POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Questions About Treatment & Side Effects => Topic started by: Mouse on June 27, 2006, 02:23:03 am
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I've been throwing up a lot recently. Not everyday, actually some days I'll go like three/four days without throwing up but occasionally I'll throw up multiple times a day. It's completely random. But it's not like really hardcore throwing up. It doesn't hurt so bad.
But, a few times I've thrown up like soon after taking them. Anywhere from a half hour to an hour after taking them. I'm nervous that maybe I've thrown them up as well. I'll be honest and say I haven't checked, erm, mostly because looking at what I threw up makes me feel like I'm going to throw up again. :-\ But eh.
But if I do so again, I suppose I'll have to suck it up and check. My question is basically if I do find that I've thrown up what I've taken, what do I do? Do I take another dose? Do I wait?
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Hello Jaser,
I haven't had this problem, but I believe this is definitely serious enough, for you to discuss with your doctor. If you are vomiting, and the meds have not been absorbed, you risk the chance of resistance.
The following link, from "the body" Gives some good info, and how to possibly deal with nausea, from taking over the counter drugs to help alleviate it, to prescription drugs.
Click below :
http://www.thebody.com/gut/gut_3_nausea.html
Definetely talk to your doctor Jaser, don't let this go on...
Take Care of yourself-------Ray
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Hi,
This past year I have had a huge amount of stomach/ intestinal problems, including throwing up for days on end. I had to carry around my "vomit bucket" everywhere I went because it would just hit. Sorry, I know that is gross.
First thing is to call your doctor. You might have a stomach bug, or food poisoning...something that needs to be addressed and corrected. Have you changed any meds recently? Could be a side effect.
I had food poisoning, and then bad reactions to Invirase and Lexiva.
I also threw up a few times after taking the meds, and called the doctor to see what I should do. I was told it takes about 20-30 minutes for the drugs to get into your system. I don't know if that applies to all drugs or just the ones I was taking. So, again, I would call your doctor and ask them what to do.
Christine
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Hi Mouse,
Sorry to hear you are having a rough time with your tummy. What Christine mentioned about time I was told too. My hiv pharmacist said if you can keep them down for 15-30 minutes then enough of the medications will have been absorbed into the body. One rule of thumb is that if you throw up pills or if when you throw up it's very foamy, like the pills had not been totally digested, it safe to take another dose. If you can wait at least 15 minutes (I'd talk to your doctor about window periods as I am not sure if different drugs have different time frames) you should be fine. BTW, are you on any meds right now and for how long. The only reason I ask is that if you are new to a particular drug, you may have to hang in there for up to 8 weeks before the body adjusts. In the mean time see you doctor if it persists. I know some friends of mine use gravol to help them keep things down. Also, if you are not taking meds with food you may want to try as food often helps with the absorption as well as making it not so harsh on the stomach.
I hope things get better soon. Please keep in touch to let us know how you are doing.
Cheers,
Alan
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Yeah, recently I started taking Combivir and Reyataz and Norvir because I was having a lot of trouble with Kaletra and it was making it difficult for me to actually keep taking them and stuff. And I got sort of stubborn. I'm pretty sure I'm getting sick because of the new meds I'm taking. And my stomach has been hurting a lot.
I seriously fully intend on getting something from my doctor to help with the throwing up thing.
I just, erm, haven't yet. :-\
But I will.
So far I've actually felt fine today. So no throwing up yet again to report of. I take the Combivir at 10am/10pm and everything else at night.
Actually, that's another thing I wanted to ask but I never got around to. I'll have to start getting up around 6am everyday starting at August when school restarts again. I won't be home to take the meds at 10am like I have been. I really really really really do not want to take anything at school. Really really really. Is it okay to move around when I take them when school starts? Like 6am/6pm as opposed to 10am/10pm? When I started taking the new meds I kind of based it around what I'm doing in the summer, and that's not getting up too early and stuff.
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Shifting the time will be fine...
Get your guts checked out, it may not be the meds, and if it is get something for the nausea, or better still discuss with your doc getting off the Combivir (cos AZT is the most likely culprit) and onto a 1 x day nuke pair like Epzicom or Truvada, which should be (a) kinder yo your guts and (b) only taken once a day. If you suspect it is the Norvir causing you grief then Epzicom would be the way to go cos you can use Reyataz unboosted with this nuke pair.
My clinic suggests if you chuck and can see the tabs, or chuck within 2 hrs of taking the meds then a re-dose is okay, but otherwise just skip to the next dose.
Chin up and not down the toilet soon I hope....
Mice, I worry about them and how they's doing scurrying around. Time to feed the rats.
- matt
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Hey again,
I am very familiar with your combination; I have taken all of them or still am in some for or other. I too eventually dropped azt after 5 years of it (I was on Combivir and then Trizivir) I started to develop myopathy. So I switched to Kivexa (Epizcom). I found that taking it in the mornings caused a lot of nausea (I was taking Kivexa in the morning; Atazanavir at night) so I switched the am/pm meds. I explained to him that if I was to feel nauseous, I'd rather feel it at night when I can lay down and sleep it off as opposed to feeling like I was going to toss at work. Doc said it was fine to do that and things have been great. If the gut stuff still bothers you you may want to discuss changing the order of your drugs. Regarding the 10am/10pm time change that should be very easy to do. You may want to talk to a pharmacist or your doctor if there are is anything special you need to do to make the switch.
I understand the fear of not wanting to dose at school. Hell, I hate even taking vitamins at work because someone always has to pipe in an ask, "What cha takin'?". But over time you really learn how to be discrete and then it becomes, "I don't give a BLEEEEEEEEP if anyone sees me taking pills". But that takes time as we become more comfie with having/less ashamed of hiv. I remember my first meal dosing at a restaurant. I was sooooo self-conscious that everyone stopped, held their breaths and watched while I popped down my pills. In fact, very few people notice or even care. If you have to take pills at school there are ways to be discrete (dose in the washroom, etc.); you just need make sure you don't have any of these nasty side effects to ruin your day. So, again, if you can pin point what is causing the vomiting, perhaps you can drop or change the drug or at least change the time that you take it so that you do not have side effect to contend with while at work.
Cheers,
Alan
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Well, I don't have to worry about switching the times when I take the meds for another two months about. So I guess that's a good thing becaues it's one less thing to worry about.
In my school students aren't allowed to have any sort of pills or medication on them. Not even like, aspirin or something. They can be expelled or suspended or... something like that. I'm not quite sure what they do. Anyway, the nurse has to hold whatever it is you have to take, and you have to go to her office to take them. You can do it discreetly there. I'll have a different nurse (AGAIN, ARGH) next year. They split it up from like a 9/11 and 10/12 thing because I have a big school, but the 10/12 grade nurse like. Dropped dead or something (actually I think she quit, but from past experiences in seeing her that was mostly wishful thinking. Fat angry bitch.)
But if there really isn't a problem switching the times then fuck that, I won't take them at school and cause myself more stress. Besides. the 6am/6pm deal worked for me last year, and if I get the nausea under control before school starts than there won't be a problem.
I believe I may be the only kid in the world that has thrown up like twice a day at school and not tried to go home because of it. I should get a trophy or something shiny.
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Consider asking your doctor for an antiemetic agent. Check out my posting on Zofran - a wonderfully effective drug... take it shortly before you take your meds and you will likely feel/know nothing of the usual nausea/vomitting.
There are other much cheaper, but also effective drugs such as Phenergan (promethazine), Tigan, hydroxyzine, or even Benadryl, but they may cause considerable drowsiness
Good luck.
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Another thought is that you might try taking Lexiva without boost. It is converted to the active form intracellularly and therefore produces less side-effects.