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My thought on Paxlovid: if you have no common health issues that impair renal function (HTN, DM, elderly, etc), you don’t need your GFR checked before paxlovid. On the flip side, if you are healthy enough that the prescriber defers labs, the clinical benefit of Paxlovid is likely minimal.Quote:
Originally Posted by old goat
I’m sure this has been asked before and maybe we don't yet have the answer - but in a healthy young/middle aged adult - in whom paxlovid would only serve to potentially decrease severity of their mild symptoms (in what otherwise likely will be an uncomplicated and limited illness) - what is the thinking around decreasing risk of long covid?
Shit we can all put up with a week of feeling like ass - and taking paxlovid to maybe take the edge off some of the symptoms would have to be weighed against the risk (which seems minimal) and cost (and of course would have consider it there is a shortage of medications that then need to be saved for most at risk)
But if you said this med probably won’t do much for your symptoms and you’re probably gonna be over this in 7-10 days - but it decreases the risk of long covid by 10-15% I’d take it in a heartbeat.
^^I would too but from everything I've read the factors influencing long covid are still very poorly understood.
I wonder if Paxlovid is becoming the new Tamiflu? Per many summaries (Tamiflu), offers minimal reduction in the duration of symptoms. Maybe it's best given to those who might actually need it?Quote:
Originally Posted by bennymac
https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0411091937.htm
I got my Covid booster yesterday. Woke up today feeling kind of shitty and with a headache. But that could be partly because I also woke up super early yesterday and ran a 5K (at race pace) before the vax. I'm at 24 hours now, and already feeling quite a bit better. Glad that's out of the way! Got flu vax 2 days earlier. I'll wait on the RSV until my annual physical doc has something to say about it.
My point/question is have we determined who “actually needs Paxlovid” yet? With Tamiflu we have.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trackhead
Agreed completely. Maybe 5yrs from now.Quote:
Originally Posted by bennymac
There was a preprint in April describing reduction in long covid from taking paxlovid. My memory was that it was a relatively small study size. I thought there was a more recent study, but couldn’t find it with my quick search.
The initial studies pretty much covered that. I don’t have the info in front of me, but my recollection is that for people at higher risk for moderate/ severe Covid, Pax reduced hospitalization by upwards of 90%. For people at lower risk there didn’t seem to be any clinical benefit. That said, from personal experience and those of family members, Paxlovid dramatically reduces symptoms. My wife went from nearly immobile in bed to feeling nearly normal 24 hours after starting her course.Quote:
Originally Posted by bennymac
As someone else mentioned, there have been a few pre prints that show benefits of Pax for long Covid, but jury is still out on that for sure.
I agree, but since I didn't know anything about his health I was suggesting the maximum workup that might be necessary--questionnaire and gfr.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trackhead
It's easy to say that if you're low risk that it's fine to just ride out the symptoms for a week or two, but based on my experience of one, I would gladly take it to stop feeling like shit, although in my case I was in the high risk group. Best as I can tell the side effects and risks are similar to the OTC meds you might take for covid. Of course it's early and more serious side effects may pop up.
Agree on anecdotes and people feeling better quick. The second time I had covid I felt like ass for a couple weeks and really slow ski touring for two months (was that long covid?) Kinda felt like it but also probably had cancer then too and didn’t know it at the time.Quote:
Originally Posted by old goat
So yeah, I’d be inclined to take it too. Last year with chemo I certainly was ready to.
I believe that ^^ would be considered long covid.
Paxlovid rebound study: https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/77/1/25/7049992
Here’s the preprint that I mentioned: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1....05.23288196v1
I haven’t read much about Novavax but the govt line seems to be ‘hey it’s similar effectiveness as the mRNA vaccines, so now you have a choice, but we don’t really have anything to tell you that would make that decision easier so flip a coin’.Quote:
Originally Posted by teledad
?
On the subject of covid studies in general--I don't put too much stock in single, unrepeated studies, which is virtually all of them. It takes time and multiple studies to get a clear picture. (And then there's the phenomenon of publication bias, which determines which studies get printed and which go into the round file.)
And then there’s preprints, like the one that I posted.
My understanding: it’s a more traditional vax so PH peoples hope that people concerned with the mRNA vax will get novavax. Also, previous novavax covid vaxes supposedly had less reported side effects and longer durability (didn’t wane as quickly) compared to the mRNA vaxes.Quote:
Originally Posted by frorider
So if all options are on the table and you have no concerns about mRNA vs “traditional” vaccines is there a choice that is superior?
I see a push by some epidemiologist and people like Eric Topol for novavax because of the hope for longer durability.
Personally, that’s what I’m doing because I am hoping for less side effects. My ass got kicked for several days with every mRNA vax/booster.
I use the term “traditional” because I didn’t want to look it up.
ETA: topols take has more points and nuance:
https://www.science.org/content/arti...r-mrna-options
My wife's back was killing her after the vaccine yesterday--because of the 2 hour line with no place to sit at Kaiser.
So does that qualify for an adverse side effect;)Quote:
Originally Posted by old goat
Latest covid and flu vaxxes in the arm as of an hour ago. Starting to drool on myself and I'm craving brains for dinner. Phone reception still sucks.
Well, shit. My symptoms came back yesterday and I just tested positive again this morning. I thought I was back 100% over the weekend. I guess that's the issue with taking Paxlovid. I first tested positive two weeks ago Friday.
Ordered my free test. Got an email from USPS telling me my tests arrive tomorrow. Then another email telling me they're coming friday. Then another one telling me they're coming today.
Rite Aid declaring Chapter 11. Apparently none of the freestanding big pharmacies are doing well. I'm no fan of megacorps but the pharmacy chains have been doing good work with vaccines. I hope they're still around for the next pandemic; if we have to get them from doctors' offices and hospitals we're screwed. (My wait yesterday was only 20 minutes, compared to my wife's 2 hours. Why would a retired person go to Kaiser to get a shot on a Saturday?)
That's disappointing to hear as Rite Aid has been great getting appointments in and out quickly for our family.Quote:
Originally Posted by old goat
Covid/Flu last night with daughters and we were in and out in 25 minutes, even with showing up 20 minutes early to the appointment.
Sore arm and joints today, but not bad. Protected for another year!
During the peak of the pandemic tho, cvs etc didnt hire additional staff and expected overworked pharmacists to add vaccination logistics into their regular workload. A lot of them bailed/retired because of the additional work load being unrealiatic. I’m not sure what’s going on with now pharmacies but I suspect it has a lot to do w the pharm management industry determining profits and consolidation. But agreed, it would suck to not have that Avenue for vaccinations. Although the drive thru at UCSF was the most efficient and easy by far. Wish they still offered it. Conversely the Kaiser clinic has had a line down the block everyday this roundQuote:
Originally Posted by old goat
Our local Rite Aid got gobbled up by Walgreens and absolutely sucks ass. I stopped going there which sucks because it's walking distance. It was originally a Brooks, before Rite Aid, before Walgreens. It went downhill each time. I go to Kinney Drugs or CVS for my long term meds. I got my vaccinations at Kinney yesterday.Quote:
Originally Posted by SorryBro
So, I forgot what the final verdict was. Is it ok to take Tylenol one day in? Starting to feel like shit, right on schedule.
I got a walk in flu vax several days ago and no issues I could notice
the pharmacist sez the covid vax is not available yet up here so i will have to wait for the guvermint to give me the heads up
It's spelled gubmint. You're welcome.Quote:
Originally Posted by XXX-er
not up narth ehQuote:
Originally Posted by riser4
Apparently insurers are paying less for prescriptions--pharmacy benefit managers--and competition from Walmart and other big box stores and mail order.Quote:
Originally Posted by mcski
We’ve been seeking novavax for ourselves, in part cuz of the likelihood of less side effects. Had appt yesterday for our college freshman kid. Got to the Rite Aid pharmacy and they had not ever received the vax shipment. They do not know when they’ll receive that vax. Because of that, my wife called the CVS pharmacy where she had an appt for herself and 1 of our other kids, and that pharmacy told her that they’d ran out and do not know when they’ll receive another batch.
Pfizer wasn’t my first choice but it was the easiest and quickest appointment available. A little chill and a little blah. No big deal.
My last couple vaxes were moderna and they went fine. The only big reaction I have had was with the 2nd of the first two shots back in 2021. That was pfizer and it kicked my ass completely for a couple of days.
So I did the trifecta over a two week period: flu, shingles, and the COVID booster (Pfizer). The only one that got me was the COVID booster, felt like shit for 24 hours, which hadn’t happened before…. On the plus side, my 5G reception is BALLER.
The 2023 COVID booster made me miserable from about hour 20 untill I fell asleep. I was fine when I woke up. The 2022 booster didn't even register. Placebo. The shingles shot #1 on the other hand fucked me up for about five days. #2 didn't register. Placebo.
It’s all random. Or at least as far we should be concerned. Prepare to feel like shit so you’re not caught off guard.
Each mRNA vax I’ve received floored me for 36+ hrs. Fever, heavy muscle/joint pain, etc. for that 36 hr period. Wake up the next day after that timeframe and feel good.
Got the booster on Sept 16 2023
Got infected with Covid at a football game last Sunday.
I can see how easy it is to get sprayed with covid spit .
People were drunk, screaming, yelling,etc right behind my back at the game.
Missed Thanksgiving quarantined.
Mainly bad head cold, some body aches and chills.
I'm so happy I got the booster though.
Hopefully it keeps the symptoms down.
Get ready for everyone getting symptoms on Sunday.
3 days after the Thanksgiving Superspreader
I very well could have been that superspreader.
I thought it was allergies bothering me.
We had test kits here so I took one just in case.
Strong positive on it.
To those about to check in here that got infected on Thanksgiving, I send positive energy your way 🙌💥
Apparently, there are projections of lots of covid in the US through the rest of the year.
Thing 1 and I got novavax earlier this week at Costco. No side effects for either of us. Even with flu vax in the same arm at the same time. Barely a sore arm. mRNA vaxes all floored btoh of us for over 30 hrs in the past.
My wife got covid last week for the first time. Me I’ve still not got it - I have no interest in rolling the dice on long covid.
I'm embarrassingly out of the loop here. Had Astra Zeneca as my first shot, then three Pfizers since. Had really brutal reactions to all.
Sounds like Novavax is a bit easier for those who had severe reactions to mRNA vaccines with similar (albeit not quite equal) effectiveness than the XBB? Does that jive with what others are seeing?
There is some documentation to support that some experience less side effects. I was relieved to experience that myself. Supposedly there’s some evidence that novavax booster effectiveness will not wane as quickly as the mRNA. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...cts-rcna125216