Feeling Dopey

[Ravhyn]

I'm on Rayatez, Norvir, and Truvada

Over the past couple weeks I have really started to feel doped up after I take my meds. I've been on them for several months.  Is this a common side effect? I also feel very lerthargic after I take them and run into the ground. 

[pozoz]

Hi Ravhyn,

I take the same meds, going on about 3 months now.

By "doped up" do you mean like a stoned feeling?

I take mine all in one swallow right after dinner and give myself a 2-4 hr window around the same time every day and the only side effects I have had are the yellow eyes (worse after having a codeine based pain killer for a headache) which is getting less frequent now.

No dopey, stoned, or lethargic effects that I can tell.

I try and drink as much water as I can to help out the kidneys, as another minor issue has been waking in the middle of the night sometimes to pee, which I never had to do before. (maybe a sign of kidney stress???)

Had high creatinine at my first bloods after starting meds and follow ups are in early Oct to check everything out and hoping for a UD VL and an improvement in CD4 %

Wishing you well, peace....

[Ravhyn]

yea, I feel stoned after I take my meds.  I always take mine at the same time right after I eat between 5:30-6.  I guess I'll have to ask the doc about it.

I haven't had the yellow eyes, or anything like that just the doped up feeling and feeling like all my energy has just seeped out of me after I take the meds.

[leatherman]

when i switched a few meds around onto this regimen about 8 months ago, even though I took my pills with dinner, every afternoon I got that dopey (sustiva-y) feeling for a few hours. My doc said it was a mild side effect of the truvada. The AM drug info lists dizziness, insomnia, and abnormal dreams which are very similar sides to the other meds that have the dopey/foggy feeling too. It also lists fatigue which you are complaining of, and which I had along with the dopey feeling.

the issue cleared up for me within the first 3 wks though and since then i've only occasionally had days with that feeling. Now it usually takes drugs or booze to get that feeling. 

I try and drink as much water as I can ..(maybe a sign of kidney stress???)

or maybe it's just because you're drinking all that water now. 

personally I only drink water by accident when I brush my teeth. My 2-liter plus of Coke a day has kept me well hydrated and alive all these years; and the only yellow eyes I ever had was when I had hep b nearly 30 yrs ago. ROFL

[Ravhyn]

lol, yea I Live out of my coffee cup on this end.

The wierd thing is, at first I didn't have side effects for a couple of months. At least the dopey weak feeling this is all within the past couple of months.

[leatherman]

that's all very odd then. How "bad" is this problem? Does it interfere in your daily activities or work? When is your next doc appt? Is it mild enough that you can bring it up then? Depending on how you answer those questions may help you decide whether to try to see your doctor sooner or not. If not, perhaps you should at least call the office, notify them of this problem, and see what the doc comes back with.

just don't be driving around town all doped up 

[pozoz]

...not sure LM, was just advised to keep up the fluid intake with the Reyataz , pref errably water, to help keep the kidneys going well as apparently Reyataz can cause a few issues in that regard....

...funny enough (well not funny really) is today I almost lost my balance a while after taking my meds..I was standing up and started to sway a bit...sort of like a very mild mary jane/beer buzz all in one, which passed in about 5 minutes....Hmmmm...

Only thing I did differently today was take the maximum reccommended dosage of headache (panadol/tylenol type) tablets for a headache from hell...couldn't take anything stronger at work while operating heavy machinery so that was the only option...maybe all the drugs along with a potent multi vitamin/mineral I take daily didn't mix too well...who knows...

Had Hep B years ago and cleared it but yeah had much more serious jaundice then...Just glad I was fortunate not to have been a chronic Heb B sufferer and then getting hiv on top of that..which obviously presents more of a challenge to those who have to battle both at the same time...

Hope everyones feeling as good as possible and staying happy ...Cheers.....

[smiteler]

i take my pills (lexiva,norvir,truvada) about 2 hours before i go to sleep
and i get what i call a drug hangover in the morning and it takes me a
16 oz of coffee and a half an hour before i can function at all.
and i also do feel loopy at  times from the pills.