User Reviews for Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir)

Everyone is different so COVID's symptons can vary. My symptons were 1. Strong headaches, 2. Congestion and 3. Strong muscular/ back pain. Took Plaxlovid (with meal) and got the following side-effects: 1.Metallic taste ,2. Loss Smell/Taste and 3. Diarrhea. By the 3rd day of taking Plaxlovid my headache and congestion went away. My smell/taste came back and the muscular /back pain decreased 90%.

Works great, but the metal taste is horrible. Also caused some brief GI upset and mild dizziness.

Worst medicine ever. Horrible taste in my mouth, sick at my stomach and made me jittery and head fog. Stopped after 2 days!

I decided to take Paxlovid "just in case" because I am older and am at medium risk health-wise. Wasn't worth it as I felt all the same COVID symptoms, but I felt nauseous and my food tasted horrible because of the metallic taste in my mouth. I stopped taking it and felt much better. Then I thought, well, maybe I should just go ahead and finish the 5 day dose. Bad choice...same nausea, same bad food experience. Take it if you HAVE to, but if you're not high risk, I don't recommend it.

I starting paxlovid on Friday August 16,2024. I took the first doze that Friday evening. And took the second doze on Saturday morning. I didn't take no more of that medicine. Sunday August 18,2024 that's when things got worse. I was out a Home depot and feeling OK. As soon as I got back in my car, I started to feel strange in my body. I thought I might have been hungry, but that wasn't the case. All of a sudden, something hit me hard in my chest. While I was in the car, by myself... My whole body started to shake & tremble... I couldn't breathe at all. I was trying to call 911, but hands was shaking so fast. I jumped out the car, trying to get someone attention to call 911. It's feel like I was having a stroke or heart attack... My head was pounding and I couldn't breathe at all. About a couple of minutes, I was able to dial 911, tell them my location, store, my name and the color of my vehicle... Soon the police arrived, and said the ambulance is on the way... I didn't have no energy, I couldn't really talk at all... The ambulance workers, gave me a hand full of baby aspirin. When I arrive at the hospital, my blood pressure was in the 200 range. I couldn't talk no more, I didn't have any energy at all. I thought I was dying. No I didn't have any blood pressure issues at all. I stayed in the hospital for 3 days on a heart monitor. Now, I have to take blood pressure medication. I am also on anxiety medication too.. I WILL NEVER TAKE THE MEDICINE AGAIN... PAXLOVID ????Read More Read Less

I began COVID day one late afternoon I also experienced the metallic taste in my mouth and again with bedtime dose. My body aches/pain was excruciating, I took a half norco. By midnight my fever broke I was able to rest. This morning,day 2 I ate before taking the dose . I took all three pills ,did not allow the the three to linger on my tongue ,drank a full glass of liquid with it. This technique helped tremendously, my metallic taste wasn't as bad and it didn't last. I am able to eat. My symptoms are aches, head/ ear congestion. I am drinking fluids and resting because I have no energy. Sunday is my last day. Read More Read Less

When I was diagnosed with Covid my symptoms were in comparison to a sinus infection. After one dose I decided not to take paxlovid anymore. I experienced symptoms such as chills, headache, shortness of breath, and a horrible after taste. This was a horrible experience.

This medication really helped my covid symptoms. However by day 5 I became very nauseous. The taste in my mouth has become unbearable and it is making me gag and throw up. It tastes like bile. I know other people say it's a metallic taste but to me it tastes like I threw up a bunch of bile. I tolerated it for 4 days but I can't take the taste anymore.

I'm convinced that Paxlovid made my whole experience with COVID worse. I so regret taking it. I started using Paxlovid on the third day of COVID symptoms and immediately got much worse with symptoms...disgusting taste in my mouth, banging headache, and my body felt like it was beaten with a baseball bat. I was nauseous and didn't eat for 5 days. Water only seemed to reignite that awful, awful medicine. It wasn't until I quit taking Paxlovid that my symptoms SUBSTANTIALLY improved. Do NOT recommend! Read More Read Less

Started this med beginning of fourth day of testing positive because of reading reviews, bad or good. Decided to start five day routine. Very glad I did, felt better after day one and by day three was 80% feeling better. Fourth day tested negative. To all those hesitant, if you are reasonably healthy please do not hesitate to take this med. I am seventy seven and so glad I did. Hopefully, if you read my review you find it helpful and hopeful.

I have T1 diabetes so Paxlovid was prescribed to me. About 4 hours after taking the first dose of three pills, I felt very nauseas and the next two-three hours consisted of diarrhea and throwing up. I could not continue the medication due to fear of these symptoms happening again.

This medicine should not be on the market. The after taste is absolutely a disgrace as it lingers and make you gag or vomit. How could the FDA even approve this medicine? Perhaps they should try it. The warning side affects do not list this despicable taste and not does it offer how to combat the taste. After the first dose, I gag for hours and could not sleep.

It gave me sores in my mouth, a horrible burning in my chest and throat that would not go away. Pain in my left side. After 2 1/2 days, I have to stop. No sleep at all for 3 days! It helped my cough some.

Started Paxlovid in the afternoon (around 3 pm) of day 3. The symptoms got much worse throughout the night - primarily a blinding headache to where I couldn’t open my eyes. Got another dose in before bedtime. Slept until about 7:30 am and woke up 60-70% better. Manageable headache, some sniffles, body aches mostly gone. Definitely leaves a terrible taste in your mouth, but that is nothing compared to the worst of the Covid symptoms.

I did not like how this medication made me feel after taking first dose at bedtime I had unpleasant dreams that whole night I was restless my body felt heavy and felt sick on the stomach. I woke up that morning crying my eyes out feeling depressed. I know my body and this medicine is too strong for me not taking anymore.

My felt worse every time I took the pills. Headache something was inside my head just driving me crazy worse than a migraine. The after taste made everything worse. I stop taking the 3 pills and everything went away. No headache no sour taste no vomiting. Im good now!!

Felt worse after taking. Horrible taste in mouth, severe headache an hour after taking, second day face & stomach had rash and then diarrhea

Everyone’s body is different for sure, but wanted to share my personal experience. The first dosage I took wasn’t too terrible the taste was definitely off. After taking the second dose the taste became unbearable. I ended up non stop throwing up and every time the taste got 10x worse. I personally think this medicine is awful, but hopefully others won’t have the same experience. I also experienced abdominal pain. All of this happened with in an hour of me taking the second dose.

Felt MUCH better the next day. Experienced the nasty taste in the mouth, but that is very minor considering how it minimized Covid 19 symptoms.

Medicine is great. I started feeling better on day 2. The bad part is the bad taste in my mouth. I discovered if I eat a dill pickle that it helps with the bad taste in my mouth. Nothing else worked but the dill pickle!