I spent the end of 2022 traveling Italy, visiting family in Germany and Oklahoma, then housesitting back in Los Angeles as it was slammed with the first of many rain storms. With two weeks of New Year to rest, I began to feel flu-ish and promptly got a covid booster as well as whooping cough and pneumonia vaccinations. I wasn’t about to take any chances because I had plane tickets and a nine-day condo reservation to attend my very first in-person Slamdance and Sundance film festivals.
Now, I’m back with stories to tell and… I have Covid. Well, at least it happened at the end of my adventures. I’ve spent the last two days sleeping and pumping my body with Paxlovid (a Covid antiviral). Miraculously it has helped me bounce back to 90% in almost 48 hours. Though, it has the terrible side effect of making my mouth taste like a tin can filled with rotten cabbage.
I’ve got two more chapters of my memoir edited, but because my voice waivers between Daffy Duck and Darth Vader, I can’t record the audio versions just yet. So for the next week, I’ll be dropping some public and subscriber-only inspirational Film Festival stories and returning to my Dirty Water Diary.
Till then, should you get Covid, and have your doctor prescribe Paxlovid, here are some temporary remedies for the tongue torture that medicine dolls out.
I’ve noticed anything naturally bitter is ten times worse, so avoid lettuces, brussels sprouts, and, yes… coffee.
Cinnamon is your friend. Hard candies and chewing gum helped to distract my taste buds momentarily.
Spearmint Tea - its bright flavor overpowers the bitterness while being refreshing, served either hot or iced.
Chocolate - because it’s awesome.
Honey - An hour after medicating, when things get really bad, I take a spoonful of raw honey and nibble little bites to overpower the rotting stench creeping up my throat.
I hope you can avoid Covid this season, but if you don’t, bookmark these remedies, they’re keeping me sane over the five-day Paxlovid cycle.
Do you have any remedies for Paxlovid mouth mayhem? Leave a comment; I’ll try anything.
I got Covid for the first time ever on New Year's Eve. Hell of a way to ring in the new year. Glad you are feeling better. Looking forward to hearing about your adventures and the next chapters!
I got Covid for the first time ever on New Year's Eve. Hell of a way to ring in the new year. Glad you are feeling better. Looking forward to hearing about your adventures and the next chapters!