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Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Questions About Treatment & Side Effects => Topic started by: ryeguy on August 04, 2006, 07:00:20 am

Title: My new treatment.
Post by: ryeguy on August 04, 2006, 07:00:20 am
Hi All,

I just started a new therapy today. a Truvada plus 2 Viramune once a day. My viral load is currently not detectable and helper cell at 580 23%  I guess pretty good but I wanted to get rid of the AZT in Trizivir because I have read so much about it and Lipodystrophy. My legs can't get any skinnier. I hope the change helps.

Does anyone have any tips about Truvada. I feel great no side effects yet:-)
Title: Re: My new treatment.
Post by: newt on August 04, 2006, 05:02:26 pm
Truvada is generally kind.

Viramune should be started at half-dose for 2 weeks (1 tab).  Do be aware of the serious allergic reaction it can cause, esp. in people with higher CD4 counts (like you - indeed, in the UK it is not recommended for men with a CD4 count of over 400).

Liver toxicity, rash and nevirapine (http://www.i-base.info/guides/side/liver.html)

- matt
Title: Re: My new treatment.
Post by: ryeguy on August 06, 2006, 11:04:51 am
Due to the fact that I took viramune as a booster to trizivir for one year; between 2001 and 2002 my doctor started me at 400 mg with the new regime. I have not noticed anything to far out yet. Last night I had some very strange dreams but that might just be me and not the meds........ although I can never remember having so many bizarre dreams in one night. I thought that only happens with sustiva?
Title: Re: My new treatment.
Post by: HIVworker on August 06, 2006, 12:06:54 pm
I've not heard it as a side effect. You can find all the side effects of drugs on the excellent lessons section on drugs that the folks at AIDSMEDs have put together...

http://www.aidsmeds.com/AlphaList.htm (http://www.aidsmeds.com/AlphaList.htm)

R
Title: Re: My new treatment.
Post by: Customer on August 06, 2006, 12:35:20 pm
When these side-effects are listed, only seldom is the frequency of occurrence given. I think there is a great diffirence between a side effect that only affects 1% of patients in comparison to a side-effect that affects 90% of the patiens taking the medicine in question. Are these frequencies not known or why are this valuable information not clearly stated?

Title: Re: My new treatment.
Post by: HIVworker on August 06, 2006, 01:26:41 pm
Here you go...

Quote
The most common side effect with Viramune is skin rash that occurs among 17% of patients.  While most rashes are mild-to-moderate, they can be severe or life-threatening in 7% of patients.  Rare cases of death have occurred.  (See The Inside Word and Dosage to minimize rash occurrence and severity.)  The rash usually starts as round, red spots that are either flat or raised (bumpy).  However, the spots can come together forming large, generalized patches of rash that can spread throughout the entire skin.  The rash is not necessarily itchy, but it can be.  The rate of Viramune skin rash may be significantly higher in patients of Chinese ancestry. 

The majority of severe rashes from Viramune occur within the first four weeks of therapy.  Symptoms of a more severe rash include the associated symptoms of skin blistering (fluid bubbles within the skin layers), sores in the mouth, redness or swelling of the whites of the eyes (conjunctivitis), swelling in any location, fever, achy muscles or joints, swollen lymph glands (neck, armpits or groin) or generalized weakness.  If you have any of these symptoms with a skin rash while taking Viramune, contact your physician immediately, or report to the closest emergency room or call "911".  Severe complications from a life-threatening Viramune rash include sloughing of the entire skin, nails and mucous (moist-lining) membranes in the mouth and intestines.  Hospitalization and sometimes surgery is required. 


Besides rash, other common side effects include headache (11%),  fever (8%), fatigue (8%), nausea (6%), sleepiness (6%), mouth ulcers (4%), hepatitis (liver inflammation, 4%), diarrhea (4%), vomiting (3%), muscle aches (3%), stomach-intestine pain (2%), dizziness (2%) and numbness-tingling sensation (2%).  Hepatitis can have symptoms of abdomen pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, itching, fever and sometimes, jaundice (yellowing of the whites of the eyes and sometimes the skin).  Rarely, Viramune has caused liver failure leading to death.

Taken from...
http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hiv_and_aids/viramune_effects.html (http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hiv_and_aids/viramune_effects.html)
Title: Re: My new treatment.
Post by: Customer on August 06, 2006, 02:00:32 pm
One new HIV-site every day... thx
Title: Re: My new treatment.
Post by: newt on August 06, 2006, 05:04:34 pm
Here's one report of Mark Nelson and co's (from the Chelsea and Westmisnter Hosp in London) work on Nevirapine [Viramune] and Vivid Dreams (http://www.thebody.com/catie/nevirapine_dreams.html).

Short version: a fraction of people on Viramune will probably experience dreams etc etc usually associated with Sustiva.

- matt

Now playing: Cornershop, Brimful of Asha

Title: Re: My new treatment.
Post by: J.R.E. on August 06, 2006, 08:29:43 pm
Hi There,

I was started on Viramune, back in 2003. Still on it !! Works very well for me , with no side effects. I was also able to take both viramunes at the same time, per doctors orders, and did that way for a while also. I  Went back to the 12 hour doses.This was of course after the initial two week break in period )

I am also on Viread, part of your Truvada


Hope everything goes well for you....



Take care-------Ray
Title: Re: My new treatment.
Post by: ryeguy on August 07, 2006, 05:05:24 pm
Thankyou everybody for your responses, input, and concern. I feel really great. Not tired ( more than usual) not weak, or dizzy. After I take my meds at 20:00 sometimes I get a bit of a headache. With the dreams I'm just not sure last night was pretty normal, but every other night I have dreamt some things which I cannot imagine exist in my psyche.... Hope I'm not going nuts here. Well it's time to hit the hay.

Good night :-*