covid, my gp told me to test twice a day, as, due to being on pred ( 3 mg at the time), I needed to get onto it as soon as possible after a positive test.
The problem in the UK appears to be confusion on who meets the criteria to be prescribed Paxlovid. It’s a bit of a lottery. When I first enquired through my GP about getting Paxlovid I was directed to the Pharmacy attached to my practice and told they had to prescribe it. That was wrong and the pharmacist walked round to the surgery and told them it was it was up to them to authorise a prescription. As patients we are just stuck in the middle!
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