POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Pre-HAART Long-Term Survivors => Topic started by: DanielMark on December 12, 2007, 05:45:34 pm
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After nearly five years to the month, I am now off of Kaletra and beginning with Reyataz (and Combivir).
Because of my high cholesterol and triglyceride readings, my doc has been trying to get me to make the switch for about two years. Monday I had my semi annual and I finally caved. They sent in the big guns (the clinic pharmacist) to try and change my mind.
Tonight I've just taken my first dose with supper and wonder which if any of the potential side effects I'm gonna have. Hopefully none of them. :-\
The good news is there wasn’t much change in my main numbers:
CD4 915 (27.4%) down slightly from 954 (28.8%) in June and the VL remains undetectable.
Daniel
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Daniel,
Wishing you the best on the med change. I have never been on the Protease Inhibitor class yet,( after 4 years and two months on meds) so I really can't comment about the Reyataz.
Your numbers are very good, here's wishing the med change will help in getting your cholesterol and triglyceride numbers in better shape. Also hoping you handle this new med, with very little side effects.
Hang in there------Ray
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I had horrible gas and bowel problems on Rey. Fortunately I became resistant to it after a few months.
Dont some people turn yellow for a few days when they start? I did not experience this.
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Good luck and I hope you don't suffer any noticeable side-effects!
I also have a triglyceride problem and have just been prescribed the same regimen but have yet to receive the medications. Due to a viral load increase over 6 months, my doc performed a Geno/pheno test and discovered that I had become resistant to Atripla, meaning that from the NRTI/NtRTI class I had the M184V and K65R mutation and from the NNRTI, the K103N mutation hence requiring that I move to the PI's.
I question the combivir drug because I had experienced some facial lipoatrophy and mid section lipodystrophy when Epivir was part of my regimen some time ago. I also tried AZT in the early 90's when it was given in large doses as monotherapy but couldn't tolerate it. I'm also hopeful this new combo will be easy on the system.
Are you also taking Norvir to "boost" the Reyataz? I may have to challenge my doc further to find out why he is using the older NRTI's (my suspicion is that due to the K65R, options are limited) and why he has me boosting when I'm not taking the Viread.
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Hey Daniel,
I had very good results with Reyataz and would still be taking it had I not had the proton pump inhibitor issue.
I never had any side effects from it. I mean none. Of course, I was on Crixivan for 11 years, so after that, my body probably just threw in the towel and didn't bother with side effects. ;)
I presume you are boosting the Reyataz with 100 mgs of Norvir, right?
By the way, I also take Combivir and it has worked very well for me for nearly 12 years. (Part of that was before they made it and I was taking AZT/3TC separately.)
I still have lipo issues but, at this time, I just don't have the energy or the will to switch it out for another nuke.
Good luck with the new regimen. I think you will find it is very easy to take.
HUGS,
Mark
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Thanks for the comments guys,
No Norvir Mark, just the Combivir.
Slept better than I have in weeks and woke refreshed for a change.
After less than 24 hours I wasn't really expecting any side effects, but time will tell.
Daniel
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Hiya Daniel,
I am on Reyataz boosted with Norvir plus Truvada since mid 2006. No particular side effects despite some gaz from time to time, and some fluctuations between too floody and too heavy visits to Mr WC also from time to time. I changed my eating to more fruits, vegetables and dried fruits, and less sauces, fried and red meat. This has helped me with those digestive burdens. No high cholesterol neither triglycerides. At the moment, no creatinine problems (kidney) and no liver problems, unless a high level of bilirrubin that, in my doctor's oppinion, is not very much important as I have not became yellow skin man anyway. I've been feeling a pain in the lower back, but this happens since the time I got infected. I don't relate it to meds neither my doc.
CD4 were at 1140 when started Reyataz, then 1280, then 920, then 1520, then 1640 and now (november) 1639. VL undetectable and last % was 48. (I started treatments very soon, within 3 months after being infected)
I am very happy with this combo and hope it lasts working as much as possible. Before, I was on Truvada plus Sustiva, but only could resist Sustiva during one month...
Hugs!
:-)
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Ten days after beginning Reyataz, nothing has turned yellow (tho I wouldn't mind that golden glow tan I've heard about). ;)
The only problem I've encountered so far is some rather dark dreams – some of them nearly nightmares. I never ever had those on Kaletra. To see if we can improve that, I have changed my dose to mornings instead of evenings.
We shall see.
Daniel
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Daniel,
I am also having Kaletra related issues, as I was recently diagnosed with diabetes. Perhaps I waited too long, but I had no choice . I had to wait for Prezista. I have been on it for two months...i get my lab results next week. I think you did the right thing by getting off kaletra, like you, it has messed me up in the triglyceride readings.
Change is good. I hope you do well. Best of luck!
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Thanks Jeffrey,
I hope the change works out for you too.
Kaletra served me well for five years, so I won’t complain. Glad to say the anxious dreams I was having at first have now returned to their former long and entertaining episodes. I’m able to sleep longer and get more nighttime rest because of that.
I go on January 10 for the first blood draw to check how the Reyataz is working out.
Daniel
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Daniel,
I am just curious: Why are you not taking Norvir ????
Also, are you going to have to anything for cholesterol? Kaletra has given me all kinds of different issues(Diabetes for one)
Thanks....Jeff
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Daniel,
I am just curious: Why are you not taking Norvir ????
Also, are you going to have to anything for cholesterol?
Thanks....Jeff
To answer your first question Jeff, that option was deemed not necessary in my case. I take Combivir instead.
And to answer the second question, no, I’m not. In fact, cholesterol-lowering drugs are contraindicated for people taking Reyataz.
Daniel
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Daniel likewise I would question as to why you are not taking Ritonavir.
You have been on it ( part of Kaletra ) which is lopinavir and ritonavir.
I might be wrong but only patients that were not exposed to PI's are prescribes Reyataz without boosting it with Ritonavir.
Since you have been exposed to PI's in the past I would ask my doctor as to why you are not taking it.
Perhaps because your CD4 are so high and undetectable, or just me making a mistake.
Just wondering, Take care, Alain.
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Hi Alain,
There are a few reasons why I'm not boosting Reyataz with Norvir. My track record as you suggest, and I am taking a higher dose (400 mg daily) of Reyataz than is normally prescribed (300 mg daily). This is a dose that others at my (hospital) clinic are having good results with, and Reyataz without Norvir is an acceptable treatment option. Everyone’s medical and medication needs are different. I also take a nightly sedative so that has to be considered.
I trust my doctor and the hospital clinic pharmacist's recommendations and they have not failed me yet. We discussed the switch from Kaletra carefully and the final decision was mine. I go for blood work this week and should have a clearer picture then of how this is working (or not) and make any adjustments as needed / if needed after that.
Oh, and a happy new year!
Daniel
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Hey Daniel,
Acutally, there are a couple of cholesterol meds that may be added to a regimen containing Reyataz. One is Crestor and the other Pravachol (or its generic, Pravastatin).
I had good luck with the Pravastatin while on Reyataz. It was the first time my cholesterol was actually in the normal range - ever!
I also take Zetia, which is another cholesterol med and 4,000 mgs of fish oil.
Cross your fingers they still work with Lexiva.
HUGS,
Mark
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Hey Daniel,
Acutally, there are a couple of cholesterol meds that may be added to a regimen containing Reyataz. One is Crestor and the other Pravachol (or its generic, Pravastatin).
Thanks for educating me about that Mark. Is it true that once you begin those types of drugs that you have to stay on them for life?
Also, I have read unfavourable reports about statins. Such as:
Crestor Damage Higher Than Other Cholesterol Drugs (http://www.druginjurylaw.com/Crestor-kidney.html)
Public Citizen's Dr. Wolfe renewed his effort in October 2004 to get the anti-cholesterol drug Crestor removed from sale in the US market. Dr. Wolfe had previously published a letter in The Lancet medical journal, saying that Crestor is linked to increased incidences of rhabdomyolysis and at a higher rate than other statin drugs. Dr. Wolfe now says that the adverse side effects associated with the use of Crestor include kidney damage.
In an October 29, 2004 Press Release, Public Citizen reported that the rate of kidney damage in Crestor patients is 75 times higher than in patients taking other cholesterol drugs. There have been 29 reports of acute renal failure or renal insufficiency.
The FDA had evidence before approving Crestor that it caused an increased incidence of rhabdomyolysis, says Dr. Wolfe, yet the FDA approved the drug anyway. As of August 26, 2004, there were 65 reports of rhabdomyolysis among U.S. patients who took Crestor, which Dr. Wolfe says makes Crestor as dangerous as Baycol, a cholesterol lowering drug that was withdrawn from the market in 2001.
In an October 2004 issue of The Lancet medical journal, Crestor manufacturer AstraZeneca defended Crestor, saying in a letter that Crestor's safety profile is similar to those of the currently marketed statins.
AstraZeneca changed Crestor's European label in June 2004 due to safety concerns. Since that time, Health Canada and the US FDA have advised that patients be prescribed the lowest possible dose of Crestor because of the possibility of adverse side effects associated with Crestor.
Daniel
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Hey Daniel,
I don't know about the "forever" issue and statins. I will ask about that though.
I hadn't heard the news about Crestor. It does give one pause. I will stick to Pravastatin, which is what I have been taking for quite a while now.
I do know that Zocor is a definite no-no for anyone taking PIs and Lipitor can cause problems as well.
By the way, how's the Reyataz treating you? I hope you find it as trouble free as I did.
HUGS,
Mark
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Hey Daniel, I have been on Reyataz for about 4 years now. All is well. I do not boost with Norvir. I have experienced side effects with Norvir in the past, therefore my doctor and I choose not to include it. I combine Reyataz with Epzicom. So far so good. I also take Tricor for the lipid issues I experience. The Tri's look good, and the HDL looks great, but the LDL is still in the weeds, and I keep resisting to add a statin to the mix after having kidney stones while using Lipitor previously while using a different cocktail. So all in all I'm enjoying the Reyataz/Epzicom ride.
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Hello Daniel,
I was on Kaletra/ Combivir too and had to switch to Reyataz /Tuvada because of high triglycerides and cholesterol, despite the use of fenofibrate ( an other class of lipid lowering agents ). Surprisingly, my triglycerides and cholesterol levels promptly returned to normal values. The drop was so important that my doctor stopped the fenofibrate right away. After a year an a half, my lipid values are still normal. So, if it happened to me, it could happen to others as well.
bonne chance
Jacques
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Thanks, guys.
By the way, how's the Reyataz treating you? I hope you find it as trouble free as I did.
Good so far, Mark. Had disturbing dreams when I was taking it at supper time at first, but after switching to mornings that went away. I’m going this week to have blood drawn to check on how things are going internally.
Daniel
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Hi Daniel. I was on Reyataz most of last year. I had switched to Reyataz from Kaletra and took Truvada along with both of those PIs. My doctor and I decided to switch back to Kaletra now as I had minor problems with kidney "crystals/stones" and didn't want to graduate to major problems. I seemed to feel better or at least different with Reyataz so I was in some way sorry to have to drop it. I had previous problems with kidney stones when I used to be on Crixivan, so it's just possible that I am susceptible to that problem. I hope things go well for you. David
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Daniel,
I am also having Kaletra related issues, as I was recently diagnosed with diabetes. Perhaps I waited too long, but I had no choice . I had to wait for Prezista. I have been on it for two months...i get my lab results next week. I think you did the right thing by getting off kaletra, like you, it has messed me up in the triglyceride readings.
Change is good. I hope you do well. Best of luck!
HI Jeff, I got off kaletra for over which i was on for 3yrs..cause I was gaining too much weight plus I just had bloodtests to see if I have diabetes as well..
I do have hep c and know my liver is in bad shape.........going for sonogram on the 17th
to check further..
THey changes kaletra to reyataz and Noviar.........which seem ok, but I am not sure if all
this heartburn I have came from reyataz..I have to see if others in the group experienced
acid reflux from the change..................oh well...........we shall see.
If I were you I would change the Kaletra to zey
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oops..got cut off in the middle of my post.
I was saying if I were you Id stay on Reyataz...I just started it and the noviar with truvada as well..
Everything seems ok..Never did turn yellow :),
When I was on Kaletra, thats when I had the worst nightmares, and I see your totallly
opposite to me in that catagory..................
I guess everyone body is different even though we might take the same meds, it doesnt
mean will have the same outcome..
Now back to my damn acid reflux..
I have had this condition for years, but when put on reyataz, I beleive it worsened my
heartburn.
Has this happen to anyone else?
By this tread, I see no one say they had acid reflux problems..
So I asking if anyone else has any problems like myself...I doubt its the noviar.
but cha never know???
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Hi Daniel. I was on Reyataz most of last year. I had switched to Reyataz from Kaletra and took Truvada along with both of those PIs. My doctor and I decided to switch back to Kaletra now as I had minor problems with kidney "crystals/stones" and didn't want to graduate to major problems. I seemed to feel better or at least different with Reyataz so I was in some way sorry to have to drop it. I had previous problems with kidney stones when I used to be on Crixivan, so it's just possible that I am susceptible to that problem. I hope things go well for you. David
Thanks David,
Sorry for the delayed reply. As you might guess, I'm not on this site very often.
I had blood taken about a week ago, and I'm still waiting for the results of those tests. I feel no different from when I was on Kaletra, so I just hope my CD4/VL numbers will be as good.
Daniel