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Author Topic: New Dx, 1st Labs Back -- Starting Stribild  (Read 4845 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline lostbruin

  • New Member
  • Posts: 2
New Dx, 1st Labs Back -- Starting Stribild
« on: September 24, 2013, 09:06:06 pm »
Hey everyone, I've been checking out these forums for a while now. I was diagnosed about a month ago, but I didn't really have any sort of reaction to it at first (maybe was in a state of shock). I just received my first set of labs and the reality of it is finally starting to hit me. The results came back as CD4 341 (21%) and VL 18300. My doctor indicated that my VL is much lower than average for being untreated, but it seems my immune system took quite the hit along the way.

So my doctor recommended I start treatment soon with Stribild, which I've read people have had great success with on these forums. I'm going to be taking a trip out of town for a weekend to visit friends fairly soon and my concern is if there's any side effects that would physically show. I'd like to keep a facade of normalcy up while visiting, so I was wondering if anyone who is on Stribild has any input if there were any physically revealing side effects that occurred when they started the medication. (If this belongs better in the treatment subforum, please feel free to move it mods).

Offline drewm

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,248
Re: New Dx, 1st Labs Back -- Starting Stribild
« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2013, 09:48:14 pm »
Welcome to the forums! Someone will be along to answer your med specific question. See you around the forums.

Drew
Diagnosed in  May of 2010 with teh AIDS.

PCP Pneumonia . CD4 8 . VL 500,000

TRIUMEQ - VALTREX -  FLUOXETINE - FENOFIBRATE - PRAVASTATIN - CIALIS


Numbers consistent since 12/2010 - VL has remained undetectable and CD4 is anywhere from 275-325

Offline jkinatl2

  • Member
  • Posts: 6,007
  • Doo. Dah. Dipp-ity.
Re: New Dx, 1st Labs Back -- Starting Stribild
« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2013, 11:07:29 pm »
Welcome to the forums! I am glad you decided to pop up and talk :) - We are a great group of people with a bunch of knowledge (and some of the people here even have wisdom). We are a snarky bunch, expecially the Long Term Survivors. So there's great info plus the opportunity to hve great funny conversation and make real friends.

I am not in Stibald, unfortunately. But I hope someone who is comes in here soon and responds. Everything I have read says that initial side effects are not extreme, maybe not noticeable at all.

And of course it won't kill you to postpone getting on the drug until after your visit. I mean, the paranoia about perceived side effects might make a dinner scene straight out of the movie "Clue."



Family member:

So are you feeling up for another helping of muffins this morning, dear?

You:

Feeling up for? As in, I might not be feeling good today? Do I look tired? Peaked? Gaunt? Is it AIDS, Mother? Is that what you see? Because I am taking medication for AIDS? How DARE you judge me! How very DARE you!

Family Member:

Honestly, I was going to give the last one to the dog if you didn't eat it.

You:

(Sitting) Well, then please pass the butter.


Anyhow, you will get informed answers soon. Sorry that I made your family gathering into  a 1970's British Whodunit. I am certain your family would not feed muffins to a dog.

"Many people, especially in the gay community, turn to oral sex as a safer alternative in the age of AIDS. And with HIV rates rising, people need to remember that oral sex is safer sex. It's a reasonable alternative."

-Kimberly Page-Shafer, PhD, MPH

Welcome Thread

Offline oksikoko

  • Member
  • Posts: 690
  • Writing the congressman again
Re: New Dx, 1st Labs Back -- Starting Stribild
« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2013, 12:49:52 am »
Hey everyone, I've been checking out these forums for a while now. I was diagnosed about a month ago, but I didn't really have any sort of reaction to it at first (maybe was in a state of shock). I just received my first set of labs and the reality of it is finally starting to hit me. The results came back as CD4 341 (21%) and VL 18300. My doctor indicated that my VL is much lower than average for being untreated, but it seems my immune system took quite the hit along the way.

So my doctor recommended I start treatment soon with Stribild, which I've read people have had great success with on these forums. I'm going to be taking a trip out of town for a weekend to visit friends fairly soon and my concern is if there's any side effects that would physically show. I'd like to keep a facade of normalcy up while visiting, so I was wondering if anyone who is on Stribild has any input if there were any physically revealing side effects that occurred when they started the medication. (If this belongs better in the treatment subforum, please feel free to move it mods).

Hey, buddy. I've been on Stribild since December, and I've never had a single outward sign that I can recall, nor do I remember reading about anyone else having any when doing my own research. The main side effects people talked about were things like insomnia, dizziness and nausea - easily hidden or dismissed. Quite a few people say they have no side effects.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

So are you feeling up for another helping of muffins this morning, dear?

Feeling up for? As in, I might not be feeling good today? Do I look tired? Peaked? Gaunt? Is it AIDS, Mother? Is that what you see? Because I am taking medication for AIDS? How DARE you judge me! How very DARE you!

Honestly, I was going to give the last one to the dog if you didn't eat it.

(Sitting) Well, then please pass the butter.

Bwahahahahaha!
« Last Edit: September 25, 2013, 12:52:20 am by oksikoko »
Code: [Select]
2014-11-14: CD4 Wars Episode II: Return of the Stribild (released in Europe as Stribild II: Werewolf Bitch)
2014-11-06:                ☣ VL (→) 12,627      ☣ CD4 (→) 639
2014-??-??: off treatment  ☣ VL (?)              ☣ CD4 (?)
2013-10-03:                ☣ VL (=) undetectable ☣ CD4 (+) 1105
2013-05-23:                ☣ VL (=) undetectable ☣ CD4 (-) 945
2013-02-25:                ☣ VL (-) undetectable ☣ CD4 (+) 1123
2012-12-16: Enter Stribild
2012-11-20: HIV+           ☣ VL (→) 132,683      ☣ CD4 (→) 920
2012-04-01: HIV-
Dates in this signature file conform to ISO 8601. ;-)

If no one complains, nothing will ever change.

Offline lostbruin

  • New Member
  • Posts: 2
Re: New Dx, 1st Labs Back -- Starting Stribild
« Reply #4 on: October 08, 2013, 09:40:37 pm »
Thanks for the responses guys! Seems like my side effect paranoia was much ado about nothing. I'll briefly mention my experience starting on Stribild in case anyone in the future has the same questions I did. I opted to start taking the medication after my trip. Took it after dinner and headed to bed a few hours after. Had no outward side effects at all -- some mild nausea in the morning for the first week, but that has pretty much faded. I do still experience some very vivid dreams at night though and occasionally wake up feeling a bit anxious. Have you ever had a dream that you missed an important meeting or missed a final exam and woken up suddenly very anxious? That's the sort of feeling I've been waking up with pretty frequently. Going to ask my doctor if maybe Ambien or Xanax can help that situation. Other than that (and maybe some uhh.. bloating/gas..), starting Stribild has been pretty smooth so far.

Welcome to the forums! I am glad you decided to pop up and talk :) - We are a great group of people with a bunch of knowledge (and some of the people here even have wisdom). We are a snarky bunch, expecially the Long Term Survivors. So there's great info plus the opportunity to hve great funny conversation and make real friends.

I am not in Stibald, unfortunately. But I hope someone who is comes in here soon and responds. Everything I have read says that initial side effects are not extreme, maybe not noticeable at all.

And of course it won't kill you to postpone getting on the drug until after your visit. I mean, the paranoia about perceived side effects might make a dinner scene straight out of the movie "Clue."



Family member:

So are you feeling up for another helping of muffins this morning, dear?

You:

Feeling up for? As in, I might not be feeling good today? Do I look tired? Peaked? Gaunt? Is it AIDS, Mother? Is that what you see? Because I am taking medication for AIDS? How DARE you judge me! How very DARE you!

Family Member:

Honestly, I was going to give the last one to the dog if you didn't eat it.

You:

(Sitting) Well, then please pass the butter.


Anyhow, you will get informed answers soon. Sorry that I made your family gathering into  a 1970's British Whodunit. I am certain your family would not feed muffins to a dog.



Perfect -- I grew up in a pretty snarky household, so I'll feel right at home haha. Love the Clue reference as well, might just watch that movie again tonight.. :)

Hey, buddy. I've been on Stribild since December, and I've never had a single outward sign that I can recall, nor do I remember reading about anyone else having any when doing my own research. The main side effects people talked about were things like insomnia, dizziness and nausea - easily hidden or dismissed. Quite a few people say they have no side effects.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Bwahahahahaha!

Thanks for your response; my experience was basically as you described, seems I was worried for nothing!

 


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