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Author Topic: When will we feel Good on Haart?...Never?  (Read 5140 times)

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Offline burstnbloom

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  • Posts: 39
When will we feel Good on Haart?...Never?
« on: January 13, 2010, 12:53:31 pm »
I just see all the post about how bad and terrible everyone feels on Haart and the terrible side effects we all have. This makes me angry..we take our meds we keep our numbers down and guess what? we then feel like sh$t on the drugs and have side effects that cause serious problems..When are we ALL going to stand up for ourselves and demand these drugs be modified to stop "Killing us slowly" with side effects.  I cannot be the only one that is sick and tired of The Big Drug companies hanging their hooks over our mouths waiting for us to take a bite..so that we may live.  ENUFF IS ENUFF
burstnbloom

Offline mecch

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  • Posts: 13,455
  • red pill? or blue pill?
Re: When will we feel Good on Haart?...Never?
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2010, 01:51:49 pm »
I just see all the post about how bad and terrible everyone feels on Haart and the terrible side effects we all have.
Speaking only for myself, I felt terrible without HAART and once i found the right HAART I feel normal and healthy.  I don't think HAART is killing me at all, and I'm pretty sure HIV would have.

As for anger at the big drug companies, ok, that's a mixed bag - surely not as evil as you suggest. Its business, mixed with science.
“From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need” 1875 K Marx

Offline risred1

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  • My Source for Supps - www.newyorkbuyersclub.org
Re: When will we feel Good on Haart?...Never?
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2010, 01:53:57 pm »
I assure you, its not all doom and gloom, even on this forum!

I'm doing much better on meds than during the year before I was on meds. I feel good, and am not exhibiting debilitating side effects. I would say on par, for me - so far, in comparison to folks I know on Diabetic and High Blood Pressure meds.

In my opinion, over the years, the tone seems to have changed on these forums as the 2nd or 3rd generation drugs have come out, which have proven to be more tolerable.

I'm not going to state that these drugs are perfect, yet. As there are still issues to contend with.

Periodically, the call goes out for testimony about folks good experiences with treatment and there are those who will share their experiences. Perhaps this is one of them.

Here is my daily log when i started Reyataz, Truvada, Norvir.

http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=27269.0

I will say, that I'm considering changing Truvada/Norvir to Epzicom, almost just to see how I would feel without the Norvir and Truvada.
risred1 - hiv +
02/07 CD4 404 - 27% - VL 15k
10/07 CD4 484 - 31% - VL 45k
05/08 CD4 414 - 26% - VL 70k
01/09 CD4 365 - 23% - VL 65k
05/09 CD4 291 - 23% - VL 115k - Started Meds - Reyataz/Truvada
06/09 CD4 394 - ?% - VL 1200 - Boosted Reyataz with Norvir and Truvada
07/09 CD4 441 - ?% - VL 118 - Boosted Reyataz with Norvir and Truvada
09/09 CD4 375 - ?% - VL Undetectable - Boosted Reyataz with Norvir and Truvada
12/09 CD4 595 - ?% - VL Undetectable - VIT D 34 - Reyataz/Truvada/Norvir

Offline WillyWump

  • Member
  • Posts: 7,367
  • EPIC FIERCENESS!
Re: When will we feel Good on Haart?...Never?
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2010, 08:25:41 pm »
My experience with HAART has been good. I feel absolutely fine and have no side effects. However since I've only been on meds for a year and half this may change as time progresses. I hope not, but so far so good.
I did have slight issues with my 1st regimin of Atripla, but the Nor/Tru/Prez I'm on now is the cats meow.


-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 Rev. Moon

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  • Smart ass faggot ©
Re: When will we feel Good on Haart?...Never?
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2010, 09:27:01 pm »
I just see all the post about how bad and terrible everyone feels on Haart and the terrible side effects we all have. This makes me angry..we take our meds we keep our numbers down and guess what? we then feel like sh$t on the drugs and have side effects that cause serious problems..When are we ALL going to stand up for ourselves and demand these drugs be modified to stop "Killing us slowly" with side effects.  I cannot be the only one that is sick and tired of The Big Drug companies hanging their hooks over our mouths waiting for us to take a bite..so that we may live.  ENUFF IS ENUFF

I'm sorry if you are having a bad experience with your meds, but I can't say that I agree with you.  Not all of our members complain about HAART. 

Sometimes we need to look to the past to make sense of the present.  Yes, there was a time when the side effects were terrible and patients suffered greatly because of the earlier regimens.  Perhaps only those who have experienced it first-hand (or those of us who have cared for someone who did not benefit from what's available today) can testify and understand this. Things are quite different now, and [though far from ideal or perfect] they have improved greatly.  Some [not all] people still experience some difficulties with their first line treatments, but with more options to choose from they eventually find something that's right for them. 

They are not necessarily "killing us slowly."  The alternative --not taking them and allowing the virus to progress to a catastrophic level-- is what can potentially end our time on this crazy planet.

Things will get better.  Hang in there.
"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 leatherman

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Re: When will we feel Good on Haart?...Never?
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2010, 10:19:33 pm »
don't forget when considering the stories that you hear here, that you'll probably find more people on a site like this with issues and complaints looking for answers. People taking their meds w/o side effects aren't as likely to be here looking for answers to problems they don't have. So, I believe this site is always a little lop-sided with negative problems and issues.

On a personal note, I think HAART is 1000 times better than the original treatments, and a million times better than the alternative. I used to puke every day and was anemic while taking AZT every 4 hours in 1993. Recently in 2009, I only puked about 4 times a morth, felt healthier than I have in yrs while taking 2 pills in the morning and 3 with dinner (a drastic drop from 34 at one time, 28 another, or taking several bottles of liquid norvir a month). So though I still have a few troublesome side effects, relatively this 2009 HAART regimen is a thousand times better than the monotherapies of the early 90s. And no matter the side effects, it's a million times better than being dead.

When are we ALL going to stand up for ourselves and demand these drugs be modified to stop "Killing us slowly" with side effects.
You need to totally rethink this statement. Untreated HIV still is and always has been a terminal disease that nearly always leads to death within 18 months or so of an AIDS diagnosis; so it's NOT taking meds that is what will kill you.

I have gone off meds a few times in the past and ended up nearly dying in the hospital several times too. I lost my partner almost two yrs ago because his HIV/AIDS went undiagnosed and untreated. The meds, even the dreaded AZT back in the day, weren't/aren't killing me - they're stopping the HIV from being the death of me. Though the meds might have unwanted side-effects, the meds are NOT killing anyone slowly, they are prolonging your life.
leatherman (aka Michael)

We were standing all alone
You were leaning in to speak to me
Acting like a mover shaker
Dancing to Madonna then you kissed me
And I think about it all the time
- Darren Hayes, "Chained to You"

Offline GNYC09

  • Member
  • Posts: 702
Re: When will we feel Good on Haart?...Never?
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2010, 11:25:35 pm »
I agree with Leatherman. You'll probably find many posts from people (me included) from when they were "going through it" with their meds (oftenimes during the early stages).  Things have gotten much better for me, for example, and I feel WAY BETTER on meds than I did when I was off them.  In fact, I'd possibly be dead by now without them.  

As for "[standing] up for ourselves and demand these drugs be modified," it's not like they're purposely designing drugs to give us explosive diarrhea or sleep issues  ;)
« Last Edit: January 14, 2010, 09:08:32 pm by GNYC09 »

Offline aztecan

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,530
  • 36 years positive, 64 years a pain in the butt
Re: When will we feel Good on Haart?...Never?
« Reply #7 on: January 14, 2010, 02:00:53 am »
I had side effects from my first-line cocktail. I think most people did.

But, while I may complain about them, I don't regret taking the meds because, without them, I wouldn't be here to complain.

My new regiman, Isentress and Truvada, is so side effect free it is simply amazing - and wonderfuil.

Hang in there.

HUGS,

Mark
"May your life preach more loudly than your lips."
~ William Ellery Channing (Unitarian Minister)

Offline revmark

  • New Member
  • Posts: 2
Re: When will we feel Good on Haart?...Never?
« Reply #8 on: February 18, 2010, 04:40:14 pm »
I hear some people talking about side effects.  My first two months were pretty bad with exhaustion, but I waited until my T-Cell count was at 68 and I was weak.  Now every once in a while I have a day when I sleep all day because I am exhausted.  It does seem to get better  :-)
Mark aka Radhe Giridhari dasa

Positive Feb 1993

12/09
T-Cells = 68  VL - 220,000
Started first time meds Epzicom, Norvir, Lexiva

02/10
T-Cells = 266 VL - 800

Offline tommy246

  • Standard
  • Member
  • Posts: 435
Re: When will we feel Good on Haart?...Never?
« Reply #9 on: February 19, 2010, 05:22:49 pm »
I feel fab been on atripla 3 months , i think alot of people doing well dont come on here to say there doing well and the people who have suffered most with the meds are those who have been pos a long time who took the first generation meds with lots of side effects if you feel that bad talk to your doctor maybe you might feel better on another regimen, good luck.
jan 06 neg
dec 08 pos cd4 505 ,16%, 1,500vl
april 09 cd4 635 ,16%,60,000
july 09 ,cd4 545,17%,80,000
aug 09,hosptal 18days pneumonia cd190,225,000,15%
1 week later cd4 415 20%
nov 09 cd4 591 ,vl 59,000,14%,started atripla
dec 09  cd4 787, vl 266, 16%
march 2010  cd4 720 vl non detectable -20  20%
june 2010  cd4  680, 21%, ND

 


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