Combivir and hematocrit (HCT) goes down to hell

[billy]

Hi guys,

I started treatment 10 weeks ago with Kaletra and Combivir cuz of my high VL (1.000.000)
Actually I had no side effects... just in the beginning for a couple of days... then I it went let's say well.
7 weeks later I went to doc because I felt very bad and weak the days before.
Colleagues told me also that I look wasted / down and white like dead... and I should go to solarium 

In any case as I was at the doc... he saw me... did immediately a general blood test.
30 min later... he said: "We have to keep you here at hospital... your hematocrit is <18%"
After several check ups they said that probably Combivir (AZT) caused this.

After 10 days and 3 transfusion (my blood type "0-" and tough to get it) my hematocrit was still just 22%.
I was really worrying. But finally my body started to produce red blood cells and the last 5 days and after 2 another blood transfusion my number rised up to 33%. So I got out today of hospital.

Anyway... Kaletra+Combivir did a good job... from over VL 1.000.000 down to less VL 1.700 in 7 weeks. That was the good news.
But now I take Kivexa (Epzicom) instead of Combivir... lets see how it will work out.
Anyone of you guys had the same experience/problem with Combivir or any other meds concerning hematocrit?

take care
- Billy

[John2038]

Hi billy

While reading your post, I was thinking exactly as your doc (even if he's much better qualified than me to make conclusions): your body is adapting to your new combo.

It seems that when the body is adapting, the first bounces appears in the FBC.

This is what has happen to me (big bounces of the FBC counts during 2 months, with some of them very much outside the standards ranges). But finally everything is now back to normal since a week.

Notes
1) It is a very stressful situation that can cause anxiety such as:
fever, difficulty to breath, dizziness, dry mouth, tachycardia, high blood pressure, fever, etc
If you get some of these symptoms, think they can also be caused by anxiety, not necessarily to a new disease.

2) Our body take time to adapt: to heal you from a flu, to create antibodies to the hiv, etc.
What would it be different while taking a new drug ? Your body probably need time to understand that things are going better, and that the effect of the combo is not a new disease.

[newt]

My (then) partner had the same anaemia problem on his first combo which had AZT in -- this is part of Combivir.  It's a well known side effect.  My partner also ended up having a transfusion, 6 units, which is quite a lot.  He got bored and decided to wash the last half a unit down the pan in the sluice room. How hard and messy is that...  Anyway, we scarpered to the chicken restaurant for recovery food.

This is how I became a treatment nerd.

- matt

[Claudiu]

      I started the same combo 4 months ago and the same problems with anemia in the first 2 months.I had too the imune reconstructions syndrom with fever,multiple infections..etc..etc...because my cd4 increased in the short time from 193 to 450.Now I have problems with triglicerides and cholesterol,who are a bit to higher...I started a new diet with cereals,fresh fruit,vegetables,griled chiken and fish,omega 3 and runnig 6-8 km every day.I will see the result next month...
    Good luck!!!!!
   Claudiu

[allanq]

I don't understand why doctors are still prescribing AZT (or Combivir) as a first-line treatment.

Its side effects include anemia, neutropenia, nausea, and lipoatrophy. There are better drugs available.

Allan

[minismom]

Mini was put on straight AZT when she was born.  She stayed on it until she was tested and found positive.  She was awfully enemic and was put on massive doses of iron drops.  She didn't have to have her first transfusion, though, until she was 15mths old. I didn't realize that Combivir had AZT in it. I'll scratch it off my list of potential meds to talk about switching to.  Mini has resistence to AZT (amongst other things).