Stupid questions

[maddalfred]

I have read all the way through the "Lessons" section and on the very last page is the statement: But it is crucial that you do this sooner rather than later.

http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/WhenToStart_4762.shtml

My question is this: What does that statement mean in terms of my treatment and how do I judge if I might be better served trying another medication instead of the one I started on in May, which happens to be Atripla?

Should I just expect that having to take Imodium or some other similar meds for the diarrhea on a daily basis to continue from now on out?  Should I expect for the strange and mostly nightmarish dreams to finally subside on their own? Should I assume or blame the anti-depressant, high blood pressure or all the other meds I am taking are responsible for any of the side effects I suspect are caused by the Atripla?

I have read many posts from people who have not had these effects or the effects they had were short lived and went away fairly quickly after starting on Atripla. Am I wrong to second guess my HIV doc's approach to my treatment or have I maybe not expressed myself clearly enough about how I feel for her to be any more concerned than she has seemed about the whole thing?

I will say in defense of the Atripla that apparently it has greatly reduced my viral load and my last Tcell count was finally above 300 from the 119 I started out at.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I just wonder if my treatment expectations were too high to begin with and the side effects are something I should just learn to live with as a matter of course. I still have Interferon to "look forward to" sometime in the future if what I have been told about my HVC is true. My understanding of that is that it is even far worse than Atripla. Again, am I worrying about nothing?

[Ann]

Rex,

To be honest with you, I can't for the life of me imagine why, with your history of depression, you were put on a combo including Sustiva to begin with. There are just too many options out there now days.

As for having to take immodium, well, I've got dire-rear issues just from hiv. I'm not on meds yet. But the psych effects from Sustiva - you don't have to do it. Talk to your doctor.

Do you remember me telling you that hep C can cause depression all on its own? Again, I can't imagine what your doctor was thinking putting you on Sustiva. Talk to him/her.

Ann