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Author Topic: Start taking Atripla 6/11/10 - Very nervous  (Read 5899 times)

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Offline xtopher1224

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  • Posts: 6
Start taking Atripla 6/11/10 - Very nervous
« on: June 10, 2010, 10:51:26 pm »
Hey there everyone! I am a newbie and will start taking Atripla tomorrow night. My t-cell count is currently at 459, so I decided to go ahead and start meds. I am quite terrified after reading the side effects and wanted to keep a forum going for some sort of support on my journey!

Offline alliance

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  • Posts: 159
  • hmmmm. . .
Re: Start taking Atripla 6/11/10 - Very nervous
« Reply #1 on: June 10, 2010, 11:01:31 pm »
I think its great your being proactive in your care, xto!

I felt some anxiety when starting my Rx as well. This stuff works great, though. I was especially worried about the vivid dreams, but they turned out to be quite entertaining!

Im wondering if there are any particular side effects in that concern you, or is it more of an overall worry?


"The influence of each human being on others in this life is a kind of immortality."
10/10/12   CD4=378  %=32   VL=UD
5/10/12     CD4=426  %=32  VL=UD
11/15/11   CD4=296  %=29  VL=UD(20)
6/15/11     CD4=345  %=29  VL=UD(38)
3/15/11     CD4=317  %=31  VL=UD
12/1/10     CD4=315  %=28  VL=UD
8/11/10     CD4=250  %=25  VL=UD
6/10/10     CD4=380  %=24  VL=UD
3/4/10       CD4=340  %=22   VL=UD
1/11/10     CD4=312  %=22   VL =130
11/30/09   CD4=228  %=19  VL=1726
11/20/09    started atripla
10/15/09   CD4=281  %=18   VL=85,000

Offline xtopher1224

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  • Posts: 6
Re: Start taking Atripla 6/11/10 - Very nervous
« Reply #2 on: June 10, 2010, 11:27:55 pm »
All of the side effects do not sound fun, minus the vivid dreams..lol  I am wondering if I will feel well enough for work on Monday. What (if any) side effects did you encounter?

Offline Rev. Moon

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  • Smart ass faggot ©
Re: Start taking Atripla 6/11/10 - Very nervous
« Reply #3 on: June 10, 2010, 11:44:46 pm »
You're going to be fine. Not everyone experiences the side effects that you have read about. Even if you do they will away in a few days.  Just allow your body enough time to adjust and follow the initial instructions (empty stomach, take it before you go to bed so that you don't even notice the initial dizziness, get enough rest, etc).

By the way, I started this pill exactly the same day last year :)

Good luck and best of health.

Oh, and welcome aboard.

Da Rev.
"I have tried hard--but life is difficult, and I am a very useless person. I can hardly be said to have an independent existence. I was just a screw or a cog in the great machine I called life, and when I dropped out of it I found I was of no use anywhere else."

Offline kevykev110

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Re: Start taking Atripla 6/11/10 - Very nervous
« Reply #4 on: June 11, 2010, 08:42:47 am »
Hey, Like u , i was scared to death. Afterall, i had i was given my pills since in february.I never took the first one until this past sun. Back in Feb, my CD4 was at 342.I was scared of the side effects and i wasnt prepared mentally.

On mon i was dizzy through out the day at work, really dizzy. I could not even walk a strate line. But as the days go by the dizziness became less intense. This morning i woke up with extremely little dizziness, as compared to monday when it was 10/10. Today its prolly like 2/10. Thats the only side effects, and so far I've had about 2 vivid dreams in high definition. Im quite sure by sun, one week after starting i wont be experiencing dizziness and the dreams gonna fade into the skies.
With ur CD4 so high, i think you will be fine. If you not prepared mentally, wait until you ready ( u still have a few CD4 to spare).

Offline Boze

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  • Posts: 477
Re: Start taking Atripla 6/11/10 - Very nervous
« Reply #5 on: June 11, 2010, 11:25:52 am »
Hi there,

I'm a few days ahead of you. More to the point - I started on Monday. So far, knock wood, very little SE to speak of. Slight dizziness the next morning.

My doctor (she's one of the most experienced in my country - serves on the panel that makes recommendations for treatment) said that out of 5 patients who take Atripla:

2 have no SE
2 have moderate ones that go away after a few weeks
1 has persistent SE that cause the patient to change treatment

So I think your chances are good, especially that your CD4 is still high (that plays a role imho).
==========
Aug08 - Seroconversion
Mar10 - Diagnosis; cd4 690 - VL 19,000
Apr10 - cd4 600
May10 - VL 4,500
Jun10 - started Atripla ; VL 113
Jul 10 - UD vl, CD4 590
Aug 10 - UD, CD4 810, 52%
Nov 10 - UD, CD4 980

Offline xtopher1224

  • Member
  • Posts: 6
Re: Start taking Atripla 6/11/10 - Very nervous
« Reply #6 on: June 11, 2010, 03:26:51 pm »
Thanks guys...I start tonight and will keep you posted!

Offline peteb

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  • Posts: 203
Re: Start taking Atripla 6/11/10 - Very nervous
« Reply #7 on: June 11, 2010, 04:13:09 pm »
good luck bud

Offline hope_for_a_cure

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Re: Start taking Atripla 6/11/10 - Very nervous
« Reply #8 on: June 11, 2010, 08:48:10 pm »
On the first night I looked at the bottle after reading all the possible side effects and said outloud 'lets hope for the best'.  The unknown is scary.. its a routine these days and I feel so much better.  Take it then mabye a nice hot shower, get in bed and read something that will take your mind into another direction.  You should do just fine!


Offline WillyWump

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  • Posts: 7,367
  • EPIC FIERCENESS!
Re: Start taking Atripla 6/11/10 - Very nervous
« Reply #9 on: June 11, 2010, 10:38:38 pm »
Welcome and Good Luck!

Keep us posted.

-Will
POZ since '08

Last Labs-
11-6-14 CD4- 871, UD
6/3/14 CD4- 736, UD 34%
6/25/13 CD4- 1036, UD,
2/4/13, CD4 - 489, UD, 28%

Current Meds: Prezista/Epzicom/ Norvir
.

Offline xtopher1224

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  • Posts: 6
Re: Start taking Atripla 6/11/10 - Very nervous
« Reply #10 on: June 11, 2010, 11:59:10 pm »
Thanks everyone! I just took my first pill along with a Lunesta in hopes it will decrease some of the effects. G-night all!  :-\

Offline xtopher1224

  • Member
  • Posts: 6
Re: Start taking Atripla 6/11/10 - Very nervous
« Reply #11 on: June 12, 2010, 02:53:54 am »
OMG....I am wide awake even after the Lunesta... ??? I am guessing I am going to have insomnia...ugh

Offline lushy

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Re: Start taking Atripla 6/11/10 - Very nervous
« Reply #12 on: June 12, 2010, 08:04:54 am »
Hi
Welcome to a new chapter in your life and thanks for sharing.
I have been on Atripla for two weeks now and all going well. The first week was a bit rough but its getting better.
The first night I felt like i was as high as  kite and had to get up a few times and was dizzy as hell and I could hardly walk.....that has subsided. My sleeping has settled down and I am sleeping through....like a baby as they say....the first week I was a bit anxious over it all and worried about bad effects that one night I even wet the bed and got paranoid about that happening all the time but I think it is because Atripla literally knocks me out and I sleep very deeply so it just meant adjusting what I drink a few hours before bed-and managing my anxiety by reading forums like this- it all helps!
I had a few days that were a bit rough- waking up feeling like I had been hit by a truck and I felt really zonked at work and very spacey early afternoon and had to have a nap or two when I got home  but that seems to have subsided now and I am generally feeling pretty normal.
I was disappointed I wasnt dreaming as everyone else seemed to be experiencing this and I felt I was missing out! However the last few nights the dreams have kicked in and they are nothing short of wonderful and althought its early days I have to say the dreams so far are a really positive side effect- especially when i went swimming with a submarine like you would swim with dolphins! It was great!
I had been worried about side effects and the potential impact and i really think after two weeks the worst bits are over and I am settling down and getting used to it....just had to learn to be patient and remind myself I wouldnt feel like crap every day so be kind to yourself and ride it out.
Lushy

Offline xtopher1224

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  • Posts: 6
Re: Start taking Atripla 6/11/10 - Very nervous
« Reply #13 on: June 12, 2010, 10:23:14 am »
Thanks Lushy! The insomnia kept me awake until about 3 am. I woke up at 8:00 am and also felt like I have been hit by a truck...no worse than feeling hungover, not near as bad as expected! Hopefully tonight will be just as good if not better.

Offline phildinftlaudy

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  • sweet Ann what you think babe...
Re: Start taking Atripla 6/11/10 - Very nervous
« Reply #14 on: June 14, 2010, 08:54:12 am »
Hope all went well last night --
I've been on Atripla for over 6 months or so --- started out with a few dreams and some grogginess in the AM.  The dreams have went way down -- I still get one every now and then.  I also take it around 10 pm - midnight each night.  I take it with food, without food, on an empty stomach, on a full stomach, etc. --- doesn't really have any different effect - unless of course I eat something real fatty then go straight to bed (the dreams come on then).  I still get the morning grogginess - but I think that I am just not really a morning person  :)
Hope it continues to go well for you.  I see my ID doc today and get latest numbers -- I will post later today.
September 13, 2008 - diagnosed +
Labs:
Date    CD4    %   VL     Date  CD4  %   VL
10/08  636    35  510   9/09 473  38 2900  12/4/09 Atripla
12/09  540    30    60   
12/10  740    41  <48   
8/11    667    36  <20  
03/12  1,041  42  <20
05/12  1,241  47  <20
08/12   780    37  <20
11/12   549    35  <20
02/12  1,102  42  <20
11/12   549    35  <20

Offline ruralguy

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  • Posts: 141
Re: Start taking Atripla 6/11/10 - Very nervous
« Reply #15 on: June 26, 2010, 12:23:44 pm »
In my experience (9 months) that moring hung-over feeling disappeared quickly.  At this point I take it in the morning because it fits my routine better.  Also I can take it with or without food with no issues.  And it worked very well for me, getting me to undetectable in short order and bumping up my CD$ counts.  So, while I understand it is stressful getting started, please know that most people do just fine with it...

tested positive June 19, 2009
7/3/09 vrl 9000 cd4 - 300
8/14/09 cd4 - 350, 20%
started Atripla 9/14/09
10/5/09 vrl undetectable, WOW so fast!
12/28/09 vrl undetectable, CD4 - 615  27% cholesterol down, kidney function normal
4/26/10 vrl undetectable, CD4-600, kidney and liver numbers normal
9/9/10 vrl undetectable, CD4-685
1/3/11 vrl undetectable, CD4-700
all 2011 and Jan 2012 visits vrl undetectable CD4 ranged from 715-645
5/7/2012  vrl undetectable, CD4-615, all liver, kidney, lipids, heart functions, etc normal


On Atripla:  "Your mileage may vary"

Offline peteb

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  • Posts: 203
Re: Start taking Atripla 6/11/10 - Very nervous
« Reply #16 on: June 26, 2010, 01:30:31 pm »
Yep have trouble sleeping awake everyday at 3:00 am everyday got use to it
Pete

Offline Steaknale

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    • Tully's Page
Re: Start taking Atripla 6/11/10 - Very nervous
« Reply #17 on: July 03, 2010, 07:45:41 am »
I started on Atripla about 19 months ago. The first two days were crazy....I went from busting into tears in a restaurant, to laughing uncontrollably, to getting so angry at hte driver behind me that I got out of my car and went over to her and screamed and yelled at her (she was so upset she called the police!)  My usual vivid dreams exploded into technicolor and 3-D.

My advice (too late now) is to have someone WITH you all the time the first 48 hours.

In two days, it was all over.

In a matter of months, I went from a viral load of over 1,000,000 and a CD count of 280 @ 11%......

...to Undetectable CD 800+, at 24%.

WELL WORTH IT!

 


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