Starting Atripla - My Experiences (I Know Yet Another One)

[texasguy]

I have always appreciated the "I'm starting" threads in the past so I submit my own.  Since exposure in 11/05, my numbers seem to bounce around.  I had a huge viral load increase in 30 days last month from 42,000 to 654,000.  Doc wanted to retest thinking it was a lab mistake maybe.  But I decided to start treatment for my peace of mind and he was fine with that.  (Anybody ever heard of that quick a VL increase with increasing T-cells and stable %?, just curious, see stats below)

I started Atripla 4 nights ago.  The frst night (9pm dose) was a total all night trip with flashing lights and nonstop techno music that would make any after hours DJ proud.  I was very dizzy until 8am the next day.  The second night the music stopped but I had wild dreams all night and dizzy until 7am next day.  The third night I had just one short weird dream, but had mild dizziness most all of the next day, but I was at work all day and had no problems functioning. Fourth night normal dreaming, just mild dizziness. (I always get up for a bathroom break around 2am).  So I would say to those debating starting that so far I'm pleased that the mental stuff for me seems to have been very brief.  I'll be watching for any rashes over the next days of course.  Anyway, just thought I'd put my experience out here on the board.  I'm taking the advice I've read here and having a low fat dinner no later than 7pm before taking the pill at 9:30pm, and I have been drinking a great deal of water in the evenings.  (Hence the 2 am hallway journeys..lol).

[vivyt]

LOL! When I first started Atripla I couldn't tell if I was sleeping or awake. I called it my LSD pill. It does not take very long to adjust though. I think it only took about a week. I have been on it for a year and I don't have any issues. Occasionally I will have a really vivid dream but that's about it. I also take it at 9:00. Good luck!

[texasguy]

Thanks vivyt.  Nice to know somebody around here gives a crap.

[bocker3]

Hey Texasguy --

Glad to hear your Atripla adjustment period is going OK.  I had very little trouble and have been taking the stuff for almost 3 years now.  I never got the serious LSD trip dreams, but I did have some strange ones early on.  I still find myself having far more vivid dreams than I ever recall having before Sustiva -- nothing bad, just really clear and I remember many details.

I also still get a bit dizzy -- almost drunk feeling if I take the pill with some fatty food (I haven't drank alcohol since 1989, so I don't mind it really).

Hope it continues on the same easy path for you -- I'm sure it will.

Mike

[dgr20002]

I liked the comment earlier about not knowing about being awake or asleep.  I used to think i was awake while i was asleep and dreaming I was awake. I know it makes no sense but just go with it.

The thing I did for awhile was to keep a small recorder on my night stand. When I would wake up in the middle of one of those wild dreams I could remember every detail so I would record what I remembered. I sounded drunk doing iit but it was great fun in the morning to play the tape back. Sometimes I would remember what I had recorded and sometimes not. And you never know, you may dream the lotto numbers or some crazy concoction that boost immune function. It would be a shame to have those dreams and have no record of them  LOL

David

[texasguy]

   Just an update after 3 weeks on Atripla.  All is normal, no weird dreams, no rash, sleeping okay.  Only time I had the middle of the night dizziness and fog was when I had dinner and cocktails about an hour before my pill.  I'll have to watch the empty stomach thing, it does make quite a difference!  Just wanted to give encouragement to those who are fortunate enough to start with Atripla that sometimes all is well.  Have my next labs in two weeks.  Hoping for good improvement in the numbers.  I'll update this thread then.  Best to all.

[Desertguy]

Oh yes Atripla it should be called the dream maker!!! LoL  I have been on it almost 10m months now & the dreams are still here.  They went away for awhile but are back.  They are not bad dreams kinda look forward to them most nites.  I can even get up to us the bathroom & come back & start my dream from where I woke up.  I can't say anything about the dizzyness but the dreams are vivid.  I guess the only ones that are bad are the ones that the X wife is in. m LOL
Atripla seems to have done the jon for me from 120 T's to 470 & from 970,000 viral load to undectable in June.

Take care

[HARLEY_B]

 I started Atripla a year ago and so far have had good results. My t-cells have risen from 53 starting out to 450 the last time I had my labwork done and my viral load has been undetectable for the last 6 months or so. I can't sayI've had an undesirable side effects other than a constant fatgieu. I feel like a zombie at work some days shuffling around from here to there but my mind is relatively clear. I do have some vivid dreams from time to time but nothing disturbing. I've tried adjusting the times that I take it to see if the rundown feeling will wear off sooner but so far no luck. It's getting the job done so I'm happyfor the most part. I hope you continue to do well with it.

[Lou-ah-vull]

I have been on Atripla since Feb 07 and have only had the vivid dreams.  Not always, but certainly every once in a while. I also have the experience of waking up, using the bathroom, returning to bed and being conscious of picking up the dream where I left off.  I sort of call it the Atripla DVR. The dreams have never been disturbing, but they are vivid (color, details, personalities, wierdness.)  Other than these effects (and in the back of my mind wondering....what is this doing long term to my brain?) I have had great success with this medicine.  And in my case, this was much more lipid friendly than my first combo (Combivir and Kaletra.)  The first combo worked well, but was devastating to my lipids.

Gary

[vivyt]

LOL!! My dreams pick up where they leave off too. The only time it and the vivid part are bad is when I have a bad dream. That has only happened a few times for me but it is not a good feeling. I have been on Atripla for about 15 months and I can say it literally saved my life. In May 2007 I was at 15 (T-Cells) as of last Friday I am at 692... I will take the bad with the good...