POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Questions About Treatment & Side Effects => Topic started by: Londonguy on July 10, 2009, 10:37:24 am
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Has anyone else experienced a change of hair colour while on Sustiva? I've been on it twice, once a couple of years ago with Kivexa, and currently as part of Atripla. Both times I've been on it my hair has definitely changed colour and I know I'm not imagining it because my mum has commented on it. Normally my hair is a reddy brown colour but on sustiva all the red disappears and the brown becomes very very dark. Oddly my facial hair is still ginger. The first time I switched off Sustiva my hair went back to its normal colour.
Strange! It doesn't seem to be a particularly common side effect.
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I thought this was the virus. My hair has definitely changed color, texture and direction. The part on the top that always went down, now does a flip back for a sort of 50's doo wop look and my blonde hair is slightly darker. I have also been taking biotin since my ARS.
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I also experienced some hair color and growth issues while taking atripla. My ID Doc advised me in an email that Sustiva decreases something he wrote called the 3A4 enzyme. This enzyme has alot to do with hair including growth. He did say do not take propecia if atipla has caused hair issues. He said propecia and atripla utilize this enzyme. Both of these medications if used together decreases the potency of both drugs he wrote.
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He did say do not take propecia if atipla has caused hair issues. He said propecia and atripla utilize this enzyme. Both of these medications if used together decreases the potency of both drugs he wrote.
clsoca - can you elaborate on the instances in which propecia should be stopped?? It's the first time I hear about it conflicting with atripla.. it don't say nothin on either pill's warning charts...
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Propecia and atripla uses the same enzyme (what ever the heck this means). I will try to find my docs email and cut and paste and post it here. Evidentally there is a moderate drug contradiction.
I just found this a few minutes ago @ http://www.aidsmeds.com/cmm/index.php?action=interaction
Moderate Drug-Drug Interaction: Propecia (finasteride) and Atripla (efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir)
MONITOR: Coadministration with efavirenz may decrease the plasma concentrations of drugs that are substrates of the CYP450 3A4 isoenzyme. The mechanism is accelerated clearance due to induction of CYP450 3A4 activity by efavirenz. MANAGEMENT: Caution is advised if efavirenz must be used concomitantly with medications that undergo metabolism by CYP450 3A4, particularly those with a narrow therapeutic range. Dosage adjustments as well as clinical and laboratory monitoring may be appropriate for some drugs whenever efavirenz is added to or withdrawn from therapy.
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I also experienced hair changes after starting Sustiva. It has gotten significantly darker, from light brown to very dark brown. Many have commented on it, so it is noticeable. I have also developed a slight "cowlick" that I did not have previously.
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So I wonder if folks with grayish hair can expect improvement on their "grayness"???
Anyways.. I talked to my Dr today about the potential interaction between propecia and atripla and was told that "the sustiva will only very minimally speed up the metabolism of the propecia so no change/stopping of propecia is needed".. Just wanted ya'll to know..