Interesting information from Clinical trial A5202

[Blixer]

This just came out about the study I am in.  Although my VL was less than the 100,000 cutoff (I was at 67.000) they were talking about, I think it is interesting that it stated that there was a higher level of complaint about aches with the epzicom group.  I was in the Sustiva/Epzicom group to start with.  I had some side effects early on relating to the aches and leg pain that cause an unblinding of the study for me and a switch from epzicom to epivir (which is part of epzicom) and videx EC.  And from some of the early results, it seems that the Epzicom side also had increased cholesterol or triglycerides.  So I"m wondering if the Epivir component (which is part of Epzicom) isn't the cause of my increase in cholesterol.  When I stopped the epzicom I wasn't allowed to just "switch" to the truvada side. 

Here is the link:

http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/hiv_aids_epzicom_1667_14134.shtml

[allanq]

David,

I think Sustiva is a more likely culprit than Epivir for the increase in your cholesterol.

Allan

[Blixer]

It's not like my cholesterol is way high... it has just been creeping up over the past two years I've been on meds.  Before starting meds I was 154 on the total cholesterol.  This last time it was 191 on the total.  It has been in the 180 to 190 range for about a year.  So maybe I really don't have anything to be concerned about.  It bounces around a bit.  It was 191 one other time then dropped back a bit.  191 has been the high.  The reference range for total cholesterol with my lab is 0-199.

I just thought it was odd that the Epzicom group had a noteable increase in either cholesterol or triglycerides.  Luckily, my triglycerides have remained in good shape.