POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Questions About Treatment & Side Effects => Topic started by: hereinny on July 11, 2009, 09:48:01 am
-
I have been on Atripla now for about 11 days. On day 8 I began to get a rash and now that rash has pretty much appeared everywhere except for my face. My doctor says its OK to push through it so long as it doesn't effect my mouth or eyes and it does not blister.
Does anyone know how long this rash has lasted for people in the past? It seems to begin to clear in the afternoon/evening hours and is much less noticeable the closer i get to pill time. Once i take this pill it starts all over again.
Its not such a big deal since i can just stay home but I'm just starting to get a little worried. Its my 4 day with it and from what i read, now is when it should be making its exit.
-
Four days is nothing. A week to ten days of gradually easing rash would be perfectly normal.
-
so at what point can i expect to see this beginning to improve? It pretty bad today and seems to get much worse a few hours after i take the pill and then seems to fade slightly through the day. Does it just go away over night or is it a slow process?
-
I can't say for certain, because we are all different; but it should start easing noticeably within the next day or two. It is a gradual process as your system gets used to the high levels of drugs in your system - and of course it is going to get worse after you have taken your meds because you have just increased the levels of the drugs that your body is reacting to.
Once again, this is one of the downsides of not taking it before bedtime and sleeping through the worst of it.
Your doctor really should have explained all this. If you are really worried about this - or you are experiencing fever, shortness of breath or eye/mouth involvement - then you really should be speaking to him. In the meantime, keep taking the Benadryl and drink plenty of fluids. You may also want to stop eating just after taking the pill, because that could be exacerbation the situation needlessly.
-
Well, doctors are funny like that. Quite often if you don't ask, they don't tell. His first response was to have me stop taking the Atripla because I was talking to him over the phone. It told him that i didn't want to stop as long as the rash wasn't dangerous. He said if i wanted to try to push through it that's fine but as you said, if there was a fever, eye or mouth involvement, i would have to stop.
Its just really pretty ugly looking and a little scary at the same time. It seems to be the worst in my mid to lower torso and my legs. I just don't want any of this to be permanent.
I appreciate all of the feedback, it is very helpful.
-
Hi guys, wash with dr. bronner lavender soap. It's 100% chemical free and fight fungus and rashes from medication. You can get it at trader joe's, vitamin shoppe, whole foods market. Than use fragrance free shea butter and (sunscreen w/o paba).
-
I really wouldn't advise the use of lavender anything on your skin whilst you have an Atripla rash .. unless you want to add contact dermatitis to your woes.
-
Well I have no side effects whatsoever from Atripla and my dermatologist said it probably my diet in addition to what I use on my body. Sunscreens, soaps, and lotions are chemical free and free of paba which causes irritants. In addition the dr. bronner soas have castile oil in them and are free of sodium laury/laureth sulfate, paraben, mineral and petroleum oils (crude oil) and phthalate. Sometime I use Burt Bees soaps and shampoos which are also free of this ingredents
-
Every one of the products you list there is by definition a chemical, so they can't be "chemical free".
Applying potential allergens, like lavender, to skin which is already suffering an allergic reaction really isn't a good idea. Calamine, or camomile, to soothe perhaps - but not lavender.
-
In terms of duration, typically 3-10 days with 1-2 weeks after for full recovery. if it's still going on after 3 wks you need to get your liver checked and discuss merits/demerits of continuing Atripla (well, efavirenz, one of the drugs in Atripla that is most likely causing the rash) with your doc.
OTC antihistamines can help. More serious prescription only meds, eg short course of prednisone can also help, if really necessary.
Hope this helps.
- matt
-
never had the rash, but have read that antihisimintes help. I would go that route and not the foo foo soap routine which can unintentionally make a mild situation worse. Try it like you would spot clean a soafa or a piece of clothing. Try it in a non conspicuous spot to see if it works or not, that way, you won't have an adverse reaction all over your body.
Hi Lukatron!
-
im getting a little confused here. For starters, this rash is not irritating at all other than the way it looks. Its not in the least bit itchy. When you say typically 3-10 days with 1-2 weeks for full recovery im not sure what your saying. Are you saying that after 10 days this rash might still be here? What happens if I stop this med and move to something else? Will the rash then go away or is this some sort of permanent thing?
-
I am saying, typically, the rash proper last 3-10 days and complete return to normal skin tecture can take 1-2 weeks.
Continued rash after 3 weeks may indicate an allergy to efavirenz and suggests a discussion about an alternative is worthwhile.
Since the rash is related to the specific drug, yer it will go away if you switch (but you might get a rash from the new drug (it's a common short-term side effect of all medicines)
- matt
-
1) No the rash isn't permanent.
2) The fact that your rash might still be there after 10 days doesn't mean that you are likely to have anything more than a few traces of it left after 10 days.
You really need to calm down a little and stop over-analysing this. It is a rash and it will almost certainly go away if you just follow the advice you have been given. In the very unlikely event that it doesn't, you may have to stop the medication to stop the rash.
-
Wow a rash, the worst I got from my atripla was the sleepies. I hope it gets better! Atripla's a really convenient med.
But if you do have to switch, there are plenty of alternatives that are just as good. ;D
-
Im not in a panic, i am just trying to understand what is being said here. There are many typos and much of what is being said can be interpreted many different ways. I basically have a rash from the neck down....so yes, i am concerned. I need to get back to work.
-
I give up. You are just going round in circles and asking the same questions over and over again, even though you have been given perfectly clear answers on multiple threads.
I've never heard of anyone not being able to work because of a bit of painless Atripla rash - and, short of them being a topless waiter, I doubt that I ever will.
-
Except this is not just a "bit" of a rash. And do you know what i do for a living? I came to this site for some help and support, not to get bitched out by you. GFY
-
GFY
Likewise - very vigorously - and yes it is just a bit of a rash. It is no more dramatic than some people get from eating too many strawberrys, only you don't even have the itch that normally accompanies that sort of reaction. It is no more or less than you were given to expect a week ago if you had paid any attention, you ungrateful little s....
-
You did not read my blog correctly. I said the soap is free of chemicals such as sodium laury/laureth sulfate, paraben, mineral and petroleum oils (crude oil) and phthalate. Diabetics get really bad side effects from parabens. And there has been a consumer alert for baby products w/petroleum and mineral oils. Actually, it was said that no one should use petroleum or mineral oil. In addition, dr. bronner uses no chemical at all and neither does Burt bees. Actually my dermatologist recommends the soaps to all his patients. For those with skin conditions he recommends dr. bronner and burt bee's fragrance free soap. Anyway I live in an ecofriendly environment within my home: food, household cleaning products, hair and skin products etc. Even my pet eats organic food, soap etc.
-
Oh i am appreciative of the help, just not being bitched out. Again, you don't have the first clue what i do for a living and what I have to do to manage this situation. I'm just here looking for support, not for a fight. If you are that frustrated by my questions, even if I am asking them several times, just move on to the next post.
-
And who started the bitching? ... simply because you were told to calm down. Bye.
-
Boy! What's going on? Suggestion: Keep a log on what you eat in addition see an allergist. I broke out in a rash and found out that it was tomato sauce eaten in abundance. After three days it went away
-
Mr NY
If the rash is distressing you, go see your doc, it's basically like any allergic rash. As long as it don't blister, affect your eyes/mouth or come with a fever there's no cause for concern medically speaking.
Presentationally, and for peace of mind, there are drugs that will help reduce the rash. It can be alarming to be covered in a rash head to foot.
I do not believe soap choice, organic oats etc will make the slightest bit of difference here. This is most probably a short term rash from the efavirenz in you your combo.
Good luck. Take care.
- matt
-
Yes, I talked to my doctor and he said the same thing. It is very distressing to being going through this. I took all of my vacation time and other time that was owed to me so that i would not have to work with this. The fact is I simply cannot work with a rash. All of the other side effects seem to have all but subsided but again, this is pretty disturbing.
-
Your first post said "Its not such a big deal since i can just stay home" so I'm kind of confused.
-
Well i was under the impression that it was very temporary ( up to a week or so). I then read that up to 10 days with 2 weeks for it to be totally gone. What i thought he was saying was 10 days + 2 weeks (24 days) and that would have been a little much.
-
hereinny - how's the rash going?? does it seem so subside any??
-
yes, it began on my legs and it still seems to be holding out there. Even that is pretty much gone by late in the day. Right after i take the pill and take a shower is when i still can see it on my legs. Maybe ever so slightly on parts of my back/side as well. All in all its pretty much gone.
I'm finding that some of the other side effects (dizzy, tired, buzzed) seem to be worse some days than others. One thing is for sure, I need to eat something light when i take the pill (oatmeal) and then if I don't eat something filling by noon or 1pm, i feel like i drank a pot of coffee. Also i was originally taking the pill and going back to bed. It seems if I get going right away and don't sleep after, i feel better all day long.
-
First of all you should not evaluate your rash condition when you expose yourself to extreme conditions such as heat or cold, or after you take a shower. Your skin is very sensitive and vulnerable to slight changes in environmental conditions. Water drys out the skin (especially if you take showers) and causes the skin to crack and feel scaly which makes the appearance of the rash look worse. I agree with Luke and really believe you are over analyzing the rash situation.
As a person who is affected by eczema and dermatitis, the best thing you can do is
A) take a bath. Soaking in the water hydrates the skins which will help the overall appearance.
B) Use mild body washes, and skip the lufa or sponge. I use Johnson and Johnson. If you can avoid using soaps everyday, you should do it every other day.
C) Use a lotion and apply it to your skin 2-3 times a day. It's helps moisture and calm the skin. Cetaphil is the best.
D) use cortizone or other medications if there's an itch.