Anyone on this mix of meds?

[newby05]

Has anyone heard of taking Prezista...without Norvir....and Ziagen. Just spoke to a friend who changed Dr.'s and was placed on this mix. I told him that everything I read about Prezista states that you must take Norvir with it. He said the new Dr. took him off Norvir. Surely there is some confusion in the mind of my friend. Just wondered if anyone has ever heard or taken Pr/Zia as their only meds?

[veritas]

newby,

Prezista is usually always prescribed with norvir unless something new has come out I don't know about.

http://www.hiv.va.gov/vahiv?page=treat-drug-Prezista

Are you sure your friend got the story straight?

v

[Ann]

Shouldn't Prezista be combined with not only Norvir, but at least two other NRTIs? He's only on one NRTI - Ziagen. Unless you forgot one? Sounds like a sub-optimal combo to me.

[newby05]

I looked at his meds today. He is only taking prez. and ziag. He is calling his dr. today to see what the confusion is. He has been on this strange duo combo for about 2 mos. I hope he hasn't had some irreversible consequences. Thank you for the responses.

[Inchlingblue]

That's unbelievable.

Do you know if his doctor has experience treating HIV?

There was a recent study (MONET) looking at Norvir-boosted Prezista monotherapy that looked promising, i.e. it worked for some people who had already experienced virologic suppression. But it seems this doctor has prescribed it unboosted and with only one NRTI, very unconvention to say the least.

 
LINK:

http://aids-clinical-care.jwatch.org/cgi/content/full/2010/115/1

[newt]

The combination is wrong. It would be better to not take it until a correct one is sorted out to prevent resistance.

A boosted PI (Prezista is a PI, Norvir is the booster) may be okay with one nuke (Ziagen is one nuke) or even on its own but without the boosting it's not gonna work.

- matt

[southernboi59]

I have been taking Perzista for a while now, along with Intellence, and Isentress. Norvir is part of this regimen as a booster. The only difference is that they have finally stabilized the Norvir so that you no longer have to refrigerate it. That change was made for me this month. I have been on meds since AZT in1989 and Norvir has been part of every regamine since I began combo therapy in the mid '90s. I have not heard of taking any protease inhibitor with out it. Maybe your friend misunderstood his doctor. Then again it would not be the first time a doctor had been wrong. Either way this needs to be checked into before your friend becomes resistant. Good Luck, Garry

[newby05]

Thanks to all. Yes, my friend misunderstood.   After becoming extremely ill because he did not ever begin medication, he finally started after going through what seemed like an eternity with financial issues related to job loss, lack of knowing how to get the ball rolling. His last hospital bout showed that his brain actually was smaller than the visit before. Sometimes I think he just doesn't know how to cope. I have talked with his family today to let them know that he must always have someone with him at Dr. visits to be a second set of ears. He has been using the remainder of his old Dr.'s prescriptions and thought that the new dr. told him to get off Norvir. Hmmmm....hopefully he is on his way to a tried and true regimen. BTW, I read this forum often. I myself am on Atripla. Thanks to the poster many months ago who told me of Dr. Gallant. I enjoy reading and asking a question now and then.