POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Pre-HAART Long-Term Survivors => Topic started by: 22 years on January 10, 2009, 01:20:09 pm
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New drugs will be Kaletra (2 times a day) and Epzicom (once a day) Doctor says its the last regiment available right now.
Just wondering if anyone has been on this two drugs in combination and what problems or such happened? Scard of the Epzicom over the side effects and such.
Still working 12 hour days and need to continue right now. SSD is not a option for me as it seemed like giving up the last time.
Thanks for the input all.
Rick
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Hey Rick,
I've not taken those particular meds, but I know others who do and have had good results with them.
Is it resistance issues causing the switch?
Your doc said this is the last combo available at this time. Is he excluding some of the new drugs such as Isentriss or the new NNRTI, the name of which is escaping me?
Just wondering why this is the last regimen available.
I know others will chime in with their experiences on these meds. I wish I knew more.
Take care and let us know how it goes.
HUGS,
Mark
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Doctor says its the last regiment available right now.
What's that mean?
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Hey Rick
Kaletra is one I have never taken. I'm currently taking Epzicom, waiting to switch it for something else. It has 'stirred up' my PN issues, and over the last few weeks, I have noticed increasing dizzy spells and light-headedness. Not sure which med to pin this on, but Epzicom seems the likely culprit, since it is the only relatively new one I take. I will say that my G.I. issues with Truvada do seem to be improved with Epzicom. I don't have quite as much bloat and discomfort.
Good luck, and keep us posted.
Alan
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I've been on Kaletra, and the components of Epzicom (Ziagen and Epivir), but never all at the same time. Kaletra produced massive amounts of diarrhea for me, but then so did a lot of other PI's (hello saquinavir!) I was also a Kaletra pioneer club member who went on at as soon as it became FDA approved at the end of 2000 and was on it until 2006 so I think that's the longest I was on any one HIV medication. My one recommendation would be to have immodium on hand at all times, and if it becomes excessive then vocally insist on a prescription of loperamide, which is really just double-strength immodium, and take it with every dosing of your Kaletra. If you try and just take "as needed" you'll never obtain any relief.
Ziagen did something weird to me so they took me off of it -- whatever the allergic reaction is for this med that only a small percentage get. Most people as far as I know tolerate it quite well.
And I'm sure years of Epivir in the 90's gave me lipoatrophy... such fun!
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While everyone is different in their reactions to meds, I would never recommend Kaletra to anyone. While the viral load suppression was good, the side effects of diarrhea and elevated lipids were too much for me. On different threads, many other people have experienced the same side effects. My quality of life really deteriorated under my Kaletra (+Truvada) regimen. Indeed, the diarrhea/fear of diarrhea undermined added a huge amount of stress to my work. If you experience these symptons, don't wait. Switch to another combo. There are others out there, including some with better tolerability.
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Hi.... I switched to Kaletra on Dec. 10, 2008. There is a new formulation of hard pills which incoroporate the two drugs into one pill. My experience with the new Kaletra is fatigue and gastro intestinal issues like flatulence and diarrhea, all of which I control with l-glutamine, probiotics, and immodium. To fight the fatigue from the meds I take panax gensing and caffiene...it helps but it doesn't completely control these undesirable side effects. Maybe it's a question of fine tuning. Hope this helps....
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I am on Kaletra & Kivexa since end of 2007... So far I dont have any problems... I feel good... but i have to mention that until May 2008 I had 2-3 times per week diarrhea... Now it's about 2-3 times per month. I have to admit that I go 2-4 times per day to toilet for a big "business"... but the outcome is always small but ok... I mean I have also no problem to surpress my "business" for 3-4 hours.
About lipo... I am not sure... I am 31... you know... i am not anymore fresh meat... and I hate situps... wintertime... less sports... So I gained a small belly last 6 months... but I still wear (european) size (jeans) 30 (before 29-30)
That's my experience with Kaletra / Kivexa
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I have on Kaletra and Epivir for a number of years with no side effects. I see my doctor every 6 months and have been undetectable since about 6 months after testing poz. Good luck.
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This is in the Long-Term Survivor's forum, isn't it? Just sayin'.
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I tested positive over 15years ago so maybe I am wrong but I think that may qualify for long term. When I say that I have been on Kaletra for a number of years I roughly guess, without checking my record, that I have been taking Kaletra for at least 7 years.
I felt that it was a valid question to be asked of long term survivors. Who better to ask than people who have been positive for a number of years. I certainly would not be seeking advice from someone who was newly diagnosed.
I may have misread your response, so I apologise in advance if my response was out of line.
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I tested positive over 15years ago so maybe I am wrong but I think that may qualify for long term.
Oh, I didn't understand. When you said you have been undetectable 6 months after tesing +, I thought you were saying it's only been 6 months since you tested +. My bad, sorry.
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I was liquid Kaletra for a while (although not Epzicom) and would have to agree with the majority of the posts that I had bathroom issues with this drug. Immodium did help.
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I took Kaletra for six years, and the last 1.5 years of those they even piled on Saquinavir for a salvage-type "double PI" regimen, which I've not heard done very much. So, imagine how much diarrhea that produces, not to mention I think at that time just those PI's consisted of 14 pills each day, and that didn't even include whatever NRTI they had me on. And then, naturally, I had to take TWENTY mgs of loperamide/imodium daily just to keep the explosive-D somewhat regulated. And I do mean only "somewhat".
Basically all of this, combined with worsening lipo and wasting, caused me to almost never leave the house as I was afraid to not be next to a toilet. I'd exhausted all other med options so really there wasn't much else for me to do -- and of course to make matters worse my viral load never got suppressed during all of this effort, necessitating monthly visits to the doctor/monthly lab work, etc. -- actually come to think of it I was going to the doctor every two weeks, because in between the monthly lab work visits they were injecting testosterone cypionate in my butt cheeks to counteract the wasting.
Looking back on this I really WAS a mess, wasn't I?
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Looking back on this I really WAS a mess, wasn't I?
But you're fabulous now!