Prezista/Norvir, Isentress and Intelence-anyone else on this combo?

[todd123]

I just started this combo 2 weeks ago.  I should state that I am a treatment "naive" patient (meaning I've not been on meds_)
The reason being that against all advice, I waited to get tested until something showed up.  In this case it was a case of Molloscum
Contagiosum.  My numbers are really bad CD4 16 viral load over a million; thus the aggressive treatment by doctor after consulting with
two other ID specialists.
I'm very scared about the damage I've already done to my system through neglect, but I'm going to have a different approach now
certainly.

Because it's a relatively new combo, I would be interested to hear people's experiences.

Thanks so much everyone

Scott

[sanitex]

Hi Todd.
               My dear you're wellcome to the forum,anyway i do not know much about this combo and hiv its self but i'll only give you an encouragement ,likewise mine when i first diagonised my cd4 was 20 and vl was 1000000 but i still thank God for his mercy over his people. i'm on meds sustiva,lamuvidine,tenofovir,for seven months so i think your cd4 will still come back at the nomal range ok.take care and remain bless.
 

27/12/07 cd4 20 vl 1000000
10/4/8 cd4 96 vl 63
1/7/08 cd4 186 vl undetectable
but still hoping for new number nest test.                   

[blondbeauty]

My friend Felix is in a very similar situation. His lower CD4 count was 4 buit he started treatment with 19 CD4. His first treatment was sustiva + truvada but it did not work so they added Videx. This one didn´t also. So he started Prezista + Norvir + Isentress + Maraviroc. It aslo failed. Now he is on Prezista + Norvir + Intelence + Viread + Combivir.
Tomorrow he will have teh results at another clinic. Lets see how it goes... I will keep you updated.

[Miss Philicia]

I'm on all of those meds, except Intelence.  Not sure what you'd be interested in hearing from me, as I didn't have your numbers when I began, and have been on HIV treatment for 15 years.

Otherwise I've had little to no side effects from this regimen.  Best of luck.

[Doughboyjbird]

Good morning,

I am on Prezista/Norvir, Isentress and Truvade.  I have been on these for 2 years.  I did not have any side affects and the meds worked good for me.  I have been resistant to a lot of combos, but when they put me on Prezista, My T cells were 160, viral load was staying around 300,000.  In just 4 weeks, my viral load was undetectable.  That was the first time in the 20 years of being positive.

Now, 2 years later, we have learned that the Prezista and Norvir combo, super charges the immune system.  I take (Toke) Advair inhaler for my asthma .  The meds supercharged the steroid and made me have all the systems of Cushings.  Weight gain, swelling, stretch marks, thin skin etc.  Now that all my doctors know this, you really have to be careful of other meds and how they will react to the HIV drugs.  Please read up and be educated.

Don't get me wrong, the meds we are on are in my opinion, some of the best!

Jay

[todd123]

I cannot thank all of you enough for your shared experience.  I have to go for labs next week, to see how it's working.
Once I'm up to 200 CD4, the doc will be taking me off one of those drugs.  I forget which one at the moment.

I'll let you all know. 

best,

Scott

[Peter Staley]

Now, 2 years later, we have learned that the Prezista and Norvir combo, super charges the immune system. 

Jay

Hey, Jay -- can you site a reference for this?  I'm wondering if you're talking about Immune Reconstitution Syndrome, which can happen with HAART drugs in general (not specific to your combo).  Here's a good description of this syndrome:

http://aids.about.com/od/otherconditions/a/immunerecon.htm

Peter

[Doughboyjbird]

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100005131.html

This is a link that explains how the drugs work.  The combination can cause many different side affects depending on the other drugs you use.  All my doctors first said that I was taking steroids.  The only steroid I had was Advair for asthma.  All of them said there was no way that little could do what it was doing.  I gave them copies of this site and a few other.  The drugs were increasing the amount of steroid in my blood causing Cushing systems.  Now that I quit taking Advair, my swelling is going down with weight!!! and I am starting to get better.

I am trying to find the website the explains that the combination will lower the viral load and give the immune system time to rebuild.  What I have had happen is the the immune system gets stronger and starts fighting little infections or viruses.  I recently had a wart removed from my inside lip.  I have never had warts!  I was told the the immune system to working over time on whatever it could find.  In this case, the Dermatologist said it could be the HPV virus.

Don't get me wrong, I am Happy to be undetectable and T-Cells on the rise from 375.  My experience with the cocktails side affects and be no probelm.  I get the long term side affect.  Norvir, may have caused my Heart attack in 2000.  Protease Inhibitors, cause avascular necrosis in both hips.  In 2003, I had both hips replaced.  No optimistic infections ever.  Just long term usage..

Jay

[Peter Staley]

Ah, thanks for the clarification.  You had a drug/drug interaction, which we mention on the AIDSmeds page for Prezista as well:

"Prezista/Norvir can increase blood levels of Advair, Flovent, or Flonase (fluticasone), the inhalable medications that are used to treat allergies and asthma. In turn, these drugs may decrease blood levels of Prezista/Norvir. Alternatives to these drugs should be considered, especially for long-term use."
http://www.aidsmeds.com/archive/Prezista_1562.shtml

But I am still confused by your statement saying "that the Prezista and Norvir combo, super charges the immune system."  It doesn't.  It's a boosted protease inhibitor, and acts like all the others.  When used in a 3-drug combo, it should lower VL, and that leads to a recovery of CD4 cells.

Peter

[Miss Philicia]

Personally I had a remarkable immune system response when I went on Prezista/Norvir, but it was combined with Fuzeon at the same time.  My doctor had kept me from going on Fuzeon a year earlier, though I really needed it in terms of my viral load, because he was seeing data that the synergy of the Prezista/Fuzeon combo was getting a good response.  My cd4s went from ~500 to ~900 within two months and maintained that boost consistently for a year.  Upon replacing Fuzeon with Isentress they increased to ~1300.

For me at least, these new med combos are remarkable -- very very strong, and with little to no side effects (I'm not counting the fuss with Fuzeon as a side effect as there's no way to get around the delivery of it.  Once it's in your body there is no side effect for the vast majority of patients.)

But yes, I'd agree with Peter that just the Prezista/Norvir statement is most likely not an accurate claim at all.

[Doughboyjbird]

Please forgive me everyone.  I did not mean to make a "factual" statement.  Just that the meds hold back the virus back so well, your immune systems seems to be catching up on lost time.

I am not always very good at these forums.  Maybe I should just stick to reading them!

Regretfully,

[Peter Staley]

Jay -- don't you dare stop posting here!  I've really enjoyed your input thus far.  You'll often find me in here trying to clarify various statements about the meds, just so other readers don't end up misreading something.

Cheers,

Peter

[todd123]

Peter,

I so appreciate that you take the time to clarify these things for us.  Believe me, I'm overwhelmed right now,
and it's so good to hear ALL these voices of reason.  As soon as I know more, maybe I'll have some informational
posts, other than help me, help me.   

Scott