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Author Topic: Atripla, high cholesterol and blood sugar  (Read 5503 times)

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Offline buginme2

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Atripla, high cholesterol and blood sugar
« on: September 06, 2012, 04:31:34 pm »
Question

Had my recent blood draw and viewed the results online.  I would like to gather some info/questions before I see the doc next week.  My cholesterol has been running a little high since starting on Atripla.  At my last visit dr said if it continued we would be discussing it at this visit.  Numbers are:

Total Cholesterol 215
         LDL 132
         Triglyceride 148
         HDL 47

These are pretty much unchanged since last draw 6 months ago.  My diet is excellent, I exercise, dont smoke.  I'm at a loss on how to lower it. I would prefer not changing meds but would rather change than have to start on a statin.  If I have to change what combo is the best high cholesterol?  Isentress/Truvada? (thats what I am leaning towards).

Also my fasting blood sugars are also running a little high.  They are at 107.  Again diet doesnt seem to be working (and I am thin so I am at a loss).  Is it Atripla?  Should I be concerned?

One last thing.  My vitamin d level was 28...ugh what else?
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Offline Miss Philicia

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Re: Atripla, high cholesterol and blood sugar
« Reply #1 on: September 06, 2012, 04:47:40 pm »
1) I forget what the normal ranges are, but my doctor doesn't stress about lipid panel numbers that are only slightly out of range. For example, my total cholesterol numbers are always fine, but the good/bad are off, but only slightly. Also, my triglycirides are always over, but only slightly. It seems a lot of people have doctors that are uber-strident in insisting that everything be in the normal range, but my numbers have been like this for over a decade, spanning four different HIV specialists, and not a single one has ever suggested my stressing over it other than to take some fish oil supplements.

I'm not overweight, eat a balanced diet, walk everywhere and climb stairs every day. I've also been on 4-5 different drug regimens during that period so I can't blame any single HIV med. Isentress is less likely to cause issues than sustiva though.

2) my last vitamin d level was 28.8, normal is 30 and higher. And?
"I’ve slept with enough men to know that I’m not gay"

Offline newt

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Re: Atripla, high cholesterol and blood sugar
« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2012, 05:29:46 pm »
What Miss P said

These are borderline "bad" results and if they stay that way all well and good, other factors are prob more important eg family history of heart disease.

Efavirenz, changing of, may help but not significantly. Isentress is good on the blood fat front and may assist (at least enough to make you happy).

Vit D, at 28+ don;t sweat it. Eat (even) more dark greens or sommat.

- matt
"The object is to be a well patient, not a good patient"

Offline Common_ground

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Re: Atripla, high cholesterol and blood sugar
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2012, 09:20:57 am »
Would be interesting to see how many in the general population that actually falls into "normal range" in all these tests we HIVers get for liver,kidney,blood sugar,minerals, vitamins etc etc.

Since turning + Im kind of anal about my health and all these numbers, expecting and working for all to be as close to perfect as possible, but sincerely if I, as HIV negative would have these tests I would probably not care that much, or at all....  Eat a salad a day for a week and then back the booze and steaks , kind of....

Now I think its good to care but It also made me realize what an impact HIV made on my life.

2011 May - Neg.
2012 June CD4:205, 16% VL:2676 Start Truvada/Stocrin
2012 July  CD4:234, 18% VL:88
2012 Sep  CD4:238, 17% VL:UD
2013 Feb  CD4:257, 24% VL:UD -viramune/truvada
2013 May CD4:276, 26% VL:UD

2015 CD4: 240 , 28% VL:UD - Triumeq
2015 March CD4: 350 VL: UD

Offline bocker3

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Re: Atripla, high cholesterol and blood sugar
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2012, 02:12:58 pm »
Would be interesting to see how many in the general population that actually falls into "normal range" in all these tests we HIVers get for liver,kidney,blood sugar,minerals, vitamins etc etc.

Most "reference ranges" (what most folks, doctor's included, like to call normal ranges) are supposed to encompass what ~95% of healthy individuals in an area results fall.  Of course, most labs no longer create their own reference ranges, but go with standard ones.  For most tests, this probably makes no difference -- exceptions are things that can be impacted by location -- like RBC - which should have a higher ref range in Denver than in LA, due to elevation and lower amounts of oxygen.

Bottomline is that I would rarely worry about tests that a little outside the reference ranges.  As Newt pointed out, a slightly elevated chol level is not that compelling to me -- unless you have a strong family history of heart disease.  I'd be more watchful with the elevated Glucose, however.  Is it trending up over time?

Of course, you should discuss with your doctor and work together to see if a drug change would be warranted.

Mike

 


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