POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Questions About Treatment & Side Effects => Topic started by: lonbjny on February 13, 2013, 02:22:30 pm
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Hi,
I am hoping for some advice. I tried Atripla for 5 months and had to give up due to the high feeling and mental fog. I changed to Complera and have been on that for a year. I still have a lot of mental fog and lack of attention issues that are affecting my job. I have given up caffeine for 3 months and alcohol for 6 weeks in the hope that it would improve sleep so that mental fog goes. I now sleep well but still have the same mental fog issues.
My question is whether there is a regimen that has no mental side effects (no mental fog or loss of concentration of clarity)? if so what is it, and what are the side effects I would be trading for?
Really hoping for some help, have been living in a fog for almost a year and I need to take action as I feel life is passing me by.
Thanks in advance
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Both of these regimens are NNRTI based, so I would switch to something that doesn't have any of that in it. I would probably go with a Prezista/Norvir/Truvada regimen but that's not a one-pill-a-day type thing.
If you are insistent about a one-pill regimen then that would leave Stribild -- it's an integrase inhibitor based regimen, but it's new (as in FDA approved just 6 months ago) so there's not as much data on side effects other than what was observed during clinical trials.
And, of course, things depend on what your resistance profile shows assuming your doctor did his job and ran one on your back when you were first diagnosed.
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I use to have the same problem as you, i was on Atripla for 5 months and i eventually switch to Nevirapine+Truvada. My mental health improve within 3 days after switching. NVP might be an old drug and there is Hypersensitivity reaction to watch for, but now it also once a day drug(XR version) and i have no side effect from it at all. It raise my HDL to 65 and lower my Cholesterol as well.
For protease Inhibitor go with Presizta/Norvir+ Truvada, it has the least side effect. I agree with Miss Philicia.
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Miss Phillcia, wouldnt Stibild be better for someone who is just starting out? If it didnt work then move to something more potent like Prezista Norvir Truvada?
lonbjny are you taking your meds at night? That helps me.
Also stop drinking, and exercise. :) It will help.
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Miss Phillcia, wouldnt Stibild be better for someone who is just starting out? If it didnt work then move to something more potent like Prezista Norvir Truvada?
lonbjny are you taking your meds at night?
Why do you think Stribild is less "potent" than Prezista?
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Try to fix the fog and attention issues with a HAART change. If that doesn't work, there are drugs that specifically address attention..... Make sure your ID doc is aware of the stakes for you, professional. The ID doc, or your generalist, could send you to a psychiatrist for evaluation...
Also, sleeping well is certainly important. So I understand the rationale for quitting coffee.
However, coffee DOES help cut the fog and bring attention. Can you not sleep at night if you have coffee at breakfast or morning break?
Coffee is a bit of a miracle elixir, in my humble opinion.