starting meds in jan.

[unclespongebob]

My doc. wants me to start meds, Is there any one that is taking reyataz,intelence,and tenofovir . Is this realy early to betaking med ,when i was tested in may .


                                       peace bobby

[Inchlingblue]

Bob, the fact that you tested in May is not the main consideration. You don't mention what your numbers are and that is really what you need to look at when considering whether or not to start.

Even if you have one set of numbers, unless they are in an obvious danger zone, you might want to see 2 or 3 sets of numbers, taken about 3 months apart in order to get a better idea what's going on.

There is also the school of thought to go ahead and start meds as early as possible, even if one's numbers are still very good, maybe that's what you're referring to when you say you are planning to start in January?

I'm concerned about your proposed combo, it's a little unusual and not recommended. According to aidsmeds.com, "Neither Viramune (nevirapine) nor Intelence (etravirine) should be used with Reyataz, given the likelihood of significant interactions."

Is this the combo that your doctor recommended? Have you had a resistance test? Is your doctor someone who specializes in the treatment of HIV?

LINK:

http://www.aidsmeds.com/archive/Reyataz_1563.shtml
 

[mecch]

I take intelence with truvada.  tenofovir + emtricitabine = truvada. 

Intelence has been kinder to me than sustiva (which, with truvada, makes "aptripla").

As with Inchling, I wonder what combination your doctor is recommending.  Surely not all three of these together. 

Maybe those are among the drugs being considered? 

[leatherman]

hey Bob!
I got your PM but thought I'd jump in here and say hey too! Sorry I left OH before we got to meet; but I see I got outta there just before it started getting cold. I just didn't want to go through any more blizzards! ROFL I'll still get a chance to wear some of my winter clothes though cause I'll be back up for a short visit around Turkey Day.

to give you a good answer to your question though, I agree with the other guys, that we (and you) need to know what the results are from a set or two of blood work. Usually meds aren't started until your cd4 count is around the 350 mark. (some people are starting even sooner, in the 500 range). Did you take at look at some of the AidsMeds lessons (like the one on When to start treatment ?

Unless your numbers are really on the bad side right now, don't worry too much, because there's plenty of time for you to find out more and make a good decision on what to do.

[unclespongebob]

thanks guys for the advice on the meds my tcell was 553 and the viral load was 54k back in july not surewhat my new #'s are when i went on the 19th of oct . hey mikie when u come up for thanksgiving let me know we can get together for a drink

[mecch]

Well you didn't really clarify if that is the suggested combo, or a list of drugs you might possible be offered.  the combo is unusual.

[leatherman]

my tcell was 553 and the viral load was 54k back in july

though you know what they say about "assuming" (it makes an ASS outta U and ME ), I'm going to make a couple of assumptions based on what you've passed along.

I would assume that as time passed (and your not taking meds yet) that your VL went up some more, so your doctor is probably looking to have you start meds on the early side, since your VL isn't too terribly high. And since he's not planning anything until Jan, I would also assume that your numbers didn't change too drastically (your tcell count is probably still high enough, like >350), so it does sound like you have time to think about what meds you should take.

Are you seeing an Infectious Disease doctor? Did he discuss a "resistance test"? There are different options you can take right now and having the right doctor and knowing which meds will work for you sure can help figure when and what meds to start on.

not sure what my new #'s are when i went on the 19th of oct

I've got a sure-fire cure to fix that , cause it's exactly what I do so I can remember (coming up on nearly 20 yrs of numbers I've had over 50 sets of lab work done and I had to have some way to keep all my test numbers together and track them)

there's a section here at AidsMeds that will store you test date, tcell count and viral load. (at the top it's under TREATMENT, Graph Your Labs ) Once you enter and save your data, it's always available wherever there's an internet connection. Plus, there's a cool graph function so you can see how the trend is going.

that's one of the best ways to really track how you're doing against the HIV - by the trend. Sometimes individual test results (for tcells) can be kinda screwy cause so many things can affect them, so it's best to judge those on how they are over several different test dates.

What I do, is look at the data here, and write down my last counts before I go to the doc. I add any questions or problems to that list. Then when the doc gives me my new results, I can compare these results to the old ones and discuss the trend in my results. Plus, I not only write down my new counts, but I can discuss any of those questions or problems I wrote down on my list.  As soon as I get back home, I enter the new data into the online list, and check out the new graph to see how I'm doing.

Hopefully, you can see that small graph below my signature line. (if it's a red "x", right click over it and click show picture) That's a tiny version of the chart I made when I got back from my new doctor just a few days ago with the first numbers I got in SC.

That chart tracks all my numbers since I was in the hospital nearly 12 years ago. You can see when I was doing really bad years ago, going on and off meds (all those spikey parts - that's a "bad" trend) and how good the newer meds have been doing for me (by that red and green line holding steady and not crossing paths - that's a GREAT trend)

hey mikie when u come up for thanksgiving let me know we can get together for a drink

I've had a devil of a time getting human services to close out my case, so I drove up two weeks ago (6 hrs up and 6 hrs back) and bought $350 worth of groceries with my Ohio food stamps. I just crossed over the river and stopped at the walmart in Marietta, so I didn't get to go all the way up to Canton to see any of my friends. We're planning another trip up just before Thanksgiving and will be in town most of a weekend. As soon as I know what date for sure (and my Mom better be making her mind up soon, Turkey Day is fast approaching  ) I'll let you know.