POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Questions About Treatment & Side Effects => Topic started by: Jacques on June 10, 2006, 01:15:16 pm
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Hi all,
Just started my new combo this morning(Reyataz/Norvir,3TC, Viread).
The only thing am I afraid of is skin and/or eyes yellowing.
I have been looking to all information about it but could not find anything on : " How fast this would happen" ???
Gosh I feel so scary about turning bright yellow that I have been sitting near a mirror all the morning, looking at it every half hours. No changes yet, after 4hrs 30min ;D
So, I am wondering if some of you who are on Reyataz could tell me more about the experience they had about yellowing.
Jacques
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Hi Jacques,
I have been on Reyataz boosted with Norvir for almost a year now and never turned yellow ( neither the eyes ). It does happen to certain person though but doesn't mean it'll be your case.
The Canuck
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Merci Monsieur Canuck !
Okay, I saw that my chances of turning yellow are around 6 % or so.
But my big question is : If it's going to happen, then how quick ?
I'm glad that you escaped from yellowing.
Jacques
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Jacques,
You're welcome !
I'm not sure how quick it can happen but most likely in the first 2-3 weeks. I think I read once on the old forum that someone ( or some ) experienced this if drinking too much alcohol. I'm not a heavy drinker ( only have a few drinks from time to time ) so don't expect any problems related to alcohol.
The Canuck
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Thanks again Canuck,
Well, after 2 days on that stuf, I feel comfortable.
...and I'm not yellow ;D
Jacques
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Fere Jacques
Within a week, I started turning yellow. It was real obvious in the eyes but not really noticeable; no one ever said anything. You get a nice tone on the skin.
It lasts about 10 days to 2 weeks as I recall but that was 2 1/2 years ago....eons ago in HIV TIME.
robert
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Hi Robert,
So I guess ,as Canuck previously said, that the next 2 or 3 weeks will be crucial. Seems that you had some kind of a mild reaction that I would accept if it was to happen. I already have a nice tan, so perhaps it will just turn golden-brown. ;)
Just hoping that it won't show to much in my eyes.
merci beaucoup Robert
Jacques 8)
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It is my understanding that even if yellowing occurs, it is a temporary condition which normally resolves within weeks.
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I was only yellow for about a week, and it wasn't noticable at all....
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Hey thanks for these new posts. This is very encouraging.
Any other side effects noticed with Reyataz/Viread?
On my side ( on day 3) I'm feeling some kind of "being drunk" or more precisely on the hang over after a drinking night. :-\
Gosh, I hope it will be only temporary.
Jacques
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You didn't turm yellow after drinking?
My eyes usually get a bit yellow after a night of drinking.
Cool... The only side effect I got was sleeplessness from the truvada, but it took care of itself when I change the med time to 5:30 pm...
-D
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You didn't turn yellow after drinking?
Hey Dancer Boy,
I didn't say that I spent the night dinking. I am just feeling like IF.. I had. ;)
My eyes usually get a bit yellow after a night of drinking.
Well, after a night of drinking, yellowish eyes are certainly the last thing I would notice on guys. ;D
cheers
Jacques
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My eyes and skin turned somewhat yellow a few days after starting it. Six months later my eyes are still slightly yellow but not to where people think anything is wrong.
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Been on Reyataz/Viread/Epivir (norvir boost) since March 1, and never noticed any yellowing EXCEPT one morning after a night with too many cocktails. And that went away pretty fast. My bilirubin # is 1.7, the doc said it has to get to around 4 to show.
Let's face it, a little yellow glow might not be a bad price to pay for some more CD4s. I think the most important thing to do is accessorize correctly, to make the most of it! ;D
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Thanks Gymrat and OptionsF for this additional input.
Well, today I'm on day 6 with this new regimen and yet show no signs of yellowing. :) Good news I guess.
The next step, before concluding, will be a "Saturday night to the bars" :P
cheers
Jacques
* the post is modified , cause I forgot to do the spell check ;D
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Hi all, thanks so much for posting information on this combo.
My partner is about to embark on treatment using this new so-called "darling" of the new PIs. (Atazanavir boosted with Ritonavir)
I myself, have been two years on Viramune/Combivir and because of the absence of side-effects, I questioned the need to have go the PIs. At the time of my treatment selection there were serious concerns regarding high cholesterol/Triglycerides numbers and in some cases lipid distorsions found in people taking Kaletra. Thus, I was given Nevirapine (non-nuke Viramune) which has suited me quite well. A couple of friends that were treated with this previous PI incarnation are now dealing with bad lipo problems.
I, of course, am questioning the reason for going to PIs such as Ritonavir; which even in small doses (for boosting) is still a PI.
Question:
Aside from the yellowing effects, has anyone suffered from elevated cholesterol orTriglycerides?
Anecdotal evidence is not sufficient enough to convince a doctor, but we are very much concerned about this and would appreciate you input.
Thanks.
Cecco
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About 1 in 6 perhaps of people on boosted Reyataz (atazanavir) get a raise in lipids, somewhat less in unboosted usage. See for example Atazanavir in treatment naive patients, with and without ritonavir boosting (http://www.i-base.info/htb/v7/htb7-3/Atazanavir.html) and this report (Replacing a PI with atazanavir: separating swans from ducklings?) (http://www.i-base.info/htb/v7/htb7-1-2/Replacing.html) which found that:
"Equivalent proportions in the two treatment groups had total cholesterol at or above 240 mg/dL and triglycerides at or above 250 mg/dL when the trial began. After 48 weeks significantly fewer people switching to atazanavir had cholesterol or triglyceride readings that high (8% versus 29% for total cholesterol [...] 9% versus 30% for triglycerides)."
The problem is the ritonavir booster. Some people just don;t do well on this lipid-wise. However, Reyataz uses the least recognised (but NB, says matt, untested) dose of 100mg and can be used unboosted (not with tenofovir/Viread though).
A better real life report is perhaps Clinical experience of switching to atazanavir in the UK’s largest clinic (http://www.i-base.info/htb/v7/htb7-1-2/Clinical.html) which reports a rate of lipid elevation (>6.5mmol/L) dropping form 15% to 9% of people switching to Reyataz (241 people). Mean bilirubin increase was 24 mmol/L with four patients discontinuing because of to jaundice.
These i-Base reports are well-referenced and you should be able to pull up some of the original study reports via an Internet search.
- matt
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My total cholesterol dropped from 330 to 180 and my triglycerides dropped from 1600 to 400 when I switched to Reyataz. Nine months on this Reyataz/Truvada/Norvir combo and I'm still slightly yellow, but no one has ever noticed.
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Hey,
I hopping on this thread after the action, but I'll leave my info as a reference for others. To start with the last thing I'd notice on GSOgymrat is a yellowish tinge!
I started Reyataz in Feb. 2004 and have been doing fine. My bilirubin has bounced around from low to high range - but no yellowing has occurred. Not sure why it varies so, but it has gone as high as 4.94. My triglycerides are always on the high side - 290-300, but my cholesterol is low, sometimes way low. All in all these chemical fluctuations have done me little apparent harm and my VL is undetectable, my CD4's are 350-400, and my % is 21-22.
On a mental note, I tend not to perseverate over things like side-effects, and when given new medication I ask my doctor not to tell me the side effects unless it's something common that is potentially lifethreatening. I figure I'll get to know the medications effect on my body soon enough.
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Hello,
I started Reyataz two months ago. Towards the end of the first month, I noticed a very slight yellowing of my skin. Very slight, sort of looked like a light tan, or more of an olive color. I also had very mild tinge of yellow in the bottom area of my eye. The only way to see it was to pull down the lower lid. I actually did not notice it, but the doctor did. It lasted maybe a week- very short time.
No one else noticed at all it was so slight.
I would not worry to much about it. If it were to happen, it should pass pretty quickly. Good luck starting the new meds!
Christine
Forgot to add: I did have a few sleepless nights when started the Truvada, but that passed also. My cholesterol has been fine, and my liver values were up a little, but have started to come down at this point. Overall, I have tolerated this meds pretty well.
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Thank you Razorbill and Christine for adding your posts.
After 2 months on Reyataz I haven't notice signs of yellowing in my eyes. Or maybe it is so subtile that it does not show. For my skin I will have to wait until next November to evaluate, because my summer sun tan would mask any other colour trying to pop out.
I did have some difficulties sleeping but this seems to be going back to normal now.
New lab tests were taken August 2 but I will have the results only in September. I hope my numbers will be as good as they were on Kaletra/Combivir. (Vl <50, T4= 985, 46%). Keeping my fingers crossed.
thanks again
Jacques
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Hiya all from Madrid, Spain!!!
Well, I am also taking Reyataz, since one month ago.
I was infected by March this year, even though I identified clearly the very moment in which I could get infected, as I felt well the days after, I thought the risky situation was no so risky... but I was wrong... I passed the acute infection sympthoms mid April and it was then when I realized I had a new companion inside...
Well, I made by my own a PCR (here all AIDS treatments, tests and so on are on charge of Social Security, we do not pay for it, the counterpoint is that you have to wait weeks to be tested, to have results, to see the doctor...) I got the PCR results 2 weeks later: 256.000 copies, this was one month after getting the virus. I went to the doctor three weeks later, and got repeated PCR with a result of 65.000 copies. CD4 were very high indeed, 1.100... Doctor told me that my inmune system reacted itself strongly to the infection, so I had the choice of wait and see or starting meds, even if two and a half months have passed since I was presumably infected. I choosed to start with meds.
The doctor proposed to start with Truvada + Sustiva. The first days I coped with the secondary effects, I took meds before going to bed on an empty stomach... I had very bizarre dreams, and felt sleepy along the day. By the second week everything was O.K. but one thing: I got a severe rash, and pains in kneel and foot bones. I took an antihysthaminic, but it didn't work.
The doctor then decided to change a part of my meds and now I am taking Reayataz (Rito-boosted) plus Truvada. Rash has gone away, as well as pains. I sleep very well, and only have some gastric sympthoms, but it's O.K., nothing so important to prevent me to do the things I do every day. I also feel some dizziness, and a little bit of nausea from time to time.
No yellow in skin or eyes at the moment. In a few days I will have new tests, I hope this meds are doing well. I've lost 11 kilos (about 23 pounds) in the first days of acute infection sympthoms, and 3 more kilos when I had the rash due to Sustiva. Now I recovered 2 kilos and I feel much better, stronger and with more appetite, in fact, I feel hungry all the day!!!
I wish to thank you all for your comments and informations that have been very useful for me. Aidsmeds and Poz have been a big help!!!!!
Regards!
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The only time I noticed any color change on account of TAZ was when my doctor asked if I’d been taking sun because I look nicely tanned.
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Hi there Jacques,
I also just started Reyataz/Norvir,3TC, Viread...I am on my 5th day and my eyes are *really* yellow. My skin is also yellow. It's yellow to the point of people noticing...I'm glad to see that these symptons will most likely only be temporary..:( Aside from the yellowing..I am having no other problems really...other than a bit of bloating when I take my meds.
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Hi Minkitron,
Gosh, sorry about your yellowing being that showy. As others said, it usually fades after a few weeks. Hoping it happens to you soon.
Concerning bloating, I remember I had some at the beginning but it went away gradually.
take care and keep us posted if anything else happens
Jacques
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Hey guys. I just started taking Reyataz 3 days ago and today I just noticed that my sclera are yellow. I work in a hospital so eventhough this may not be noticeable to the average person, I'm sure the nurses and doctors will notice. I wish my Dr. would have told me about this side effect before switching from Crixivan. If anyone out there took/takes Crixivan, can you please tell me if you have any side effects. I haven't had any long term side effects and I have been taking it for 8 years.
With Reyataz I freaked out because the instructions say to call your physician immediately if you notice any side effects. I don't have insurance and the clinic I go to is closed on the weekends. Reading the posts here I feel a lot calmer knowing that the yellowing is a common side effect and that I guess is not lethal. Has anyone stopped taking Reyataz because of side effects?
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When I started Reyataz I kinda went yellowy, esp. in my eyes for bout 10 days. I still go a bit yellow in the eyes if I have a glass of wine too much of an evening, but it's really just a light glaze. I have many friends on Reyataz who's eyes are a clear as a bell now, oh, and one friend who went bright yellow all over and had to stop (I mean, banana lke).
- matt
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I've been on Reyataz over and year and my skin and eyes are still yellow tinted. My Doc mentions that my eyes are yellow every time I see him. No one else notices the yellow. The one thing I like about the yellow tint as I get a really deep colored tan in the summer.
Tom
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It's weird about the tan thing. On last test - Nov - my bilirubin was back well within normal. But more than one person has mentioned what a nice tan I have. Most folks in NY in winter don't have one. I've been asked if I do tanning and even one person wanted to know if I had makeup on!!!!! Indeed. Perhaps the bilirubin has stained the skin a bit, but it's for the better apparently. Pleasant side effects, now there's a concept.
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It wasn't that long after I started the Reyataz that my eyes turned yellow. I tried to go about my day without really looking at anyone, but a very outspoken woman said, "Oh my goodness your eyes are really yellow. Do you have liver troubles?" But it didn't last. My eyes do occasionally go yellow and I can get to where I look like I have a slight tan (yay for a pasty white gal like me!), but it is never noticable to the extent it was at first. Since I am never a brilliant shade of yellow, I am okay with that, since I have no side effects to my meds and I might not be so lucky with another regimine. My total bilirubin hovers around a 3, so I guess maybe my body has just adapted to being able to handle a higher bilirubin.
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I started Reyataz (then Atazanavir) as a trial patient since I was failing other treatments. That was in 2003 or 2004 - I can't remember at this point. However, I did get the slight color of yellow and it went away. My liver functions are normal with the exception of my bilirubin which does not seem to bother my doc or me. I switched from 400mg to 300mg with a boost of Norvir -yuk, but hell it seems to be working. I just wish I had the damn tan! Jealous!!!! :D
Roger
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When I first started on Reyataz (shortly after it was approved by the FDA) I did get some yellowing in the eyes and skin. However -- there is a VERY easy trick to keep this from happening.
GET SOME SUN.
If you get about 10 to 15 minutes of good sun each day, you'll probably never get the yellowing. I learned this trick shortly after I started, and have recommended it to many friends since. (I first read about it on a discussion board much like this one.) It works like a charm. None of my friends who got regular sun got any yellowing.
By the way -- You don't need to "sunbathe" -- just have your regular clothes on. Many people go days without getting any sun -- aside from the natural Vitamin D you get from sun -- the skin is a great filter of many toxins from our body.
Just don't over do it. Getting a little sun through a window if fine during winter months. BTW, sun is also a good remedy against Seasonal Affective Disorder.
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Wow, I never thought about that. But it makes sense--it's kind of like the phototherapy used for jaundiced babies--the light breaks down bilirubin. So simple, amazing I never thought of that.
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Bleh. My eyes turned yellow. I've been on Reyataz, Truvada, Norvir for about 1.5 months now, and I've noticed a sliiiiight yellowing in my eyes, but yesterday and today it was much more noticeable. I attribute this 2 having had too much to drink on Friday night.
Time to drink more water, stay away from the booze, and pray for some sunshine (it's been a rough, dreary winter in Chicago...)
This is my first post! (I think?)