POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Questions About Treatment & Side Effects => Topic started by: mikeyg61 on October 19, 2006, 10:18:51 am
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Not sure how much longer I can take this, wanting to lay in bed all day, exhausted,no future to look forward to . Joint or mussel pain not sure which because it seems to be everywhere.
I should be feeling great , undetectable, t cells steadily climbing from around 20 to in the 400 range in the past year.
I have been on Sustiva, Truvada for the past year just recently switched to Atripla about a month and a half ago. I wish I could switch to Viramune but have a weak liver do to chronic hep b which is also undetectable and those numbers seem to stay in the normal range. Doctor seems to think it's all in my Head and there is nothing wrong . I have been on Kaletra to but the Lipodystrophy changes where a little to much for me to handle
I know there is alto of you out there that have it allot worse than i do and I shouldn't be complaining , but i would love to just be able to go back to work and see some sort of future.
Thanks for listening
Mike
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Hi mike
Sorry to hear you’re feeling so rough - ongoing pain & fatigue is a horrible combo to be dealing with. Whatever the cause, it deserves to be taken seriously and investigated - obviously, this is having a major impact on your quality of life.. Would you say things are getting worse, or have you noticed any improvement? What have you found to be helpful?(strategies for managing fatigue,pain relief meds etc)
The sustiva can cause the symptoms you’re describing in some people - some therapeutic drug monitoring, to check you're getting the right drug levels might be a good idea, esp if you’re low body weight or of culturally African background . The dose can then be reduced if appropriate.
Other than that, a full blood count, check liver, kidney function etc, HepC, ESR levels…sometimes, it’s a case of working out what it isn’t, rather than being able to jump straight to an answer. Your HepB, is definitely under control, and being monitored?
There are other combos available, so if this one is the source of the problems, a conversation about switching/changing dosage needs to happen. Is important to acknowledge that yr emotional health can cause physical symptoms - but is equally important to investigate things first, before reaching any conclusions.
Good luck, hope things are better soon.
kate
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hey mikey..sorry to hear youre feeling down..but i think its medications and abit of the mental anguish youre putting on yourself..always remember its mind over matter..I know i was like that too before going on meds..but after going back to the gym..it just gave me this rush again..even though it wiped me out..but still made me feel like i was getting stronger..give working out a try..how long did it take for you to see the lipo happening when you were on Kaletra?
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Hi There,
I can relate to everything you stated in your posts. First, let me tell you that MOST poz folks do NOT have the necessary intake of PROTEIN in their diets. Whether you just don't have an apetite or whatever the reason, consider buying protein supplements. A month's worth will cost you about $40. Each serving should contain about 50 grams of protein. Secondly, have your doc check on your hormone levels. The symptoms you describe can simply be from stress or from a deficiency from something, such as testosterone. This is SO common in HIV infection. Congrats on your numbers climbing. Try and keep a positive outlook. Look for support groups where you live, it might help to have a buddy in your area.
2 Very good resources: Healing HIV, by Dr. Jon Keiser (San Francisco). He mentions all about protein, etc.
The other is "Built to Survive", by Nelson Virgil and Michael Mooney. Nelson is a poz guy who travels extensively giving talks about his "PoWeR" Program. It is the Program for Wellness Recovery or something similar. He includes all about resistance training with weights, using steroids (legally) from your doc and even includes a list of docs that believe in his approach and prescribe the steroids, etc.
If you aren't taking vitamins and eating well, you aren't going to get any better. Stay away from pre-made and processed foods. Fresh veggies and fruit, cut out a lot of fat. Intake the Protein, big-time. It will make a HUGE difference.
You can also get discounts on different supplements from places such as "The Houston Buyer's Club" and will save some dough. Important, especially if you are not working.
Hope this all helps.
Stephen