New Med Combo Atripla

[Jerry71]

OK recently this week I started a new Combo called Atripla. At first no side effects. Last night was sick as a dog throwing up and sleeping many hours and now right arm is numb and hard to type. Hopefully this combo will eventually be OK it just taking it for the first week that is going to have to get use to it.

[Andy Velez]

Jerry, hopefully things will settle down. But if you don't feel better by tomorrow how about calling your doctor and letting him know what's going on?

Good luck with it.

Cheers,

[newt]

What Andy said

Plus yr doc can give you an anti-nausea/vomiting tab for a few days perhaps

- matt

Now playing: Lloyd Williams, Turpentine

[poet]

Let's hope your post finds the others on this combination.  I posted a bit earlier about the Sustiva part of it, why he may have felt hot then cold, felt dizzy as in drunk, could feel very depressed.  You may also have the literature they throw in which could point out initial side effects.  Just make sure that you don't self-medicate, treat the side effects without checking first with either your pharmacist or hcp lest you cause an interaction between the over-the-counter and prescribed drug.  Win

[Jerry71]

Thanks for the replies everyone and yes I called the doc today and it is just one of those side effects.

[Eldon]

Hey Jerry,

Just as Andy has indicated things should settle down for you, it is your first week. Take care of yourself!



Make the BEST of each and every Day!

[ndrew]

Yeah, the first week was strange with dizzy, groggy mornings.  Few times recently that I felt slightly nauseous after the Atripla.  One time this week (perhaps ate too late) where I felt drunk and messed up...  I seem to pass out, then wake up.  Some of this is due to recent stress as well I have been having to cope with messin with sleep.  Been on Atripla since October 4th and overall I feel I am handling it well...  I really hope things get better for you soon!  Hang in there!

Bests,
Drew

[Jerry71]

Update Doc called and told me to go back on my old meds since the new med was causing me problems. Oh well back too Viread, Combivir.

[poet]

To Ndrew, your symptoms are those I get from the Sustiva part of atripla.  I hope that you are taking it once a day at night to lessen the side effects, the sleepy/drunken feeling.  Win

[Jerry71]

Found out that Atripla had sulfer in it and it does not agree well with my system.

[poet]

I was on an early drug which had sulfur until I read that adverse reactions were dangerous because when and if your body got one, you couldn't rid your body fast enough of the sulfur.  Let's all hope that anyone thinking about Atripla looks into side effects and issues, with his/her health care provider and anyone else medicine savvy.  Win

[newt]

Well blow me over if I'm wrong but...

Atripla is not a sulfa-containing drug - Lexiva is.

Something not quite right...

- matt

[alisenjafi]

I had posted my dealings with said drug:
http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=3982.0

Thanks for the replies everyone and yes I called the doc today and it is just one of those side effects.

Gee don't you hate when it is said so matter of factly, like hey the sky is blue!

Well blow me over
- matt

Is that an offer    ?
Cheers
Johnny

[poet]

Matt, I checked out the website and Atripla contains: sodium lauryl sulfate.  There was also a warning about possible rashes, the cause of which I don't remember.  A pharmacist or hcp would be able to help anyone with the question of sulfur, side effects, etc. (I comment for readers who might be alarmed about our thread).  Win

[newt]

sodium lauryl sulfate...yes in the flim coating, but not as an active ingredient.   

FTC (in Atripla) and 3TC (Epivir, also in Combivir) both contain a sulphur molecule, so am surprised at a reaction on Atripla but not Combivir.  Maybe to do with the Atripla formulation perhaps.

The biggie sulfa drug here is still Lexiva ("A protease inhibitor for our time") - from the prescribing info:

"Sulfa Allergy: LEXIVA should be used with caution in patients with a known sulfonamide allergy. Fosamprenavir contains a sulfonamide moiety."

Allergy to sulfa meds increases the chance of a bad reaction to NNRTIs (can't find the study off-hand, sure I have posted a link beforehand), so maybe it was the Lexiva/Atripla (well, Sustiva) pairing that pushed stuff over the top.

Still think Lexiva, Combivir, Viread is a bit weird, sure there's a gd reason for choosing this combo though which was posted earlier and I have now forgoten

- matt

Now playing: a cheese molecule or two

PS - re: bad reaction to Sustiva and sulfa allergy, a reference etc in this thread in Treatment Questions forum