dapsone - side effects?

[hussy_24]

uhhh, well i was on septrin for about 2 weeks before christmas before i ended up with the flu and redness all over.

Now i've been on dapsone for about 2 weeks, and the side effects seem to be just as bad:
- a lot of tiny raised bumps on the underside of my forearm and i notice them too on the top of my hand
- urine which is sometimes darker than normal

then this weekend these effects happened to
- my neck/glands feels swollen and tender to feel
- general feeling of irritability
- general feeling of fatigue and boredom
- my face feels dry and hot
- last but not least a constant headache

is this usual?/ "teething" problems that will go away? i am currently taking 100mg once a day in one tablet

i'l contact the doc tomorow, have a appointment on wednesday, hope i can get by til then

[Tucsonwoody]

Hello Hussy - sorry to hear you're having problems.

From what I read, it sounds like it's a good idea you are contacting your doctor - found similar info on two sites:

"Possible Side Effects: SIDE EFFECTS that may occur while taking this medicine include nausea, vomiting, or headache. If they continue or are bothersome, check with your doctor.

CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE if you experience sore throat or fever; skin rash; loss of appetite; weight loss; yellowing of the skin or eyes; dark urine or pale stools; unusual fatigue; personality changes; or numbness, tingling, or burning of your arms, hands, legs, or feet. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist."

I got switched to Dapsone from Bactrim about a month ago temporarily and haven't seen these problems, at least that I can say are related to Dapsone since I am taking some other stuff as well.

Hope this is resolved for you soon - Good luck

[poodlelover]

Dapsone can cause bad neuropathy

[budndallastx]

Sounds like a reaction to the Dapsone.  Get to the doctor .........

There are other options for you besides Dapsone and Bactrim...

[hussy_24]

i previously posted about my reaction to septrin and then to dapsone. today, my doctor hesitantly took me off the dapsone thinking i just could have the flu instead but only time will tell if i dont feel better within a week or so   i thought no way, i developed reaction to both septrin and then to dapsone at around the same length of time into their courses (at the end of the second week) so i guess all i can say is if you think you have allergies/adverse reactions to septrin or dapsone then you really have to fight and put your case forward 

other stuff ->

i also collected my referral letter which i will need to hand to my new doctor on friday, along with all the medical spreadsheets and stuff i dont understand. i kinda picked out the stuff that was labelled abnormal:

1) various typos and errors on the actual referral letter 
2) viral load rose from 18k to 51k
3) original cd4 from aug/sept lost (not mentioned, wonder why lol, put in this post for my sake of completeness), cd4 in november was 219, cd4% not listed but was around 19% i think, latest cd4 pending
4) low platelet count, generally it is rising (rose from 130 to 138 to 147), but still not in the lowest of the "normal range" (of 150-400)
5) liver function tests - protein and globulin levels are always above the "normal range" but not by that much
6) sodium is also always above the normal range, but again not by much
7) cmv IgG is positive - i had a brief look on the net to find out what this even is  , and found it can affect your eyesight, i had explained about floaters before (i do wear glasses) but i think i will bring this to my new doctors attention when i see him on friday, seems concerning.

I am not on any HAART medication yet, although because HAART itself can help somewhat against allowing cmv retinitus to occur, i'l probably start asap just for that reason.

[Tucsonwoody]

Hey Hussy - hope the new doctor works out well.

Just a quick mention about CMV - almost everyone (with or without HIV) has CMV in their body but it doesn't become active unless you can't fight it.  It showed up in me and my doctor put me on Valcyte (a very expensive med if you don't have insurance) to prevent any trouble and it seemed to work well.  But the Valcyte can also lower your white blood cell count and mine went to zero for awhile so I have stopped taking it for now. Also, from what I have read the CMV can attack other organs but eyes are a primary problem.  I have been checked by an opthamologist 4 times in 3 months and so far no problems!

But be aware of the symptoms besides floaters and talk to your new doctor about it...

Good luck

[Esquare]

Dapsone was the first HIV related drug that I was put on by my doc. I took it for about 2 weeks with no problems and then I came down with a terrible fever that I could not keep down. I ended up panicking and going to the emergency room in the middle of the night. What I should have done was call my ID Doc and he might have saved me some grief. I saw him the next day and he said due to the rash I was showing plus the fever it must be the dapsone causing the problems. I stopped using it and the problem went away. Some people have no problem with it though. Its a cheap drug so I wish it would have worked. I still look at the bottle in my cabinet and just sort of shake my head and thank god I don't have that fever anymore.