Shingles, Atripla, and Acylovir??

[newbieguy]

Hi everyone I have some questions about shingles and drug interactions. I got ear pain a week ago, which persisted and got worse. I thought it was an ear infection, and one doctor thought so too. She even gave me drops for it. Well, the ear is still sensitive but the sharp shooting pan has gone thankfully. However, yesterday I woke up feeling just TERRIBLE like I had the flu or something and developed a real high fever and one or two rashes on my face and scalp, the same side as my bad ear. I went to the ER and the doctor said it was shingles that had gotten in my ear and had erupted on my face a little. He said it was a mild case but sheesh it sure doesn't feel mild. He said it may or may not be related to any sudden drop in my numbers, and that he was betting not due to me testing undetectable in december. He said I could have just gotten shingles due to having a very mild case of chicken pox as a kid. Or, me having been sick with bronchitis a couple weeks prior which might have conpromised my immune system and been the trigger for the shingles. He sent me home with 800 mg of Acylovir to be taken five times daily for 10 days. My question is, is it really ok for me to keep taking my Atripla with the Acylovir? I always take my Atripla around midnight but my last daly dose of Acylovir needs to also be taken around this time.  Is it ok to take them close together, or should I space them out some? Any more advice for a shingles sufferer? Lol. Is Acylovir pretty effective in beating it? I've just finished my first days worth of Acylovir doses, how many days do hou think before I really start to feel better. Thanks in advance for any sound input or advice/tips, I will appreciate it!!
 

[J.R.E.]

My question is, is it really ok for me to keep taking my Atripla with the Acylovir? I always take my Atripla around midnight but my last daly dose of Acylovir needs to also be taken around this time.
 

Sorry to hear about the shingles, and yes they are painful. You need to be very careful, when shingles are on the face.  You DON"T want to get them in the eyes, be careul where you place you hands. Don't rub your face and eyes.


Yes,  Keep taking the Atripla and continue with the Acyclovir.  There are no drug interactions between these two medications. You don't have to space them.

From the lessons:

http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/Shingles_6797.shtml


Wishing you a speedy recovery--


Ray

[newbieguy]

thanks for the response. I'm feeling alot better. There haven't been any new sores and the ones I have are scabbed over. I'm wondering if this episode of shingles means my numbers have crashed for some reason but I've had really good adherance to atripla since I started in august. I'm hoping it's just a happenstance thing since my cd4 was decent and VL undetectable 5 months ago. Hopefully I'll be done with shingles for good after this, yuck!

[J.R.E.]

thanks for the response. I'm feeling alot better. There haven't been any new sores and the ones I have are scabbed over.

Glad to hear that your doing better!  Shingles may have an effect on your CD4 count, but it will probably be minor, and they will rebound again,  Don't worry about that.

Make sure to rest up. Drink a lot of fluids.


Ray

[J.R.E.]

By the way,  When I had Shingles, it did feel like a severe case of the flu, with nerve pain added !! I did have a good appetite though.


Ray

[TrilbyCowboy]

My doctor has me on a twice daily regimen of Acyclovir along with my Atripla. I kept experiencing facial breakouts about every other month, similar to shingles and limited to one side of my face or the other. I had several culture tests done and they all came back negative for herpes. I had a severe case of mono (Epstein Barr) in college, and I had chicken pox at 38, both of which he feels may contribute to the outbreaks. These breakouts usually occured during periods of stress. My doctor made the decision to put me on a maintenance program of Ayclovir (400mg) along with my Atripla. Been on this for almost 6 years, and I have only had 2 very MILD outbreaks and have not noticed any negative side effects. My lab work shows all my numbers in the "normal" range. Versus what I was going through initially, I am sold on the regimen.

[newbieguy]

@J.R.E...thanks, the acyclovir def seems to have helped. When I first got the rash a few days ago it for sure felt like the flu! I am ready to get back to living after a week of being sick. Once I got the fever down, my appetite has been just fine which is good for a skinny boy like me lol.

@TrilbyCowboy...ur experience was interesting for me to read. I had chickenpox as a child but was a very mild case. This case of what they call shingles I thought was an earache because it hurt for a week before my rashes appeared and the flu symptoms started. Glad you are doing well. I hope I don't have a recurrence of shingles. P.S. The one rash I had on my face a few days ago is healing really well yay.

[Lou-ah-vull]

I have had shingles twice (once was enough!) and am on daily suppressive therapy with valcyclovir (the acyclovir seems difficult for the pharmacy to find) twice a day.  The blue pills, if nothing else, add a splash of color to my pill regimen.  Some of us will remain on suppressive therapy indefinitely along with our HIV medications.  It is worth it for me, if I never have another shingles outbreak.

Good luck!

Gary