POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Questions About Treatment & Side Effects => Topic started by: onemoretime on August 17, 2009, 11:47:09 am
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hey I am 5 years since diagnosis. 3.5 years on atripla (truvada sustive first) number fantastic.. back pain but in treatment..lipo in face sunk eyes and eye lids. side of face looks sunken slightly.. no indentations. just in the temples around the eyes. I swear i woke up one day and thaught it happened over night. allso my arms are thin. i went to the dr and he said your getting old... ur meds are not known to casue lipo. I try to eat healty and ride the bike and walk around the boardwalk along the hudson in jersey. my dr has been treating since the 80's so he has been thru it all. I am 42 by the way so i saw this horrible HIV epidemic killing all my friends in my 20's .. i survied till age 37 when i let my gaurd down.. have slight issues with drugs. I try to stay away from it.
my confidance is down.. I have a wonderfull partner have an mortgage that i have to pay and job but I am wondering how long can i stay working.. should I do more to take care of myself? does that require a major life change like a cheeper place to live? my partner is neg. i can't imagine life without him. but like many couples at 9 years we don't have sex.
I def am going thru mental questions.. just confused aobut everything.... i know I will get alot of good inspiration on here..... thanks guys
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Hi:
I am also on Atripla- it is my second combo since starting meds 5 years ago. I have been poz though for 16 years. I can also agree with your sentiments as I am also 42 and I saw many friends pass away in my 20's as well. Regarding the lipo and being on meds and your job, etc; just live day to day and appreciate each day for what it is worth. Your health and mental state of being is the most important right now so cherish that and do whatever you have to do to safeguard that. I went through a major life overhaul last year and started my own consulting biz working from home which has reduced my stress level a great deal from when I was in the coporate world. Every little thing helps!
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One does tend to age quickly after turning 40, for what it's worth.
Add in recreational drug use at that age and I'm sure that can make you skinny quickly.
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getting older does suck.. yesterday i didn't smoke, went to the gym, made me feel good. but it never reIally lasts, Its a constant battle between doing what is right for me and what I am capable of. my bf says live in the day.. ur healty... i try to do that, but i am the planner.. i plan for our future or lack of it.. but how does one plan when u dont know what is going to happen.. I read the post on here on addition and hiv. and i relate there so much.. my hiv is becuase of addiction... and addicion helps me deal with hiv.... the work, the condo, the partner, the deterating body.... getting old... but all said I love my life. It s just a bit overwelming somtimes.
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Addiction helping you cope with HIV is just a quick fix and temporary. Trust me, I've been through many different addictions to drugs. Sooner or later, you're going to just start feeling worse and worse, until you either get help or kill yourself. I hope you choose the former.
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Whatever you're feeling/ seeing now I can go on a limb and say it has NOTHING to do with our condition.. seems more like "normal" everyday stress of daily living! e.g relationships, work, money, etc.
If you can I would recommend going away for a weekend somewhere, even if it's just down to Atlantic city or something. A mini-vacation can do wonders, and give you a mental boost and some needed perspective on life. So until then just try to eat healthy, excercising, and if you are still smoking, needless to say you need to quit altogether....nicotine (and the couple of hundred toxins in cigarette smoke) do nothing but wear you down.
As far as your substance use, remember that will power can only take us so far...if you need further help, as in a therapist, treatment center, support group, well then you gotta do what you gotta do.
And finally...getting old at 42? lol I am 45 now, and "age" is only in our head. We are only as old as we feel. So take care of the emotional part, and you will feel 100% better. Hope I am not patronizing you, just trying to cheer you up. Good luck and keep us posted. Cheers, J.
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j220.. you are right on.... i think ur right it is just life stresses.. I have another post on here too that gave me alot of good inspiration... I did quit smoking and went to the gym the last 3 days.. going away this weekend.. I am looking forward to it... thanks so much
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You're welcome...in the meantime just don't think too much. By the way I read your numbers history, and feel free to take out the part about lipo...not the case I assure you. I remember about a year and a half ago I started "noticing" that my forearms were getting skinnier...lipo I thought lol...NOT. I was just losing weight due to change in diet and I had stopped working out too. Our body mass changes all the time, and it has nothing to do with anything except normal changes in our metabolism, so rest easy my friend.
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hey, what ever it is, It is my arms and worse is my temples and arond my eyes... my i can see the veins running up the side of my head
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Hey Onemoretime,
Efavirenz does contribute to facial lipo - and the effect is cumulative. Efavirenz acumulates in fat cells and destroys those fat cells. This is especially the case when combined with 2 nukes - as in Atripla.
We know from history with other lipo causing drugs that the best way to stop this effect from worsening is to stop taking the drug - you should talk to your doc or seek a second opinion.
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Does anyone know if isentress / turvada have the same side effect? This may not be the right combo but asking your doc about switching is surely ok.
For myself, I keep seaching for ways to distract myself from HIV. Otherwise I just beat myself up with saddness and I can really bum out. The gym does it, running does it, and I am finding that spending time with my (large) family does too. The last one surprises me most. I have lots of nieces and nephews and spent tiome with the youngest ones this week. The little one sem to have the best ability to take my mind off my own plight. I guess my suggestion to to seek out activity that fully grabs your attention, even for a little while. I'm still new at this but it seems to be what works for me now. Oh, and I'm 56. Old, yep, but that happens to everyone, not just poz people.
I don't smoke cigs, but a bit a weed now and again does relax me. I drink less that I did but I never drank alot. What I really miss are ecatasy trips.
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Thank you guys for all the support.. I went away last weekend to my fav campground and visit with old friends... I have been working, keeping my mind off of things. have made some calls to find out about a case manager.. I am due to see my dr in a month.. I will write down all the things on my mind. i may just be a little sad that I have this virus and the effects that go with it... this site really helps.. thanks guys.
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I called place that does case management today.. they did a form on me and said they would be handin it over to a case manager.. i am looking forward to the call.. thanks for all your support on here. I am crashing now.. I notice i just get tired early these daysl...so i crash.
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Hey its me again, i went to the gym, feel good.. I am goiing to call the dr next week. what exacataly should I ask him about my concerns of lipo? my testesterone and rbc's are down also.
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got theripy appointment tomorrow, going to my hiv doc the next day for routine 3 month bloods, going to discusss all this with him.. also going to ask him if he thinks I am getting the lipo or not for real... will ask him about truvada/isentress. doesn't hurt to ask.
does anyone know is Pluracy an OI? I got that when my cd4 was down at its low of 290 before meds. I was supposed to be hospitalized but i talked them into letting me go home. Actaully i was sneeking a cig... so bad so bad!