What is HIV
HIV (also known as human immunodeficiency virus, and formerly known as HTLV-III and lymphadenopathy-associated virus) is a retrovirus that primarily infects vital components of the...
Join Now
|
Atripla Questions
|
Watch this |
| View More Posts Ignore |
I have had HIV for over 20 years and have managed to stay off the meds but the time has come now with T-cells in the 200 range. I really hope Atripla is a drug I can take. Being only once a day I feel I can adhere, but not if I AM going to keep having crazy spells and wake up feeling like I do now. So foggy and drained and nauseous. I avoided reading the pages of literature for this drug and it's possible side effects because I did not want to convince myself of anything untrue but...seriously, this stuff is really sending me for a loop.
I started taking Atripla less than 2 weeks ago. The first 2 nights on it were pretty intense with hallucinations both visual and auditory. These were not dreams because I had to keep opening my eyes to make sure I wasn't really seeing these things. It was not scary just hard to grasp and definitely impossible to sleep. They seemed to diminish after a few nights though so I thought YEEHAW, the worst is over. Last night was the worst episode yet. About 1/2 hour after taking the Atripla I started getting the familiar spinning, lightheaded feeling so I headed to bed promptly. I did not make it and instead fell on the bedroom floor where I lost my mind completely. I don't know how long I lay on the bedroom floor before I came to and when I did come to, I was soaking wet with sweat. Head to toe soaking wet and I could not stand by myself. My body felt like it had electricity pulsing through it and my hands were shaking numb. I asked my husband to feel my hands but he could not feel the pulsing. I just don't know how that is possible, it was so intense. Today my lips feel numb and my hands are so heavy feeling and of course I have the lingering headache I have had for weeks now. The nausea is present too and makes it really hard to want to eat. I've lost a few pounds since starting this med and I really do not need to lose any more weight and my doctors agree. I plan to discuss these things with my doctor this week but do not feel that the pharmacy will be much use to me. They had to special order my drug and when I picked it up, the pharmacist said she had never heard of it. Oh great! So I asked the pharmacist a couple of questions and she consulted the 3 pages of literature that came with my med to give me the answers. I don't have a lot of confidence in their expert opinion because of that. Has anyone else had these symptoms from this med and if so, did they go away with time? Are these symptoms things I need to really be concerned with? I just do not know and do not want to do my body irreversible damage. It was so scary last night all I could do was to think of GOD when my mind left. When I came to GOD was telling me it was just a spell or was it me saying that? It was very scary confusing and I don't want to have to go through that too many times. Any insight or experiences with this drug would be appreciated. BE WELL. Posted on 04/15/08, 12:04 pm |
| 45 Replies | Most Recent | Add Your Reply |
| View More Posts Ignore |
I have been taking Atripla now since about October, 2008. The side effects have almost disappeared. I have regular blood tests to make sure my liver is still OK. As a recap, I suffered acute liver failure in May, 2008, from consuming too much alcohol, so looking after my liver is my prime concern. As far as the rash, before doing anything else such as stopping Atripla, I think I would ask your doctor to do a little biopsy of the rash. I also had a big rash, but a biopsy showed it consistent with drug reaction. It turned out Effexor, which I took for depression, was the culprit. The rash is now gone. I never used to have a problem with Effexor, but for some reason I now am very sensitive to it. I have switched my amitryptaline for ambien. That works better for sleep. 
|
|
|
|
||
| View More Posts Ignore |
I have been on it now for 2 months and no side effects other than insane Diarrhea. I can say it change my viral load from 280,000 to undetected within a month time. I know it ruff but stick with it the drug works
|
|
|
|
||
| View More Posts Ignore |
I have been on Atripla for a little over 2 months. In one month my viral load went from 33,000 to 290 and my CD4 count rose 25 points. The first night was tough and I was pretty dizzy, and shortly after I started I got an splotchy rash that itched after I took the pill at night, but it lasted less than a week. Now the only side effect I experience is vivid dreams if I take the pill right before going to bed, so I usually try to give it an hour after taking it to go to bed. I know, you wouldn't think a little thing like that would make a difference but it did for me. I hope anyone experiencing side affects can stick with it because this medication can work wonders.
|
|
|
|
||
| View More Posts Ignore |
Atripla does work for some, and the side effects subside - BUT NOT FOR ALL. I persisted with the side effects of Atripla for way to long and you just don't have to.
Bad side effects to Atripla is common. Atripla is a combination of Eferveranz and Truvada. The side effects of the Efeveranz element is well documented and I'm sure if you read my journal it might sound similar to your experiences. There are a lot of people here who have had really bad experiences with Atripla, for some they pass for others they don't. I switched treatment to Truvada and Nevirapine. A two pill combination that is in the same class and does not have the same neurological side effects that Atripla can have. Basically Nevirapine doesn't screw with your brain!! It works differently. I did a lot of research and only wished that I had switched to Nevirapine and Truvada sooner. My mistake was thinking that the side effects were going to go away. I read from other people they would pass, but they didn't. Of course for some people the side effects do dissipate, however that is not the case for all. Also when your brain is fried it is really difficult to make good decisions and choices. Despite, what I would consider hideous emotional and brain frying side effects, Atripla did clinically work for me (zero viral load etc). And for that reason I did persist with it. Because of the combination of Efeveranz and Truvada already combined into one pill it has been a financial bonanza for the drug company that has made it. Just be aware that there is great range and variety beyond Atripla on the market and its popularity as a "one pill" treatment is being over prescribed when there are other excellent alternatives out there. The switch to Nevirapine and Truvada, taking two pills, was no big deal at all. I now live a totally normal life and am so glad that I made the switch, however I suffered 8 months before I did change. And I still have a zero viral load and climbing T-cells. Most of the doctors who prescribe Atripla do not understand how awful the side effects can be. If the side effects are unbearable and changing your life, change the drug - get off it. Get some good advice like I did from www.thebody.com where there is a team of excellent doctors who gave me great help. I personally recommend Nevirapine and Truvada. I think Nevirapine is called Viramune in the USA. I'm from Australia, good luck.
|
|
|
|
||
| View More Posts Ignore | ||
|
|
||
| First | Previous | Page: 1 2 3 4 5 | Next | Most Recent | Add Your Reply |
