POZ Community Forums

Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: Xavier on March 11, 2007, 12:00:41 pm

Title: Okay I need a little help taking my medicine....
Post by: Xavier on March 11, 2007, 12:00:41 pm
Okay so I finally got my pills, I want to take them, but now I don't know when.  Do I really need to take them at the same time every day or can it be like within a couple hours?  So i was thinking about taking them in the morning like 6am before work, but then i kind of wanted to take them around 10 on the weekends, that sound okay?  then just take the others at night before i go to bed which is always usually around 10-11 or so...am I good?
Title: Re: Okay I need a little help taking my medicine....
Post by: DanielMark on March 11, 2007, 12:10:28 pm
I would take them as your doctor prescribed, Xavier. It is best to be consistent what time of day, especially when you're just beginning, but your doc should have advised you about this already.

Daniel
Title: Re: Okay I need a little help taking my medicine....
Post by: MSPspud on March 11, 2007, 12:20:34 pm
From the amount of pills you're taking, I would assume you're on a protease regimen.  I personally would start off by taking them twice a day, half in the morning then the other half approx 12 hours later.  Once your body adjusts and you're undetectable, I would feel fine with the once daily dosing.  When it comes to once daily protease regimens, you do have that choice of once or twice daily and you may experience less adverse reactions by weaning your body into it with twice (plus some studies point to twice daily being more effective in knocking down initially high viral loads).

Also, I think it would be wise to start on a Friday evening or early weekend.  While you'll probably be fine, you still may want to have the adjustment time to yourself - just to be on the safe side.  You'll most likely have some gut rumbles and bathroom trips galore. 

Keep us updated!
Jason

Title: Re: Okay I need a little help taking my medicine....
Post by: mjmel on March 11, 2007, 01:03:37 pm
Okay so I finally got my pills, I want to take them, but now I don't know when.  Do I really need to take them at the same time every day or can it be like within a couple hours?  So i was thinking about taking them in the morning like 6am before work, but then i kind of wanted to take them around 10 on the weekends, that sound okay?  then just take the others at night before i go to bed which is always usually around 10-11 or so...am I good?

Your doctor should advise you on this. I find it very odd. So ridiculous that it's not written on script labels of med containers.
To get assistance from forum members, I'd suggest you list your meds since the type of meds can make a difference--as you have already assessed from responses.
Title: Re: Okay I need a little help taking my medicine....
Post by: Xavier on March 11, 2007, 03:06:17 pm
well it is on the label like any other medicine, they don't exactly tell you how to fit it in your schedule, it just says take once a day, take twice daily...forget it i got my answer...thanks all
Title: Re: Okay I need a little help taking my medicine....
Post by: Morton Salt on March 11, 2007, 11:30:45 pm
Hey X,

I here ya brother.  Taking meds for the first time was a trip for me to. I take 1 truvada/2 lexiva/2norvir per day. My doctor said it might be easier on me if i split them up and took half in the morning, half in the evening, or i could take them all at once.  I decided to take them all at once.  I didnt notice a goddamn thing change. Nothing. Nadda. My worries were all for nothing.  couple weeks later i had minor diahrea for about a week.  Nothing worth crying over at all.  its not like i would go out and shit my pants....lol.   I swear it was nothin.  My doc said as long as i take them sometime in the evening it would be fine.  I however decided i would take my meds at 7 pm every night. it totally works for me.  Dont be scared to take the pills if its time.

Heres what i would suggest though.  Get your prescription, wait for about 3 weeks before taking them. That way you alwas have a 3 week lead on your pills in case something politicallty gets involved with aquiring your meds. It just buys a little more time to figure things out.

Good luck.
~~Morton Salt
Title: Re: Okay I need a little help taking my medicine....
Post by: MSPspud on March 12, 2007, 12:28:52 am
Heres what i would suggest though.  Get your prescription, wait for about 3 weeks before taking them. That way you alwas have a 3 week lead on your pills in case something politicallty gets involved with aquiring your meds. It just buys a little more time to figure things out.

Now that's some damn good advice. 
Title: Re: Okay I need a little help taking my medicine....
Post by: Xavier on March 14, 2007, 09:54:18 pm
Yeah maybe I will start in another week, I do want to go drink some beer with my friends on st. patricks day...   :P  Lets see i got my medicine, it will be a week Friday, they are all under my couch...i know i should put the kalentra or whatever in the fridge, but they are sealed so whatever, i'll put them in there in a little bit.  I don't know I really want to start taking them cause I could use the energy ya know...although i'm thinking the reason i'm so tiered at work is because it is so damn boring.. I am not nervous anymore about taking them, i just want to make sure that i am taking them properly, just a straight answer, I can take them within a couple hour window right?  I know i asked one of you this before, but just need to double check...oh well anyway i'm going to ask my doctor too.so peace
Title: Re: Okay I need a little help taking my medicine....
Post by: Lis on March 14, 2007, 10:26:44 pm
what meds are you on? 
Title: Re: Okay I need a little help taking my medicine....
Post by: MSPspud on March 15, 2007, 12:38:12 pm
In general you have a two hour window before or after your regular time.  As I mentioned, it's important to get your morning dose spot on and the evening has more leeway - can be taken earlier than the 12 hours if you have something going on.  With the formulation of Kaletra you have (tablets vs. gel caps), you will not need to refrigerate them, so no worries. 
Title: Re: Okay I need a little help taking my medicine....
Post by: david25luvit on March 15, 2007, 04:45:20 pm
As difficult as it may be sometimes its imperative that you follow your doctors orders in regards
to drug therapy....its necessary to maintain a certain level of the drugs in your system for them
to work...otherwise your wasting your time, money and maybe risking becoming resistant to
the very drugs that may extend the quality of your life.  You take different drugs at different
times and doses so its important to get acquainted with your doctors instructions and the
side effects and so forth.  Knowledge is power....Get to know your medications and if you
decide to start drug therapy....do it right and stick with it religiously.

My two cents worth.........