HIV MEDS MAKE ME TIRED. IS THAT NORMAL OR IS MY VIRUS OUT OF CONTROL?

[marc1236]

Last year my viral load was detectable  until I changed meds  near the new year.When my virus was out of control I wanted to sleep all the time.So after I got on the new meds I felt a bit stronger,yet I notice in the past few months I get tired alot.I get my newest blood test results in February 2010. I've also been on a major diet this year and last and lost almost 100 pounds...so maybe my being tired is related to my diet too.But back to the meds.Could they be making me tired?
I'm on Norvir,isentress,combivir,videx and Prezista.Twice daily....I also takeTriCor once a day to keep my cholesterol down............Plus a 200 mg shot of testosterone once a month.
Plus I'm on the Atkins diet.
Its over 25 years since I tested hiv positive.  I'm also  a loner who wants to make friends-male friends locally and God knows I want to. I lost my job last year after 20 years with my company.Was laid off because of a  bad economy and went on unemployment and also lost my health insurance.Thank God I have ADAP and get my meds free and belong to a privately funded health clinic in West Los Angeles,california.I have a good doctor there who only sees hiv people.
I'm considering being a  client of gay career placement  place in Hollywood and thedy have a  couple hiv groups at the gay and lesbian center in hollywood.........I just feel overwhelmed and have ideas about what I want to do in regards to getting out and going to these places..yet i  cant move,am frozen.
Its really hard to make friends here in Los Angeles.........
I also had feelings about going to a bath house..not having sex,but just to be hugged.I miss being hugged and kissed.Its been  almost a decade since i felt a man and over a decade since I had real sex.

Sorry.I've said too much.

[aztecan]

Hey Marc,

You know what, we share a lot of things in common!

I tested positive nearly 25 years ago. I feel tired a lot and my sexual escapades have been sorely limited in recent years,

I would bet we are about same age, more or less.

First, yes, get out of the house. Go to a support group, go to the beach (I used to love to walk through Venice when I lived there), and i would go to that career placement center. Hell, it couldn't hurt and, who knows, you may just find yourself with another job and new people to meet, etc.

May I ask if you are on the regimen you are on because of resistance issues? Are you boosting the Prezista with Norvir?

The AZT found in the Combivir could cause anemia. It did it to me for years, but not severe enough to make it dangerous - just to make me tired.

HIV itself seems to cause some fatigue, and that complaint is common to most of us long term survivors.

Depression could also add to this, and, I know, the situation in which you find yourself can be both stressful and depressing.

All I can say is you are no longer alone. You have us, so feel free to ask, lament, laugh or cry. We all do it here at one time or another.

You're one of the family now.

I am glad you joined in here. I hope you stick around and get to know us. We are a pretty good bunch.

HUGS,

Mark

[mudman8]

Heya Marc, hope things get better for you.  Look at it this way at least LA has lots of resources to tap, I love living here, so many things to do, I'm on the east side.  Tho I have noticed a reduction in services and groups to talk with.  They were once so abundant.

When I was in an MCC church group  60 miles north the leader had a Sunday evening group to sing and share, he also did several encounter games so you could touch safely and feel supported.  In 90 when I tested I'd tried to stay celebate but once I tried country western dancing I realized I'd had an afternoon out, touched a lot and didn't feel as lonely.  I don't do that anymore but it sure helped for a few years.  Keep getting out there and trying to find help with your fatigue, I go up and down in that area. Hugging or feeling free to ask for a hug, a long hug is a healing thing so ASK!!!!

My Dr hugs me before and after my time with him which is very nice.

[poztoo]

Umm,,,,,,

    I would venture to answer your question with a definite YES!. The HIV meds obviously make you tired. Maybe not physically tired, although that's possible too, but definitely tired.

How? Well, that depends. If you have side effects, those would make you tired. These could incude diarrhea, loss of appetite, anemia, any number of fevers, rashes, headaches, ect, ect, ect. These you should discuss with Doc.

Then there are the psychological effects. Striving to adhere, remembering to refill them, planning activities around them, feeling depressed by the ball and chain of dependence, praying they keep working, issues of confidentiality about them, and the general Love-Hate relationship many of us have. These come under the huge category of DEPRESSION, and how mush that's involved depends on too many things to list.

Is your viral load out of control? Well, it either is, or it isn't. You live in an area with no shortage of ways to find that out. However, the fact that you worry about it is a smptom of Depression too, and obviously, depression is tiring.

Lack of friends, sexual, platonic, and in-between: another depressing thing causing isolation. Isolation=tiredness.

You are older. Need I write more? You don't work, I believe? Well, maybe bored, voila! Tired.

Lack of Intimatecy (i.e. sex): Tiring to even think of that very common complaint around here. I'm not be cute. I just started testosterone myself because of lack of sexual function, and/or desire. Which causes......you guessed it: Depression because no luck finding partner. In turn, I sometimes spend days not leaving my apt. Spedind weekends watching TV and sleeping.

Come Monday, after a long weekend of rest and plenty of sleep, I start the week off Monday > TIRED!

[poztoo]

It's good to know I'm not going crazy. Or, if I am, I'm not alone. Or, if I'm alone, it might not mran I'm crazy.

Whatever.

I have lost my sexual ability. However, I haven't lost my desire to have sexual desire and ability. Dr. did testosterone level, and mine was low. very low. Have been taking the shot 4 weeks. I am able to get erect at times.  At which point I get depressed for all those other reasons mentioned, and it's GWTW.

My weekends are spent sleeping, TV, internetting, and eating. Even if I lie in bed 16 hrs, I still feel tired. If I have no appts, this can last into the week.

As far as HIV meds making me this way, well, they certainly don't help. Besides, I take so many other meds to help with, bekieve it or not, depression, it's impossible to know about which make me tired.

I sometimes wish I was commited. Maybe crazy is the right word.

[Theyer]

Certainly can relate to a lot off stuff in this thread. Creating a satisfying life is hard and slow. Hang in there one and all.