freaking out about being without meds for 36 hours

[coreFighter]

Dear PozForum,

This is the first time I'm writing a post and joined, even though I've been a long time reader and found the insights totally helpful. I've been dealing with everything on my own and I'm not always 100% sure my doctor is giving me the right advice or communicating properly.

I was on Truvada and Isentress, about one month in, the Isentress caused heart palpitations and a skipped heart beat which freaked the beep out of me. Everyone interpreted this as panic attacks, but the more I continued the medication, the more intense the heart issues became. On New Years Eve (I was at home, chilling, watching TV, determined to stay in and not have a hangover the next day), the heart issues reached a head and I felt like the wicked witch from Once Upon a Time was reaching into my chest and squeezing my heart. This promoted another emergency call to my doctor. He told me to stop my medication. I did. Thinking he meant both pills.

Day four after I stopped, the pressure is off my heart and I feel like it's so much better, the irregular heart beats have become regular again.

On New Years Day I didn't take any pills and waited for my doctors appointment, the next day I went in and started on Complera, I finally took the pill about 36 hours from my last dose. I'm a bit worried. I also haven't really been able to poop right and I've had digestion issues, so today I don't think my body absorbed the Complera and there was something that looked like it in my poop.

I've been through about two months of health crazy and I really want to stay undetectable. I'm really worried that the drugs will have mutated and that I'm not going to transition to Complera properly, which has Truvada in it.

Thanks for your help and advice.

[MilburnCreek]

OK, buddy...RELAX.

If you have 95% compliance, you're doing GREAT (keep in mind missing once a month, every month, would give you 97% compliance).   Once you get on a regimen that works for you, you will do fine.  Blowing a 36-hour period in a lifetime with decades to go isn't going to mean anything more than a piss in the ocean.

Take a look at my measurements in my signature. Note two things:

1) The AMAZING reductions in viral loads that are possible with HAART;

2) The recent "blip" I had when I missed ELEVEN DOSES!  And its already back to undetectable. 

Dont panic.  Stress does NOT help you.

[coreFighter]

Thanks !!!

I'm new to all this and want to figure out how to manage it as best I can. They really drove into me that if I miss a does bad things happen ...