POZ Community Forums

Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Questions About Treatment & Side Effects => Topic started by: makesmewonder on October 19, 2008, 04:22:32 pm

Title: Virmaune and Truvada Issues! HELP!!
Post by: makesmewonder on October 19, 2008, 04:22:32 pm
Hi everybody! its going to be a week tomorrow that i am taking Viramune and Truvada! and i take them always before going to bed! when i wake up in the morning i wake uo feeling veryyyyyyyy drunk or stoned! so i go to work a little bit off my head! so its takes a long time for me to feel better again! i feel very light headed and sometimes i feel a liitle bit depressed as well! Because i keep wondering if my life is going to be " normal" again!
I always panic before i t ake them at night thinking im going to have any alergic reaction to the medication!
Today i started doing some Pilates( i used to do almost every day, but i stopped for  the first week of the meds, i today i wanted to do some pilates and i felt very dizzy and could not complete the class! ) and that really frustrates me because i want to feel ok again!! ahhhhhhhhh
Do you guys know how long i will be feeling like this and if this starts to get better?
Also i am still on the first part of the introductory part of the meds, in a week i will start taking the other Viramune pill in the morning! aaaaaaahhhh and i am so scared that i will be feeling worse!
I dont wanna feel like this and i dont know what to do!
Do you guys know something to help with the dizziness?
Thanks you very much!
T

" I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.  I just wish that He didn't trust me so much.  ~Mother Teresa"
Title: Re: Virmaune and Truvada Issues! HELP!!
Post by: newt on October 19, 2008, 04:55:13 pm
Hi

ARVs needs some adjustment, things usually get better

However, CNS side effects likie dreams, dizziness, feeling drugged seem to be a rare side effect of nevirapine (Viramune), as reported here:

Nevirapine-induced neuropsychiatric complications, a class effect of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors?
http://www.aidsonline.com/pt/re/aids/fulltext.00002030-200209060-00023.htm

This is likely to be a class effect of NNRTIs, of which Viramune is one. If it don't settle down/gets worse on the full dose perhaps a non-NNRTI combo is for you..

Good luck

- matt
Title: Re: Virmaune and Truvada Issues! HELP!!
Post by: Assurbanipal on October 19, 2008, 05:13:59 pm
If by "drunk" you are referring to dizziness that's reported as a moderately common Truvada side effect per the package insert, but not shown as one in the package insert for Viramune.  So increasing the Viramune dose seems unlikely to worsen the dizziness.

Hoping that it will get better as you get a little more time under your belt on the drugs.

Title: Re: Virmaune and Truvada Issues! HELP!!
Post by: newt on October 19, 2008, 05:35:56 pm
hmmm...true, my previous posting friend, on the Truvada & the Viramune package insert, but in my exp the Truvada light-headedness is more immediate, not continuing to the next day, and "drunk" and "stoned" are not words I would use to describe the feeling.

- matt
Title: Re: Virmaune and Truvada Issues! HELP!!
Post by: LA Dude on October 20, 2008, 03:13:40 am
Hey T!

I had the EXACT same experience when I was on Truvada! For years (2000-2006) I was on Combivir/Viramune then I was switched to Atripla (Only lasted 2 weeks on that stuff), and then I was on Truvada/Viramune for a year and a half, felt really hungover and high into the next morning.

A few weeks ago my doctor switched me to Epzicom/Viramune and I literally could not get out of bed a couple of days, I wanted to cry.

Week before last I begged my Dr. to let me go back on Combivir/Viramune, and I feel a LOT better! Only slightly buzzed in the morning now and it goes away fast!

Good Luck with Truvada! My levels were all great on it!
Title: Re: Virmaune and Truvada Issues! HELP!!
Post by: ds4146 on October 20, 2008, 08:39:41 pm
Don't know if you have read this somewhere else, but here goes. I take both of these as well but always with food, Truvada and one Viramune at night with dinner and the other in the morning with something to eat even if it is only a banana. The only real issue is slight cramping in the morning and a rash which we are trying to work out.  I should say though that I am in a trial study for the Viramune which means I may be taking the 400mg at one time or actually taking 200 mg one in the morning and one in the evening. Hope that makes sense and of some help.
Title: Re: Virmaune and Truvada Issues! HELP!!
Post by: egello on October 20, 2008, 10:06:15 pm
Hey

I have been on this combo for about a month now. For the first week when I was just taking one Viramune with Truv. I felt awesome. However, as soon as I started taking two at the same time, I have been getting exactly same drunk feeling you are talking about and also little bit of depression, although not nearly as bad as when I was on Atripla for a week. I am also hoping that it will pass or else I think I am going to go back to my old combo which is boosted Reyataz.

Good thing about this combo is that, don't ask me how and why, but I have been having erectile dysfuction issues and being on this combo, I believe I regained back my sensitivity on my penis. I am not sure if it has anything to do with anything....

Also, I gained about 5 lb since starting this combo and I get drunk waaaaaaaaay to easy now. Takes just one drink!
Title: Re: Virmaune and Truvada Issues! HELP!!
Post by: Iggy on October 21, 2008, 08:48:15 am
Hey Makesmewonder,

I see you have multiple threads on the Viramune and Truvada regimen you are on, and the first thing I am going to suggest is that you may want to keep it all in one thread.

I say this as your multiple threads sort of make it hard to follow your multiple concerns, and I admit they give me an impression that you are being a little over reactive to the transitional process.

I'm on the same combo (though in the  clinical trial (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=21323.0) of it where they are experimenting with dosages) and personally have not had the issues you mentioned.

I think you may want to try ds4146's suggestion that you have something to eat (even if it is just a banana) when you take your meds.