I don’t know if it will help anyone – but I’ve had quite an experience with Paxlovid and since I couldn’t find the same experiences documented anywhere, I’ll share them as either unrelated to the medication and the product of my imagination or significant additions.  2 nights ago I scared myself after I took the third dose with the sense that all my blood was rushing to my head.   It obviously wasn’t externally visible since – while I was rendered speechless and couldn’t even complain, Ezi kept munching his cucumber, indicating there were no other major physical signs.  My old habit of automatically telling myself that my limbs were heavy and warm – meant to relax circulation – seemed to help, and after a few minutes I was back to just feeling weak and unable to eat.  But it scared me, and I couldn’t sleep all night.  In the morning I still felt weak, with swollen lips and a sense of a battle going on in my body.  I contacted the authorities – after a long wait on the phone –  and asked what to do.  It’s okay, said the nurse, but it’s probably not related to the baxlovid, (which gave me an indication of his racial persuasion since the b/p substitution is typical of Arabic speakers) .  He (the nurse) listened politely and intensely to every one of my kvetches – dividing the ones that are typical of COVID from the ones that are characteristic of allergies, and the ones unique to hysterical patients, and recording everything for the doctor who called me a while later.

By the time I spoke to the equally patient doctor, a young Russian lady, I was feeling a bit better, and although she assured me that my symptoms were not necessarily due to an allergy to Paxlovid, and might well be linked to reactions to the virus itself, she gave me the kind of responses I remember being surprised to receive when I first came to Israel.  “Do you think I could stop the medication?” “If you want to stop, stop.  It just means there will be no benefit from what you’ve already taken.” “So you think I should suffer and continue?”  “Sounds good.”  

There were a series of questions and answers and I can’t remember the details now but I do remember that both of us laughed a lot.  And the call ended with many good wishes for a speedy recovery  “And don’t forget to drink a lot of water,” she reminded me.  “At the very least it will keep you busy.”

During the day I began to experience a dramatic increase in energy and mood, and although I’m still testing strongly positive, I almost feel normal.

(p.s. In case I have not told you before, my first experience with an Israeli doctor, 40 years ago, provided me with the touchstone for medical consultations.

I came to the nearest doctor in my neighborhood, walking a long way in the hot sun on an unpaved road, because there way no other transportation, and enumerated to him my long list of numerous symptoms.  He listened intently, thought for a moment, and asked, “Did you ever have this before?”  “Yes,” I responded tearfully.  “Well, you have it again!”