Sustiva Dreams????

[originaltim]

Do you have Sustiva dreams? I do and I am hoping to network with others to learn how to manage this debilitating side effect of our meds. I recently had the worst nightmare that I have EVER had and I am done dealing with this side effect. Unfortunately, I cannot change meds at this time.  I am experimenting with the idea of doing meditation tapes/cds for use before bedtime. I am hoping that this will help guide our dreams into a positive dream relm and avoid the bad experiences that most deal with as a side effect. Do you have these? What do you do? Are you aware of anything else we can do to help with this side effect, such as different foods to eat or not to eat before bedtime? I look forward to hearing your experiences on dealing with this!
Thanks!!!
Original Tin

[kevykev110]

What regimen r u on and how long have you been takin it?

[originaltim]

I am on Atripla once a day and have the standard VIVID dreams....

[leatherman]

Unfortunately, I cannot change meds at this time.

any particular reason why you can't change to something other than Atripla?
how long have you been on Atripla?
how has it worked for you - meaning what are your lab results (viral load and cd4 count)?

[brlazarus]

I have been on Sustiva since it became available, and I experienced night terrors every single night for years. The dreams became less terrifying but they are still just as vivid. I don't wake up in a panic like I used to. In fact, I have been caught waking up laughing hysterically at something funny that happened in a dream. So, hopefully the nightmares won't last as long as mine did. The non-terrifying vivid dreams can be quite entertaining. Ideally, I'd just like to sleep soundly.

[mecch]

Well now that you are over the nightmares, do you want to switch? I'm surprised your doctor hasn't offered alternatives.....  Something preventing a switch??

[originaltim]

 I have mostly had good results from Atripla and only one nightmare. I believe that it is because I generally keep a great attitude. That is something, as you know, that is crutial to combatting this disease. I also enjoy the dreams to an extent....some people have told me about the "wet" dreams...LOL....I dont have those but have had some exciting ones for sure. While I too would love to have that quiet, restful slumber, my dreams are like being on the HolloDeck from the Enterprise on startrek....it is literally like being in a different movie each time I close my eyes and go to sleep. Last week I had one that was like an action packed movie....it was alot of fun except that I thought I got shot in a military fire fight and was in pain the entire dream. When I woke up, I found that I actually had a charlie horse which was causing the pain, and thus caused my mind to incorporate the pain into the dream . Another dream was guided by my patners  snoreing....I spend the entire dream trying to find out what the heck the pbnoxious noise was coming from.
Why I am interested in your opinions and experiences is because I am developing something to help all of us with this ONE side effect that we experience from this great medication  (Atripla). I hope to be able to help thousands of people by directing dreams via positive meditations. The meditations will guide us to a positive experience and set the stage for our dream before we doze off. You can follow this on my site and also give me your feedback as it progresses. My site is on facebook/groups...   just look up HIV Connection and go to the discussions. I will soon be posting the results of my research and work. I am hoping to have the CD's available soon and would be glad to send you one to find out how it works for you. Thanks for posting your replys and keep them coming....I want to know what you do to keep a positive attitude!
hugs and much love,
Tim   

[mecch]

Why I am interested in your opinions and experiences is because I am developing something to help all of us with this ONE side effect that we experience from this great medication  (Atripla).

You mean this one, of many possible side effects? Or do you think that is the only Atripla side effect? Or do you think that everyone gets it?

By the way, I hope you are not shilling your product, here.  You're offering to send us free copies???

[leatherman]

while I was taking Chantix (to stop smoking) I was having ultra vivid dreams as a side effect. Though they left me not feeling quite rested enough (like I had been up half the night busy), the dreams weren't anything at all like the wake-up-screaming dreams of Sustiva.

I've been off Sustiva since 99, it's been a year and 150 days since I stop smoking and stopped the chantix, and I'm actually quite happy to have moved back to my family in the Carolinas (though it took the death of a partner to cause that), and I'm well-adjusted on the whole. I'm not on Atripla because of resistance and those horrible side effects.

however the bizarre thing now is that ever since moving from OH to SC, I've been having vivid dreams again - every night! Ain't that a hoot?!? I was always one to dream a lot and to remember many of my dreams. I already meditate and practice directed dreaming. All that helps - but it doesn't stop the crazy vivid every-night dreaming. LOL

You can follow this on my site and also give me your feedback as it progresses. My site is on facebook/groups...   just look up HIV Connection and go to the discussions.

you can't just give the link? I just hate when people don't give me a clicky link.

or maybe you ARE schilling something and don't want the link to draw the attention of the mods.
(hmm, you're either the Tenn HIV group with 15 members or, and my money is on this one, the singles hookup site)

Since I noticed you side-stepped answering any of the questions that might have helped us to understand your situation better and offer you alternatives to enduring the vivid dreams, I suggest instead of doing all this "research" you just ask your doctor to change to a different med without this kind of side effect.

[leatherman]

(hmm, you're either the Tenn HIV group with 15 members or, and my money is on this one, the singles hookup site)

well whaddauknow? You're not the schill from "HIV connection" poz single . com whatever after all.

though it is still weird for you to come in here and begin with the premise of trying to understand how to better manage YOUR atripla side effects without giving us enough medical data to understand your situation. but you obviously still do have an ulterior motive for this thread as you want to hear about our experiences for your "research".

sorry I suggested you were a schill for that dating site ; however, i still say talk to your doctor and change your meds if you are having such a problem with Atripla.

[originaltim]

any particular reason why you can't change to something other than Atripla?
how long have you been on Atripla?
how has it worked for you - meaning what are your lab results (viral load and cd4 count)?

my labs are okay I guess but I am changing things up to try to get better results....VL is always undetectable and CD4 had recently gone down....I am making sure I dont eat for several hours before I take my meds at bedtime, will see how that affects things when I get my labs back in a few weeks. I am also going to discuss other meds with my doctors but from previous research, Atripla is the easiest to take, has less effects on our livers, and the dreams are not bad because I am a positive person, so always have normal and not bad dreams.

[originaltim]

You mean this one, of many possible side effects? Or do you think that is the only Atripla side effect? Or do you think that everyone gets it?

By the way, I hope you are not shilling your product, here.  You're offering to send us free copies???

Well it seem to be the only side effect that is not manageable if the med is taken as directed. Its the one that you cant just take another pill to compensate for. And no I dont have a product. I am actually just trying to find a way to help and will gladly send out free copies of the meditation CDs when they are produced. I am hoping that the drug manufactors will chip in with a grant to do this research. Lets hope!
hugs
Tim

[originaltim]

I was always one to dream a lot and to remember many of my dreams. I already meditate and practice directed dreaming. All that helps - but it doesn't stop the crazy vivid every-night dreaming. LOL
you can't just give the link? I just hate when people don't give me a clicky link.

or maybe you ARE schilling something and don't want the link to draw the attention of the mods.
(hmm, you're either the Tenn HIV group with 15 members or, and my money is on this one, the singles hookup site)

Since I noticed you side-stepped answering any of the questions that might have helped us to understand your situation better and offer you alternatives to enduring the vivid dreams, I suggest instead of doing all this "research" you just ask your doctor to change to a different med without this kind of side effect.

heres the link
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=288&post=1328&uid=130488050309729#!/?sk=2361831622
The reason I didnt post the link is that its much easier to go to facebook/groups and type in
HIV Connection.   I am seriously not "shilling" anything, am not a HIV group, nor on a singles hookup group. Just a guy with a dream (pun intended.....many dreams actually)
I dont think the dreams are a bad enough problem for me that I want to change meds and then have to deal with other side effects. I am however going to discuss it with my doctor after we see what my labs are this month. I would rather have the dreams than have liver damage, sexual disfunction, diarreah, bloating, gas, rashes, and well, you know the rest. If the dreams are manageagle, I will stick with them.
hugs
Tim

[mecch]

I would rather have the dreams than have liver damage, sexual disfunction, diarreah, bloating, gas, rashes, and well, you know the rest. If the dreams are manageagle, I will stick with them.
hugs
Tim

I agree with you there! Well, looking forward to further posts on this, not that I need it anymore, personally, as sustiva is history for me.  By the way, dreams are not the only possible side effect - I would guess that people who have really crazy dreams might also be in the group predisposed to have other CNS effects, such as I had - that is, the "sustiva crazies" while fully awake!

[originaltim]

Hey, look what I found!   Check out this article called Tips and tricks on taking Sustiva....hope it helps !!!!     
www.aidsmeds.com/articles/SustivaTips_7550.shtml