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Author Topic: Started Complera and Given 30 days of valtrex  (Read 4793 times)

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Offline Chitown_poz

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Started Complera and Given 30 days of valtrex
« on: January 07, 2013, 12:06:57 am »
Hi and Happy 2013!!!

Took my first complera today with lunch. My doctor also gave me Valtrex to start for 30 days to prevent shingles.

Shingles scares me but so does taking another pill on top of Complera. Has anyone taken Valtrex when initiating therapy?

Also is it ok to have wine in moderation with meds? I really wanted a glass of wine today at lunch with my friends  ;)

Thanks for any advice!

Offline Newguy

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Re: Started Complera and Given 30 days of valtrex
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2013, 12:44:59 pm »
Also is it ok to have wine in moderation with meds? I really wanted a glass of wine today at lunch with my friends  ;)

Thanks for any advice!
[/quote]

Sometimes I take my meds with alcohol. All is working will according to my lab results. This article from poz.com might help. http://www.poz.com/articles/Skipping_Meds_401_23220.shtml

Best of 2013

Offline newt

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Re: Started Complera and Given 30 days of valtrex
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2013, 05:23:20 pm »
So the wine won't stop the meds working...

The Valtrex, doc must have a reason, but is non-standard.

- matt
"The object is to be a well patient, not a good patient"

Offline Ann

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Re: Started Complera and Given 30 days of valtrex
« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2013, 07:11:48 am »


The Valtrex, doc must have a reason, but is non-standard.



I was thinking the same thing. If your CD4s are very low (under 200), it's standard practice to be given an antibiotic like Bactrim, but not acyclovir.

Valtrex is a "pro-drug" of acyclovir - it's formulated a little differently so a lower dose stays in the body for longer. Valtrex is a brand name - you can get acyclovir as a generic at a fraction of the cost of the name brand.

Acyclovir also works for herpes - shingles (herpes zoster) and herpes (herpes simplex) are in the same viral family. If you have herpes and have been having a lot of outbreaks, your doctor may have prescribed Valtrex for that rather than shingles.

I'd recommend you read the Lessons on both herpes and shingles.

Acyclovir is relatively side effect free (I've not heard of anyone having a problem with it) and having a few glasses of wine or any other alcohol won't be a problem. Alcohol with hiv meds isn't a problem for most either (for some it causes stomach upset) unless you regularly get drunk and miss taking your meds. The odd missed dose isn't a problem, provided you're taking them when you should at least 95% of the time.

And by the way, welcome to the forums.

Ann
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"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline RobbyR

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Re: Started Complera and Given 30 days of valtrex
« Reply #4 on: January 08, 2013, 07:40:30 pm »
This reminded me of when I had shingles, it wasn't fun! Two years ago, I had what I thought was bad swimmer's ear, and went to two different doctors and one even flushed out my ear with water (ouch) and gave me ear drops. Nothing helped, it turned into the WORST ear ache I ever had! A few days later, I suddenly got VERY ill, feverish, shakes, sweats, nausea, pain on my skin, and I noticed I had a couple of blisters on my right cheek. I thought they were just fever blisters but my fever was so bad I went to the ER. The ER doc took one look at me and in my ear and said "you have shingles"! I was shocked! Never had heard of anyone having shingles in the ear canal before, but it can happen! Luckily I only had some blisters in my ear, one or two on my face, and a few on my right upper scalp (the doctor told me a hallmark of shingles is that you only get blisters on ONE side of the body).

I was sent home with Acyclovir, and this stuff was amazing! After feeling totally crappy for two weeks this stuff cleared me right up and I was well in no time! The doc explained to me that since I had a mild case of chicken pox as a child the risk of getting shingles as an adult increases. Not sure if I can get shingles again, but let me tell you, I hope to get a vaccine if they offer them. It was worse than the worst flu! But Acyclovir is amazing stuff!
"I survived because I was tougher than anybody else".--Bette Davis

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Offline gadawg1979

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Re: Started Complera and Given 30 days of valtrex
« Reply #5 on: January 08, 2013, 09:47:37 pm »
I found the first 60 days on Compera to be a roller coaster.  After that life has been great....
Diagnosed March 2012
Initial CD4- 156 VL 200K (started Complera) Genotype test no resistance
First labs on meds CD4- 246 VL 2K Taken after 30 days on Complera
90 Day labs VL 306 No CD4 Drawn
8/21/2012 CD4 474 VL Undetectable (40) %20.6
11/27/2012 CD 4 522 VL Undetectable (40)
2/14/2013 CD 4 464 VL Undetecable (30) 19.6%
6/8/3013 CD 4 528 VL Undetectable (30)
9/24/2013 CD 4 546 VL Undetectable (40)
1/30/2014 CD4 560 VL Undetectable (40) 22 %
6/19/2014 CD4 584 Vl Undetecable (30)

Offline Ann

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Re: Started Complera and Given 30 days of valtrex
« Reply #6 on: January 09, 2013, 08:26:03 am »

Not sure if I can get shingles again


Yes, you can.

At least now you know what it feels like and you can get treatment earlier. I'm glad you only got it on your scalp, face and ear canal - herpes can also affect the eye and it can lead to on-going, painful sight/eye problems. A mate of mine had shingles about ten years ago that went into her eye and to this day she has a lot of problems with that eye. :-\
Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline folkyboy

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Re: Started Complera and Given 30 days of valtrex
« Reply #7 on: January 17, 2013, 05:36:17 am »
I found the first 60 days on Compera to be a roller coaster.  After that life has been great....

Hello, I am new here! I just started Complera 2 days ago & so far my only side effect (I've noticed) is diarrhea. [TMI?] I'm not a drinker nor do I have herpes [*knock on wood*] but am a little curious about this medication.

I understand it works differently for everyone, but what exactly do you mean by "roller-coaster"?

My viral load was 50k & my CD4 was 268. I tested POZ in Sept 2011. I'm grateful for meds (and yes, this is my first medication), but I'm so anal retentive I can't stop reading about it. Heh
« Last Edit: January 17, 2013, 05:38:53 am by folkyboy »

 


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