Soundtrack from a Sustiva dream...

[OneTampa]

Here is something I thought I'd share with you:

I've been on low dose Sustiva for a number of years and doing quite well. In the beginning I had frequent wildy vivid blockbuster dreams.  The over the top and frequent nature of the dreams have diminished somewhat recently yet I have them from time to time. Last night was one of those times.

I had a very restful yet beautiful dreamed filled sleep with all kinds of images and sounds. The dream revolved memories of my mother who died February this year, wonderful times and friends and family through the years and my doing OK and still kicking after 25 year HIV+.

I heard the following songs in my dream and woke up this morning determined to see if I could find the songs by searching YouTube.  

Here they are (strange mix, I know):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVTEEeOEfKw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lepx24flhaI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_NpxTWbovE

Now I am ready to go work!  

[Ann]

Hi Tampa, the only song of your trilogy I've ever heard was K.D. Lang singing Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. Thanks for posting that, I love that song (especially by her) but haven't heard it in years.

You're on low dose Sustiva? Interesting. My bf is on 200mgs (instead of 600mgs) and he's the only other person I've heard of being on a lower dose. What dose are you on? And if you don't mind me asking, what was the rationale behind putting you on a lower dose instead of switching you out to something different? I'm just curious.

Ann

[Florida69]

i too am curious about the low dose of sustiva, I am on the 600mg, and if I could go lower, I would be in.   D

[mecch]

Yes, spill on the low dose, please.

[OneTampa]

The songs from Junior and Morgan pumped in the dance clubs back in the 80s. Those were the high days of banging house music.

The k.d. lang song is simply gorgeous. I love her reading.

____

Regarding my low dose (400 mg) Sustiva regimen, I have spilled the beans several times here on the boards about that.

Here is a post from November 2009:

Oh look, another spill: "CLEAN UP ON AISLE 4!" 

 
  Re: ATRIPLA - REALLY struggling :-(
« Reply #72 on: November 10, 2009, 09:05:59 PM »   

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I though that I would list my experience with Sustiva as it is may be somewhat different from others on the boards.

The following is my post from November 2008 that remains true this November.   

"...You are correct. Not everyone can tolerate Sustiva.

When I started Sustiva in 1999, I took the 600mg dose.  The first week I had to grip the walls to walk down the hall.  I felt drunk and disoriented. It was scary.  I promptly told my doctor about the effects.  He suggested that I reduce my dosage to 400mg a day because he said that he read a study listing results that a 400mg dose proved just as affective as 600mg.  I switched to the lower dose and that did the trick. Next year will be 10 years I've been on Sustiva  and the only effects, thus far, I experience are tolerable as noted in my previous post to this thread.

I continue to find it interesting how these HIV medications affect nearly everyone differently. I know that I have had trials and errors over the last 23 years..."

[Ann]

I promptly told my doctor about the effects.  He suggested that I reduce my dosage to 400mg a day because he said that he read a study listing results that a 400mg dose proved just as affective as 600mg.  I switched to the lower dose and that did the trick. Next year will be 10 years I've been on Sustiva  and the only effects, thus far, I experience are tolerable as noted in my previous post to this thread.

I continue to find it interesting how these HIV medications affect nearly everyone differently. I know that I have had trials and errors over the last 23 years..."

It's interesting that your doctor just simply dropped your dose. When my bf had his dropped (2003 or so), they first did TDM (therapeutic drug monitoring) on him. First they monitored him at the 600mgs dose, then they dropped him down to 400mgs and monitored that. Then they dropped him again to 200mgs and he finally had the amount circulating in his blood as most people, instead of really high amounts.

He's been undetectable since a few months after starting meds back in 2001. He started on Sustiva + Combivir and was switched to Sustiva + Truvada a couple years ago.

He still has some sleep and mood-swing issues, but he says if it ain't broke, don't fix it which I think is silly. If he's having problems, it IS broke and with the new meds available today, it's easily fixed.

Anyway, I'm glad it's working well for you.

[OneTampa]

Ann,

Thanks for the well wishes.

Aside from the low dose Sustiva, for the last 5 years or so and currently I also take low dose Viracept (2 tablets a day each @ 625 mg).  The third medication is Epivir. This seems to work well for me. I've been non-detectable for 10 years now with CD4s usually running about 600-700 and ranging 28% to 33%.  I even got in the 800s cd4 at one time measured--the first in 25 years!

My doctor monitored me during the dose reductions although I don't recall the name given any special medical process aside from him looking at the usual blood work, checking vitals (temperature, blood pressure/pulse), looking at my mouth, eyes, ears, skin, and taking reports from me on how I felt. The bottom line is that after all these years he agreed that the regimen is proving to be of benefit to me.  Like your boyfriend's doctor though, he also gave me the cheeky line "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." However, believe me, the moment I see the need, I will insist on getting out the repair kit.  

Regarding moods. My moods on the whole stay within the usual mid-range and don't swing widly from one far end of the emotional spectrum to the other.  I do find I tend to get "happy weepy" and "sad weepy" at turns and privately when triggered by an observation, personal exchange, or memory that passes security and makes its way to my soft spot (I can hear the jokes now ). My hard problem solving and life coping skills, nevertheless, remain on track and intact (knocking on real wood-not laminate  ) along with a sense of off-path humor.

As I mentioned earlier, I sleep OK even with the blockbuster dreams from time to time.

I have to say that I will  forever be intrigued that this HIV thing is in many ways the same yet different for each of us.

Well, that's my $1.59 (US) worth.  I hope you, your boyfriend and others find my personal take useful.