POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Questions About Treatment & Side Effects => Topic started by: Bruce on March 24, 2010, 07:18:25 am
-
Hey guys
I thought I would share my experience of having started Atripla a month ago now, so that thise of you who are considering starting your meds soon can hear some good news about doing so.
The first night I took it, it knocked me out and I slept nine hours and woke feeling a bit dizzy, but not unpleasantly so - more like being a little stoned. Let me put it this way, I wouldn't have wanted to drive a car :) but the dizziness passed as the day wore on.
I followed the advice of not eating for a couple of hours before taking the tablet at 10pm and not eating fatty foods. On those occasions when I have had something more fatty, I have had more restless sleep and felt a little groggier in the morning. But I have continued, on the whole, to have at least 8 hours of good sleep a night.
My dreams have been vivid, but enjoyable. I have been sleeping really well. One weird side effect (apparently some guys out there are experiencing the same thing) is that I have been getting really strong wood during the night and in the morning, which makes things a bit more fun :)
I caught a mild sore throat three days ago which pre-Atripla would have developed into bad bronchitis and had to resist reaching for the antibiotics. Today it is almost gone. My doctor warned me to expect things to flare up a little before settling into a pattern of better health and it looks like he was right. My energy levels have improved and I am feeling better than ever since being diagnosed two and a half years ago.
I have been lucky and have had no other side effects, no nausea, no headaches, no rash - nothing. As the weeks have gone by the dizziness has almost completely disappeared. I think sticking to a healthy diet and getting some mild excercise (like a long but gentle walk every day) has helped enormously.
Best news of all! my viral load dropped from 70,000 to 216 in the space of the first two weeks and my doctors anticpate that my next set of tests on the 6th April 2010 should show me as being undetectable.
So to all those out there worries about starting on Atripla, I have only positive things to say about it. Maybe I am lucky, but of all the bad things you hear about as side effects, I haven't had any experience of them at all. Maybe there are still some to come. But one month in, so far so good and I am quietly confident that I am going to be ok on this regime. More than ok.
My one regret? I just regret delaying until my CD4 dipped below 250. There is some research which now advocates starting at 500 when the body is healthier and can cope more easily. If I could do it again, I would go for that option, which makes logical sense. I only delayed because of a (needless, as it turns out!) fear of the medication.
Good luck to all the newbies out there. Don't fear the meds. They are your friend. Keep a positive attitude and they will work well for you.
Bruce x
-
Congratulations! And continued good health. thanks for sharing your experience.
-
Congratulations Bruce. You're post is very encouraging for us just starting Atripla. Keep us posted.
I started 1 week ago today. I get a little dizzy feeling followed by the need to take a nap about an hour after taking it, but dam I don't mind. It is great to be able to sleep normal after so many months.
Keep up the good work.... Kev
-
Thanks guys, for your good wishes.
Kev, likewise, keep me posted on how you are getting on. I'm sure you will be fine :) I'll keep updating this post with my experiences in the hope it will give some advice to those who might benefit from it.
Bruce
-
Great post Bruce,
"my viral load dropped from 70,000 to 216 in the space of the first two weeks"
Yet again , another amazing experience with Atripla.
Congrats.
-Will
-
Five weeks today since I started Atripla and I am glad to say absolutely no side effects at all. The dizziness in the morning has stopped and I feel perfectly fine. My next set of bloods is due the 6th April and I get my results on the 20th April. Hopefully by then I will be completely undetectable.
Nothing but great things to say about Atripla. If anyone out there is doubting starting their meds, just do it. The sooner you do, the quicker you are on the road to a stable and healthy life.
Bruce