Has anyone else had their chronic pain disappear while on Paxlovid?

I started having Covid symptoms two days before testing positive and starting Paxlovid. Being on it my chronic pain namely in my back and joints and my asthma has stopped. I don’t usually get sick with colds and viruses at all so that was different for me. Also I’m the only one in the house testing positive for Covid which is weird we’ve all taken multiple tests with each person getting the same result each time. I have so many symptoms that are knocking me out but then I will have the energy bursts to clean and accomplish things. With no pain. Ive lost 5 pounds.

Hello, I hope you are healing quickly! I have had chronic body wide pain for about 28 years, and was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 2000. I have been treated for it by a few MD doctors, ever since. Although Lyrica, Oxycodone, muscle relaxers and Cymbalta do help my pain levels, and I could not survive this disease without these meds, I am never ever pain free. BUT. When I contracted Covid in December 2020, my pain completely disappeared. I got so sick with Covid symptoms. But my pain was gone, I did not feel ANY pain. After about 10 days, as my Covid symptoms disappeared, my "regular" pain gradually came back. There was no Paxlovid and I was taking only certain vitamins that my MD recommended. That was all the treatment I was offered at that time. My doctor later told me that maybe my brain was consumed with covid, and so the pain signals were blocked.
Sorry this is poorly written. i am filled with Fibro fog today.

Thank you. Someone should do a study about this, and any other illnesses that stop chronic pain temporarily too. I appreciate the reality check. It's likely the same thing here with me and best that I know it's not the Paxlovid.

Hi, this is not related to your diminished pain while you were on Paxlovid, but how did you deal with the terrible taste that comes with Paxlovid. I’m half way through the course of pills and I can barely get them down. Sorry, this is off track, but really curious.

This is my second time on Paxlovid, my second time getting Covid. My first time I was a lot sicker and I do remember the taste after taking the Paxlovid was truly terrible. This time it's not so bad. I think because I knew it was coming, I took it with food, like with my breakfast in the a.m. and a snack at the nighttime one. Also, this time I've had a lot more nausea, so I've been using some Odansetron sublingual tabs for that. It also seems to help.
Good luck. The truth is, it's still way better than a really bad course of Covid.

I will agree with your doctor that your brain solely focused on covid and that took center stage. Sorry you got hit with covid, I did too during Christmas and it stunk! I also have a centralized pain syndrome but did not take Paxlovid and felt a shift from primary pain awareness to covid sickness awareness.

Living with chronic pain, I've had examples of distraction in life that can bring my brain away from my symptoms, which I call a brain vacation, and allow me to focus on something else that brings joy, gratitude, humor perhaps. Not saying pains ever completely gone but it takes the back seat. Just making the case for how savvy our brains truly are -our central command centers. Given the fact that pain stems from the brain and chronic pain is when there are permanent upregulated changes in our central nervous system sending false fight or flight signals via spinal cord to the brain. The brain is powerful.

Another possibility to think about is the medications that you currently take... how long have you been on them? Sometimes medications such as opioids lose efficacy over time.. Could it be possible that adding a new medication like Paxlovid might have helped diminish pain signals as it was new to your system? I''m no doctor or scientist but it makes me wonder... hmm?

Again, so sorry you ended up with covid, but it sounded like a very interesting experiment for you to experience. You traded one thing for another. 🙃

I'm curious, do you agree with your doctor's analysis or do you have a different opinion or thought?

Thank you for the very thoughtful comments. I received them all. As for whether I agree with my doctor's analysis or have a different opinion or thought. I must say that it is only recently that I am even trusting my new and current PCP (in a Senior Clinic) to help me. I let a Pain Management specialist (an anesthesiologist) do a steroid injection into my L5, recently, and in the process the MRI he did beforehand gave us what is wrong with my nerves, outside of my brain. They found "prominent epidural fat" in my spine. Supposedly rare. I also fired him (the PM specialist) after the way he did the steroid injection but didn't do pain management when it ended up being an unplanned lumbar puncture also. I saw my PCP today (via Video Visit) and she's referring me on to a neurosurgeon because of the new MRI diagnosis. I'm actually glad the source of so much has been found. I'd already lost 20 lbs this year, though I have much more to lose (because of Prednisone for Polymyalgia Rheumatica that's in remission now). It turns out, from online researching, that steroids are one cause of such epidural fat. It makes great sense to me. The MRI also found stenosis in various places but he only ordered a lumbar MRI and I've got as much problem in C spine. "My doctor" right now is a Nephrologist, and a diagnosis by that PM doctor and my previous PCP (he moved), of fibromyalgia. Not sure I agree, but I'm set to try Cymbalta, because my Primary thinks it will help diminish my overall pain. I had to first go off of MAOI antidepressant first to do that trial. I am more concerned that my doctor accept past diagnoses (like Multiple Chemical Allergies) that are rock solid and have to be respected if I can even work with them. Right now, it seems I have that. But it's early days still.

When I was sick with Covid my doc prescribed a course of Paxlovid. A side effect of that drug is significantly diminished liver function. I regularly use oxycodone for pain. As some of you may know, the liver removes toxins and drugs from your blood. Without my full liver function it felt like I took three times my normal dose of pain meds. That made my regular pain go away for the length of the Pax treatment. Unfortunately, less than a week of feeling remarkably better with Covid under control, the Covid came roaring back. Boomerang effect, they call it. Some people get it. As a result, I haven't used Pax again as a treatment for two subsequent infections.

Interesting. On that diminished liver function (I don't have opioids to be affected either way), is that temporary? As in, during the time one is on Paxlovid? Or is there proof of it being permanent? It matters because I just took my last dose of Pax and this is my second time getting Covid, both times I took the Paxlovid. Though the first time I had Covid I was truly sick and mostly bedridden with it. This time was easier, but then I figured it was because I accidentally discovered I was positive for Covid this time, real early, and jumped on it. It kinda matters if it harms my liver.

I have battled with CRPS, fibromyalgia, polymyalgia rheumatica, asthma and failed back syndrome for over 25 years and the last 8 rheumatoid arthritis. Pain has been a constant companion until I got Covid in July and took Paxlovid. I was expecting to feel worse, but after 24 hours the Covid symptoms were 90% better but the pain was also gone and so was the incredible fatigue. By the 3rd day I was able to go for a brisk 5 mile walk. Although I had been on pain meds for many years I was able to get by on 1 pill a day broken in half.
This kept up till day 6, the day after I finished the Paxlovid. Now I’m back to square one.
I had 4 very nice days of energy and no real pain.
I hope someone is researching this!