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Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Questions About Treatment & Side Effects => Topic started by: ejwilliamson90 on February 12, 2012, 02:04:14 pm

Title: Atripla, doctor wants me to do a med change or addition to atripla
Post by: ejwilliamson90 on February 12, 2012, 02:04:14 pm
I had my latest labs come back, my VL went from <20 UD to 70 and my cd4 dropped to 174. I've been on atripla for 9 months and my cd4's have been as low as 89 and as high as 186. Viral load started at 550k and is now 70. I had no mutations. I've definatley taken 99.9% of doses on time and my adhearance has been awesome. I've been on certavite with antioxidants to help raise my cd4... my doctor gave me this multi vitamin.


What kinds of meds will they be switching or adding me to? He asked how much atripla I have on me which right now i have 100 pills or so. He mentioned that tomorrow i'll either be starting a new regimen or adding a pill. When they tested my mutations i had none and was highly responsive to ALL medications. Would an integrase inhibitor be good? I know i'd love to get off of the sustiva in atripla, its never been good for me on the side affect side of things i have awful hangovers in the morning and have intenese dreams that disrupt sleep.


Make me feel better. I know i'm not totally bad, but i think he just wants to strenghthen my regimen and get my cd4's up and keep me at UD.


xoxoxo

eric
Title: Re: Atripla, doctor wants me to do a med change or addition to atripla
Post by: newt on February 12, 2012, 03:04:34 pm
Better to change than add.

Personally I am not a fan of the new viral load tests that go under 20, they give too many just over 50 results to be useful. Where these tests are used in the UK, a result like 70 or 90, would not cause concern.

It can take a long time to knock the final few off your viral load permanently.

The integrase inhibitor Isentress is good and effective, better than Sustiva in the long term according to a recent study, but it's 2 x day. Dunno if 2 x day matters to you. There are other options, not integrase inhibitors, but 1 x day.

Anyway, here's an opportunity to ditch the Sustiva.

- matt
Title: Re: Atripla, doctor wants me to do a med change or addition to atripla
Post by: ejwilliamson90 on February 14, 2012, 04:18:58 pm
Thanks!

So we ended up going with a change to Norvir, Prezista, Isentress, and Truvada. He said hopefully we can knock off one of those in a few months if my vl stays at <20 and doesnt blip up and down again.