Can i get some help

[ubotts]

 :oHi all..
i have been hiv for 21 yrs now..starting taking meds in 2004..I waited a bit too long..my tcells were 27 when i started feeling like crap..so i went to see a hiv dr. and they put me on meds right away..
Right now iam on Combiviar and Kaletra..been doing pretty good on that coctail so far..but i noticed my legs and arms are thin and my
belly looks swollen..Iam losing my hair, and iam getting depressed..
I wanted to know if i could take a drug hoilday..or just which meds
so maybe my body would change back, if possible.
I heard of people going on drug hoildays and id like to take one...
just scared if i go back on these meds i wouldnt become resistant..
Ive been ok for yrs but now iam getting scared, andy input as to what i should do...thanks for anything u have to offer in this matter.

[newt]

Hello welcome

A "holiday" is not perhaps the best idea

But, switching off Combivir, which contains AZT, may help with the thin arms etc. There are at least 3 alternatives, tenovir + FTC (Truvada), abacavir + 3TC (Kivexa, Epzicom) or 3TC + ddI.

- matt

[pozattitude]

Welcome,

Matt is right.  Check with your doctor for an alternative to Combivir.
The thinning hair is probably just nature taking its course, don't think it's meds related, sorry!
talk to your doctor about depression and take care of it, don't let it go too long before treating your depression ( I wish I hadn't let 10yrs go by before taking care of my depression).

Rich
(who doesn't recommend drug holidays either)

[J.R.E.]

Hello,

I also am going to agree with Matt. I don't think a drug Holiday is in your best interests right now. And it may not be possible for you to take a holiday. One of the first questions I had asked my doctor, after starting meds, was if a drug holiday would be possible, his reply "most likely not". I started on meds with 16t-cells and a viral load of 500,000

I started just about like you did. Positive since 1985, began first line of treatment in October of 2003, which consisted of Viramune, Epivir , ziagen---then viread was added later. I still have some problem with the distended stomach, but it is nowhere as bad as it was a year ago. As far as the hair falling out, never had that problem.

You need to talk to your doctor again, open up with him... let him know that you are going through depression, see what he can do for you. Also perhaps change the meds, as long as there are no problems in doing that.



Take care-----Ray

[aztecan]

Hey Ubotts,

Like the others, I don't think a drug holiday is in the offing. In studies they have done regarding drug holidays, those who didn't begin treatment until their CD4s were low did the most poorly.
They usually had the fastest drop in CD4s and rise in viral loads and had to go back on meds sooner.

I would talk to your doc about switching from the Combivir. As Newt pointed out, there are a number of alternatives.

Switching meds may or may not allow the lipoatrophy to reverse itself. That seems to depend on the individual as well.

Good luck and keep us posted on how things go.

HUGS,

Mark

[Tempeboy]

Ditch the AZT, can cause the tummy and contributes to low mood/energy.

[Ann]

Ditch the AZT, can cause the tummy and contributes to low mood/energy.

Ubotts,

I'm sure what Tempeboy MEANT to say was "check with your doctor about ditching the AZT".

Tempeboy, I need you to stop prescribing drugs and/or courses of action without mentioning that the doctor MUST be consulted before taking these kinds of actions. I'm very serious about this. We cannot tell people what to do where their health is concerned, we can only make suggestions and qualify them with advice to talk to the doctor before doing anything.

Ann