POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: cicero on January 14, 2014, 07:54:01 pm
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From over 10 million in August 2013 to undetectable as of January 10! I'm very happy about that. My CD4 is at 757. So I'm pleased. However, my doctor wants me to start cholesterol medication again. :o I know Atripla can have a negative effect on cholesterol but I am pretty sure for me it is diet (I know I eat a lot of processed and fast food). Just curious if anyone here has any experience with cholesterol medication alongside HIV meds, particularly Atripla? What should I be wary of? I took Lipitor about a year back before becoming positive, cholesterol went back to normal, and I stopped. I don't recall any side effects.
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Great news Cicero...congrats on fantastic numbers and progress!
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However, my doctor wants me to start cholesterol medication again. :o I know Atripla can have a negative effect on cholesterol but I am pretty sure for me it is diet (I know I eat a lot of processed and fast food). Just curious if anyone here has any experience with cholesterol medication alongside HIV meds, particularly Atripla? What should I be wary of? I took Lipitor about a year back before becoming positive, cholesterol went back to normal, and I stopped. I don't recall any side effects.
I didn't run into high cholesterol since being on Atripla - however, my triglycerides spike every now and then.... At one point I was put on Lopid.... I didn't really notice any side effects from it. I was able to go off it when I made some diet changes (quit eating fried food, most fast food, switched to wheat bread instead of white, and laid off the white rice)....
Unfortunately, they have started going high again - as I haven't been as diligent about my diet (chicken wings, BK breakfast sandwich, spices, and processed food - microwave style for lunch at work), so I am almost certain that my doc will be prescribing the Lopid again when I go for my next visit (after my labs in March).... I will take it for a while, get my diet back on track, and go from there..
Of course, doc has also been hinting that I may be at about that time to change my HIV med - but, so far I am staying the course w/ the Atripla - it has been the only HIV med I have been on since being diagnosed, so I am really not in a hurry to change it, if I don't have to ---- I like the one pill a day routine and my side effects have been pretty minimal overall.... at least to this point.
Good luck on getting the cholesterol down - diet is a big part of it (a huge part of it, in fact).
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Thanks phildinftlaudy.
I'm curious -- why is it time to change your HIV medication? Are your numbers suggesting it's not working well anymore? Drug resistance is a concern of mine. Of course I've only been positive since August and all I know is Atripla, which has been fine for me too.
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Thanks phildinftlaudy.
I'm curious -- why is it time to change your HIV medication? Are your numbers suggesting it's not working well anymore? Drug resistance is a concern of mine. Of course I've only been positive since August and all I know is Atripla, which has been fine for me too.
Doc is looking more at the research on Atripla (sustiva) showing that while there is a benefit because of its ability to cross blood brain barrier, there have also been findings that it causes pretty significant cognitive issues over time....
So, we may change it because of these types of potential issues.
I have had some indicators of decline in cognitive ability - nothing debilitating, but definitely noticeable to me and to others who have known me for a while...
I'm just cautious on switching because overall the drug has been tolerable ---- I don't have resistance to any of the HIV meds available - so, I have plenty of options.
I am going to weigh it out over the next few months - prior to my appointment and make a decision..... Although, at this time, I will probably choose to stay the course - at least for the remainder of 2014.
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Well that's concerning. Cognitive issues developing is an irrational fear of mine. Keep me posted on what your doctor says and what you decide on if you don't mind. :)
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Well that's concerning. Cognitive issues developing is an irrational fear of mine. Keep me posted on what your doctor says and what you decide on if you don't mind. :)
No problem....
Here is a link that tells a bit about some recent findings:
http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/hiv_efavirenz_neurocogntive_1667_22999.shtml?15&commentson=yes
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Doc is looking more at the research on Atripla (sustiva) showing that while there is a benefit because of its ability to cross blood brain barrier, there have also been findings that it causes pretty significant cognitive issues over time....
If you're interested in a med that crosses the blood-brain barrier, you might want to look at Prezista. My doc said he was pleased I chose Prezista, because of its ability to cross the barrier without causing CNS issues. (I was refusing to even try Sustiva for this very reason [CNS sides].) My doc is an hiv research pharmacologist, so he knows his stuff where this is concerned.
The only study I could find (without spending loads of time with google results) was the one discussed in an AM news story back in 2009: http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/hiv_brain_prezista_1667_16535.shtml
I've been on Prezista, Norvir and Truvada for eighteen months now, with no real side effect issues. UD, CD4s in the 900-1000 ballpark for the past year.