POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Questions About Treatment & Side Effects => Topic started by: raroy273 on June 21, 2007, 06:30:24 pm
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I started taking Combivir/Kaletra twice a day about two weeks ago, this is my first time on HIV meds. I have had neausea that varies from mild to intense all day long every day, lasting a few minuests to an hour or longer. My Dr. has me eating, taking Pepto-Bismual, then my medication with Benedryl. This has helped to some extent, but the neasuea still persits. I eat bland foods, drink pedialite mixed with juice, ginger ale and peppermint tea do little to help. I have also tried eating small meals or snacking to keep food on my stomach but that is not much help either. Is there anyone out there that is on the same treatment that I am and has had similar experiance with these meds? I have told my Dr.but they do not want to perscribe any anti-neasua meds because of interations. I continue to take my meds, put psych my self up to do so...any advise? Help? Does this get better?
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Hi,
I found this table:http://www.thebody.com/content/art1271.html
Scroll down to the end where it shows the "Anti-Nausea/Vomiting" table. Maybe you could talk to your doctor about Reglan or other ones that do not interact with Kaletra?
Good luck, keep us posted,
Milker.
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raroy,
I am sorry about the nausea. This is the only thing that really bothers me as far as side effects go.
I feel sick everyday, I hate it, but I have found ways to make it better.
I eat at least one yogurt a day and I make sure that I don't take Kaletra on an empty stomach. Snacks all day long help too.
The nausea got better with time, but it never went away. Now this is how it has been for me. Remember that it is different for everyone, so I hope your nausea just goes away with time.
My nausea was so bad I needed help. My doctor gave Marinol but I didn't like it because when I was really sick I couldn't keep it down and when I did keep it down, I never new how long or how it would hit me. Sometimes I'd just be stoned all day and couldn't move.
Since moving to California, I have a medical marijuana card and that is how I cope with the nausea. The green stuff is the best thing for me. I wouldn't take anything else.
Rich
(who thinks California truly is the GOLDEN STATE)
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Matty was referencing Maxolon on the other thread, which is also known as Reglan and that seems to have eased his problems. Maybe you should talk to your doctor about it, nausea can be terrible.
Milker.
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It is likely that the nausea you are experiencing is from the Combivir. I have been on both Combivir and Kaletra for about a year and a half. While I have experienced other digestive difficulties like diarrhea from other PI's, Combivir is the only medication I have taken in the last ten years that does the same thing day after day. Some folks have no problem with it. Others have regular nausea.
My doctor would be unlikely to combine both Kaletra and Combivir as an initial treatment. It is a fairly tough regimen to start with unless there is a specific reason to do so. One option might be to swap out the Combivir for Truvada or even Epzicom.
While I have taken promethazine for nausea, it is not good for extended periods because it tends to knock me out. I agree with the comments on Marinol.
Sometimes side effects from Kaletra get better in a few weeks. I also recommend a more substantial meal with your meds whenever you take them. For me a bigger breakfast reduces the chance for nausea as opposed to something like cereal and fruit. I also take a 20mg prilosec daily which is OK with this regimen. It seems to help some of the related indigestion I experience.
If you have no resistance, you could also consider a more common initial PI based regimen like Reyataz and Truvada.
Hang in there.
--JJ
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I think the reason they started me on this regimin is because my Viral Load is 85,000 and CD4 Count is 135 so they want to hit it hard and fast. I am waiting for the blood tests to come back on the resistance, when that comes back I will have an appoitment with the Dr and talk to them about the nausea. It has gotten better, but it is still not gone...I will keep your suggestions handy. Thanks for all your help!
Hugs!
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I think the reason they started me on this regimin is because my Viral Load is 85,000 and CD4 Count is 135 so they want to hit it hard and fast. I am waiting for the blood tests to come back on the resistance, when that comes back I will have an appoitment with the Dr and talk to them about the nausea.
Hitting hard and fast can be done many combinations of mre than two drugs (you're taking four drugs, two in each pill), many of which have low occurrences of troubling side effects. Over time, the AZT in Combivir is likely to cause fatigue from enlarged red blood cells, too. Gather your own information about some of these combinations and discuss them with your doctor. If your bugs show no resistance or at least nor resistance to other drugs, advocate for a drug switch. Your quality of life should be a big consideration, too!
If you're willing to persevere with nausea, try replacing ginger ale with raw ginger root. The acids, gas, sugars or aspartame or Splenda from ginger ale can make it ineffective in soothing nausea for many people, while ginger root will not. The raw will taste hot if chewed, so chop it finely (or buy it chopped) and slam back about a half teaspoon with a glass of water!
Cheers,
David
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Thought I would let you all know how I am feeling. To sum it up....better. I thank you all for your suggestions, the onel that I found to work the best is to eat all day long to keep something on my tummy. I have gone off of the Pepto, but am still taking the Benedryl and that seems to help as well. I still have waves of neasua, but they are not as intense and usually last a few minuets versus the hours before. Every day is an improvement and that is something that I am thankful for. I will let you all know how I am responding to treatment. Hopefully this shit works! If the disease does not kill you the drugs will! LOL
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thanks for keeping us posted, raroy, i hope it gets better for you every day and those side effects leave you alone so that you can continue on your life.
Milker.
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glad ur better!
neasua was a MAJOR problem for me when i started meds. i mean i was suicidal from it. ud wake up sick. ud go to bed sick. id lie on the bed in misery watching the clock. and everybody kept saying itll get better. im like WHEN!? well no one would answer that. was a full 4 months till recovery. but it did get better!
good luck!
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Hey raroy273,
Before you know it the naseau will be gone, so don't worry about it, think of it as a gift from the pharmacueticals. Just kidding! Yes it will go away quite quickly but watch out for depression big time. I have to take 2 anti-depression/anti-anxiety meds: Wellbutrin not bad at all, no side effects, and Lexapro gets you totally rejuvinated, but kills your sexual appetite to null and void. But in my case my depression is total gone along with my anxiety so I don't let the side effects of the Lexapro bother me. Bothers other people that it is my choice but not me! LOL
Kind Regards,
Mark
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I had major problems with nausea when I was taking AZT. The nausea stopped when I got off the AZT.
If your nausea continues, I suggest that you talk to your doctor about substituting Truvada for Combivir.
Allan
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I had unbearable nausea on the Sustiva/Combivir combo. I was on it for a year, then my doctor switched me to Atripla. The nausea still hits me every now and then, but nothing like before. I keep some Zofran and that does the trick for me. I don't go anywhere without it.
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The only time I noticed any nausea from AZT was when I took it on an empty stomach, which I had to do because I was also taking Crixivan.
It was like clockwork. I would take my AZT, 3TC and Crixivan cocktail, and 40 to 45 minutes later, a wave of nausea would wash over me.
I would wait another 15 or 20 minutes, like I was required to, and then have a bite of something. As soon as I did, the nausea vanished. Even something as small as a cracker would do the trick.
Back in those days, we didn't have the options you have now. It was either Crixivan or Saquinavir, with either AZT and 3TC or Zerit (shudder) and 3TC.
Ah, the good old days.
HUGS,
Mark
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Weed always helps me man.... ;)
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Try peppermint or sipping on ginger ale that helps.
Me i take marinol and reglan for it as well. I was on combivir and viracept for two years then switched to atripla( had an allergic reaction to that one ) now on truvada, reyataz, norvir. still have the nausea. :P
I think it just comes from being on the meds.
Paulette
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all i want to add is that digestion is a lot of work for the body even for a healthy person
perhaps if you try some athlete type ideas ... like liquids and blended things
like OJ, protein powder with 5 egg whites blended in the morning. That is what i eat every morning and it is easy to digest
then the body doesnt have to digest so much just absorb
at night milk with protein powder with 5 egg whites blended
i eat that too
dont worry about the eggs they are 99.9999% fine and in all the world they are put in raw at restaurants
i saw a gorgeous guy at gym and he had really a perfect body
he said he did one full blender in AM
and one for dinner
and ate only real food for lunch
he had small waist like perfect cover guy
what i am saying is that if you pre digest the food by blending it up
it might be easier on your stomach