Kaletra+Combivir

[Claudiu]

    Hello!!!!
     My name is Claudiu,41 years old,from Romania.Four months ago I descovered that I'm hiv+ with cd4 193 and I started HAART imediatly with Kaletra and Combivir.First 3 months was a desaster for me....nausea,vomiting,diarhea,fever,sweats..etc...etc....Now I have only nausea and feel a bit tired.Now my cd4 is 450,vl undetect.,triglicerides and cholesterol a bit higher...Here in Romania,everything for hiv+ people is free,we don't pay for nothing...How feel the other people who take the same combo like me and how  are they numbers? Before to test hiv+ I was perfect healthy,and had no idea about this infection....
   
    Thank you very much!!!!

[aztecan]

Hello Claudiu,

Welcome to the forums. I am glad you found us, but am sorry for the turn of events that led you to us.

You live in an area of the world I have always wanted to visit.

I have taken Combivir, or its equivalent, for going on 12 years. It has worked very well for me.

AZT, one of the components of Combivir, can cause anemia, so if your fatigue becomes worse, you may want to speak to your doctor about this.

I have never taken Kaletra, but I know others who do and they have had wonderful results from it.

I note you said your triglycerides and cholesterol were up. This could be from the Kaletra. Some of the protease inhibitors like Kaletra can cause this and Kaletra is especially known for this.

Down the road your doc may prescribe a drug to lower your cholesterol.

Your results from the meds are wonderful. The drugs are doing what they are supposed to be doing and your immune system seems to be responding well.

Let us know how things are going for you. I would really enjoy learning more about the land in which you live and it is always better to get first-hand information than to get it from a book.

HUGS,

Mark

[Claudiu]

   Hello Aztecan!!!!
   Thank you very much for responding and encoraging!!!! I will tell you the next labs results....we will see together what is happend....
   Come here to visit Romania...It is a poor contry from East Europe,but maybe for you is something interesting....
   
     

[raroy273]

Hi Claudiu,

I take the exact combination you are on and my numbers are good.  My lipids are in good range, and the reason I think so is because I take fish oil supplements to keep them down.  The neausa did subside after 4 or 5 months.  I ate constantly, found that helped with it.  Sorry to had to join us, but its a good place to be.  I have found lots of help here.

Ryan

[Claudiu]

   Hi Raroy273!!!!
      I started too to take oil fish and I will see next month what is happend....How do you feel with this combo? First 3 months was a desaster for me....nausea,diarhea,vomiting,fever,sweats,imune reconstruction sindrom with infections,inflamations,a lot of pain because cd4 increased in the short time from 193 to 450.Now I feel enough fine and I can work,care my doughter...etc....I have now only nausea.
      Thank you very much for respondind and wellcome!!!!
   Keep in touch!!!!

[raroy273]

I had the nausea, chills, fatigue, headaches when I started and now I have the kaletra poopies.  Would be nice to have a normal bowel movement, but guess that is part of it.  I feel ok now, I am tired this week and dont really know why.  Think it is part of the time of year.  I hope your nausea goes away, I took my meds with pepto bismual and benedryl for 4 months in order to help with that.  Talk to your Dr. and see what they suggest to help with it.  I know it is miserable!   

[Claudiu]

   Hello Ryan!!!
      I never heard about pepto bismual and benedryl.... .What are this??? Maybe we don't have this here....I sow that your cd4 number are up and down all the time.What is happend???

[aztecan]

Hey Claudiu,

I understand why Ryan took the Pepto, but Benadryl is usually prescribed for allergy symptoms like sneezing, etc.

Of course, sneezing a lot while you have diarrhea can be something of an explosive situation. 

Here are links describing both:

http://www.pepto-bismol.com/

http://www.pfizerch.com/brand.aspx?id=34

As for the variation in CD4 levels, that is pretty normal. Mine will fluctuate a lot, sometimes by 200 or 300. The count can vary within hours, with higher counts usually found in the morning and lower counts usually found in the afternoon.

It is perfectly normal and not something to worry about unless the CD4s start to drop and just keep dropping. That is why people here often say not to worry about one set of labs, but to look for a pattern, such as consistently decreasing CD4s or increasing viral loads.

Hope that helps.

HUGS,

Mark

[Claudiu]

     Hi Aztecan!!!!
   Now I understand...Many informationes are new for me and all are wellcome...I go every month very far from my city to hospital to take my pils and to talk with my doc and sometimes I forget to ask about something....Than,I ask here and recived the informationes very quikly...Some medicines are diferent here,except the HAART who is the same everywhere...
   Thank you very much !!!!
      Claudiu

[raroy273]

I am starting to get used to my CD4's going up and down.  The Doc said not to worry, since Christmas time we are all under some extra stress, I know I am at work, and I have had the sniffles for a bit.  I would like to see them higher, but what can I do?  I should exersice, but have not motivation to do so.  LOL  Like Mark said, dont read too much into one set of labs, I know it is hard, cause I get emotional and anxious when I am waiting for numbers.