New Meds: Isentress, Truvada, Norvir and Prezista

[pozguy44]

Okay, I got the results back from my Geno and Pheno tests and know I am resistant to just about everything out there except for some new meds.  My Doc has me starting tomorrow (Friday) on Isentress,Truvada, Norvir and Prezista.  I'm a little freaked out about what the side effects might be.  Anyone else resistant like me?  Anyone else on this combo?  It kind of pisses me off that I was undetectable for the past 6 years (most recent combo of Epzicom, Lexiva, and Norvir) and now I'm detectable.  Hopefully (my Doc thinks anyway) with the new comb I will become undetectable again pretty soon.

[risred1]

I asked my doc about Isentress and he did state that it is very well tolerated. code for, not as bad as the other stuff people had to take.

I can't comment on the others.

One of my complaints about Aidsmeds is that they seem to always list the same side effects, but they don't really comment on the frequency or severity of those side effects. And of course, some may have few or adapt quickly to their meds and others can't live with the problems that these meds represent. The tough thing is that you may do great on this combo or you may have issues.

Since PI's tend to be aligned with severe digestive effects, you may want to prepare your digestive track for this change. Yogurt/Probiotics, Glutamine and even Immodium may be required for the initial stages of adaptation.

good luck!

[newt]

The prescribing info for each drug has extensive tables on side effects, including frequency.

"For subjects in the PREZISTA/rtv [Norvir] 600/100 mg b.i.d. [2 x day] arm and the comparator PI arm in the pooled analysis for Studies TMC114-C213 and TMC114-C202, diarrhea was reported in 19.8% and 28.2%, nausea in 18.3% and 12.9%, headache in 15.3% and 20.2%, and nasopharyngitis [a cold or the like] in 13.7% and 10.5%, of subjects, respectively.

"In the randomized trials, rates of discontinuation of therapy due to adverse events were 9% in subjects receiving PREZISTA/rtv and in 5% of subjects in the comparator PI arm." (from the Prezista prescibing info)

Isentress - most common side effect frequencie in the table attached.

- matt

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Inchlingblue]

I came across an article in Positively Aware, wrtitten by Daniel S. Berger, MD, in which he states, regarding integrase inhibitors (Isentress), " there is no human homologue or enzyme counterpart of HIV integrase that exists within human cells, so integrase inhibitors are not expected to have toxicities to human cells."

If this turns out to be accurate, that's pretty amazing.

This is a link to the whole article, which has a lot of very good information overall:

http://positivelyaware.com/2008/08_05/buzz.html