Any women who take sustiva/truvada ?

[sunflower99]

Hi !

I would like to know if there are any women here who takes sustiva and truvada?
And if so, would you like to share your reactions to these meds?

Love Sun

[tsw923]

Hey Sun,

I'm beginning my second month of the meds.  At the beginning I would be incredibly sleepy after taking the meds.  So much so that I, usually a night owl, would be in bed and ASLEEP within 1/2 hour of taking them.  That's worn off some now, though I notice if I eat something really fatty (i.e. pint of ben and jerrys) right around 9 pm (2 hours before I take my meds) I get kinda 'drunk'.   (What can I say, sometimes I have to give in to depression  )   It doesn't seem to affect my alcohol tolerance, but then I can't drink nearly as much as I used to anyway.  Sometimes I can't stay asleep though I fall asleep quickly -- I haven't figured out what's really causing that.  I haven't had the nightmares others talk about, however, in the beginning I did have some rather 'vivid' dreams about topics I wouldn't consider nightmares.

How about you?

[sunflower99]

Hey tsw!

I havent started on meds yet but my doc thinks its getting time, Im having new tests in about 2 weeks to see how Im doing. Anyway he suggested sustiva & truvada. And from what Im reading a lot of people talk about this drunk feeling and I am living alone with 2 young kids so that worries me a bit. I mean how drunk is this drunken feeling... ? And I was thinking maybe the reaction is different if your a woman. Is it ok to have a glass of wine while on these meds? Are you feeling nausated? any stomach problems?

Love Sun

[tsw923]

Hey Sun,

For me the effects have been subsiding as I go along.  You will definitely go to sleep at night if you take it in the evening but its not affecting me nearly as much as it did the first two weeks or so.  The drunken feeling happens to me now mostly when I do the fatty food thing just before I take my meds.  I have had a few glasses of wine before my pills and it doesn't make it any worse.  I do have some gas issues now.  I have a bit of diarhea from time to time.  I think I will try the beano or acidopholus that was suggested in another thread. 

My advice would be that if its possible to have someone stay with you for a night or two while you get to the meds, it would be helpful.  If you have any other questions, feel free to hit me on PM.

TSW

[seekay70]

hi there new to the group....I also am on both of those meds and agree that the only effect I have had is getting tired when I take them.  I take them before going to bed which seems to help me sleep as well as it is easier for me to remember to take them this way.  I also have 3 small children and do not feel that it affects me in a way that I would be unable to care for my children.


Sherry

[jntmax39]

HEY.SUNFLOWER,
MY NAME IS JANET i AM ON SUSTIVA AND TRUVADA,WITH ME I WAS TAKING TRUVADA IN THE MORNING AND SUSTIVA AT NIGHT.WHEN I FIRST STARTED THEM I GOT A LOT OF NASAEU AND VOMITING PLUS I COULDN'T STAY OUT OF THE BATHROOM. IWAS GETING SICK FROM BOTH ENDS
IT SUCKED BUT I GOT THREW MOST OF THE SIDE EFFECTS.STILL HAVE MINOR SIDE EFFECTS,BUT I WOULD RATHER DEAL WITH THE SIDE EFFECTS,BECAUSE MY NUMBERS ARE SO GOOD. I HAD FULL BLOWN AIDES 2 YRS AGO AND NOW I AM UNDETECTABLE AND CD4 IS IN THE 800'S CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY. BUT YOU KNOW WHAY EVERY ONE IS DIFFERENT,IF YOU HAVE TO GO ON MEDS SUSTIVA AND TRUVADA IS THE WAY TO GO. NOW I WILL BE ON THAT NEW PILL FOR SUSTIVA AND TRUVADA.I STARTED TAKING THEM BOTH AT BEDTIME SO MY BODY CAN BE USE TO TAKING ALL THREE OF THOSE PILSS IN ONE.
LET ME KNOW HOW YOU MADE OUT.I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ON THEM.
 

[Veritee]

On my second day of them

Take them in the evening - woke up this morning feeling what I can only describe as 'drunk' on them. Felt a little like this too yesterday on my first day.

Slept too heavily, yet they say you get sleep disturbance but I have slept too well and woke up feeling still asleep, drunk or drugged

I will let you know as it goes along if anyone is still interested. ( as this is an old thread)

Veritee XX

[Tempeboy]

I am pretty sure that Sustiva can cause birth defects, and therefore not recommended for women of child-bearing age unless they have reliable contraception.

Perhaps one of the moderators can clarify.

This is a good resource for managing side effects - http://positivelife.org.au/factsheet/1

[Ann]

Tempe,

Women of child-bearing age can and do take Sustiva. While it's true that Sustiva is contraindicated during pregnancy, pregnancy can be prevented. Women who wish to get pregnant switch for another drug before discontinuing contraception.

Ann

[Tempeboy]

I went to a presentation last night on Women with HIV - hosted by some kick-ass women working in HIV research and HIV medical care.  They discussed the risks of Efavirenz and pregnancy - including the topic of unplanned pregnancy ie the unreliability of contraception.

They said if women fall pregnant whilst on Efavirenz there is a high risk of birth defect, namely myelomeningocele.

For this reason Efavirenz is not prescribed in Australia to women of child bearing age.

[newt]

The risk is present but "high" is an overstatement. The recommendation not to use Sustiva in pregnancy is based on studies in monkeys, where Sustiva caused frequent birth defects, and 4 reports sent to the FDA (+ a couple reported elsewhere) of neural tube defects (a birth defect occurring in the brain or spinal cord) in children born to women who took Sustiva during the first 3 months of pregnancy. The number of case reports is insufficient to say whether these are or are not down to Sustiva in a certain way.

Nonetheless -- and rightly so for now -- Sustiva is not recommended by the manufacturers for women who are pregnant, plan to become pregnant or may become pregnant otherwise.

- matt

[Tempeboy]

Hey Newt,

I think they meant high in comparison to babies born to women who took other meds - but good point.

I spose 1 is 1 too many.