Author Topic: Truvada and Viramune.... (Read 5702 times)

skeebo1969 · « **on:** September 20, 2009, 06:50:40 pm »

Our HIV doctor is switching my wife's combo from Zerit, Viread, and Viramune to Truvada and Viramune. Was wondering if anyone here with experience on this combo could possibly share their experiences with it. I've read some of the issues/side effects and Truvada seems to be the lesser of two evils where Zerit is concerned. Am I right on this? Our doctor seems to think she should stay on her current combo, but after reading some of the side effects from Zerit we became concerned. That is when we started harping to the doctor about switching the combo.

Her numbers are awesome on the Zerit, Viread, and Viramune combo, however from what I have read Zerit should not be one of the first choices given as a first ever prescribed combo..... her first HIV doctor prescribed this medicine to her in 2004 after she was initially diagnosed.

Any thoughts, advice, and experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thomas

Puckslinger · « **Reply #1 on:** September 20, 2009, 07:26:21 pm »

Hi Thomas,

I have had some experience with Zerit.

I took it for several years with Viramune , but I started to develop neuropathy in my toes; and my doc blamed the Zerit, took me off of it, and the pain and tingling that had started in my toes never became an unbearable issue.

I take Truvada now, with Norvir and Reyataz; and it is the best combo I've ever taken. No diarrhea. No vomiting. No neuropathy. Nothing. Just high CD4count and undetectable viral load.

Wish I could tell you more about the switch; but I would guess that the new combo would be better than anything that included Zerit.

Zerit is also supposed to be rougher on the liver.

Good luck!

Michael

J.R.E. · « **Reply #2 on:** September 20, 2009, 07:40:28 pm »

Tom,

I was started on Zerit, along with Viramune and epivir back in 2003. The Zerit was dropped, within about 40 days for Ziagen. Thats the only experience I have with Zerit.

I would think however that the Truvada combination ( Emtriva and viread) should be fine, unless of course you wife has issues with Emtriva ( she is already on viread)

Emtriva is very similar to Epivir.

Ray

skeebo1969 · « **Reply #3 on:** September 24, 2009, 04:54:03 pm »

I just read mpositive's post regarding Truvada. My wife is switching to it today, but will be taking Truvada along with Viramune. Is this enough? It seems like others I have read about who are taking Truvada are taking it with something else.... other than what she will be taking.

Is our doctor advising her correctly in other words?

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #4 on:** September 24, 2009, 04:56:38 pm »

Quote from: skeebo1969 on September 24, 2009, 04:54:03 pm

I just read mpositive's post regarding Truvada. My wife is switching to it today, but will be taking Truvada along with Viramune. Is this enough? It seems like others I have read about who are taking Truvada are taking it with something else.... other than what she will be taking.

Is our doctor advising her correctly in other words?

Generally yeah I think so -- it's a standard two NRTI (truvada is really two meds) plus one NNRTI regimen like Atripla. My only caveat here is that if your wife was ever once on Sustiva then your doctor should have done a resistance test on her, because it's easy to become resistant to Viramune too if that happens (happened to me) but maybe she's never even been on Sustiva.

Nashvegas · « **Reply #5 on:** September 24, 2009, 04:59:09 pm »

I'm on Truvada and Viramune, and I'm very happy with it. No side effects whatsoever for me. There's no need for an additiional medication, because Truvada is already a combo of two other meds. Hopefully, you're wife will be as happy with the combo as I have been. Keep us posted.

Puckslinger · « **Reply #6 on:** September 24, 2009, 05:09:15 pm »

Hiya Thomas,

When I saw that you had brought your post back to the top of the board, I did a search about *Truvada and Viramune*. Here are the comments made about this combo in 2008. I hope this helps:

http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=21323.0

bmancanfly · « **Reply #7 on:** September 24, 2009, 06:07:44 pm »

I've been on Truvada and Viramune once a day for 18 months. Undetectable VL and zero side effects.

best of luck.

skeebo1969 · « **Reply #8 on:** September 25, 2009, 06:16:33 am »

Thanks a lot everyone for the responses. We are both very excited that she will finally be getting off the Zerit. I would have never known about it being one of the least desired regimens to beging with if it had not been some of the experiences you all shared from it ; once again this was the one she was started on 5 years ago shortly after her diagnosis.

Thanks again. I'll keep everyone posted on her labs in 2 months. Right not her Cd4's are 900+..

Thomas

gaz41 · « **Reply #9 on:** September 27, 2009, 12:50:04 pm »

I've been taking viramune and truvada for 6 years now and have no problems

skeebo1969 · « **Reply #10 on:** September 27, 2009, 01:13:32 pm »

She took her first Truvada pill last night. She said she woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and felt dizzy. She remembers the first time I took Atripla and thinks it's one of those side effects that will go away in a couple of weeks.

She's really happy and her mother thinks I'm some kind of genius for pointing out the ills of Zerit. Little does she know I have AM in my back pocket. I love my mom-in-law anyways, she's always in my corner...lol

Joe K · « **Reply #11 on:** September 27, 2009, 02:00:04 pm »

I have been on Viramune and Truvada for four years and it is the best cocktail I have ever been on. Virtually no side effects and my CD4s keep climbing and I am undetectable.

Desertguy · « **Reply #12 on:** September 28, 2009, 08:34:57 am »

I'm on Truvada and Viramune for amost a year now, and I'm very happy with it. No side effects whatsoever for me. There's no need for an additiional medication, because Truvada is already a combo of two other meds. Hopefully, you're wife will be as happy with the combo as I have been. Keep us posted.

skeebo1969 · « **Reply #13 on:** September 28, 2009, 11:00:17 pm »

My wife says the Truvada pill makes her tired after she takes it and she wakes up feeling dizzy. Could this just be an initial side effect? She also has had diarrhea since starting it.... Is there any dietary restrictions with the regimen?

None of it so far seems debilitating in any way. The two of us are just curious is all...

Nashvegas · « **Reply #14 on:** September 28, 2009, 11:02:58 pm »

Hopefully, it's just a temporary side effect. Not something that I've experienced at all. Give it a couple of weeks and see how it goes...

joemutt · « **Reply #15 on:** September 29, 2009, 01:37:50 am »

I hope the nausea and diarrhea your wife experiences will be gone quickly.

mmj520 · « **Reply #16 on:** September 29, 2009, 12:05:43 pm »

Truvada / Viramune is my first combo, started in July 2007 with CD4 count in the mid 300s, 22%, 30,000 viral load. Initially upon starting the medication, I developed a fever within 2 days and was extremely tired. That cleared up within a week or so, and within a month my viral load was undetectable and there was a decent increase in CD4.

2 years, 3 months later -- CD4 is in the mid 600s and 42%; undetectable (labs done 9/18/2009). The highest CD4 so far was 740, 43%.

At my recent doctor visit, he commented that my response to the combo was better than he expected.

It is EXTREMELY encouraging to see the 6 year and 4 year successes mentioned above. Thanks for sharing that gaz41 & killfoile.

The only possible side effect still affecting me personally is lack of appetite and occasional nausea. I say possible side effect because I don't know if it's the Truvada/Viramune or the wellbutrin I take for depression. During the times I've stopped the Wellbutrin, my mood drops and that affects appetite as well.

Overall, I am very pleased with the combo of 3 pills daily. I take the Viramune roughly 12 hours apart typically. There are some nights I skip the second Viramune if my stomach is upset.

Best of luck to your wife, Skeebo1969, as she adjusts to the new combo.

skeebo1969 · « **Reply #17 on:** September 29, 2009, 03:52:59 pm »

We had an argument last night. Have not had one of those in a very long time. Is this a side effect? I'm just joking though.... the argument was just me being a man of course... and ummm, well her being a very tired woman who worked all day.

Anyone care to guess what it was about? If you read the cryptic words above I'm sure someone can guess correctly...

Shame on me...

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #18 on:** September 29, 2009, 06:16:49 pm »

Quote from: skeebo1969 on September 28, 2009, 11:00:17 pm

My wife says the Truvada pill makes her tired after she takes it and she wakes up feeling dizzy. Could this just be an initial side effect?

Isn't there a large yellow sticky label on the bottle stating that this med can cause dizzyness? Mine does, though I don't get dizzy.

skeebo1969 · « **Reply #19 on:** September 29, 2009, 07:08:59 pm »

Quote from: Miss Philicia on September 29, 2009, 06:16:49 pm

Isn't there a large yellow sticky label on the bottle stating that this med can cause dizzyness? Mine does, though I don't get dizzy.

I guess it would help if I read the stickers on the side of the bottle first. You know me, laziness just exudes from my pores. For arguements sake it's not yellow though, her's is red. I think red is a much better color.

tony_wdc20001 · « **Reply #20 on:** September 29, 2009, 11:28:42 pm »

I am on Truvada and Viramune. No side effects, although after the first two weeks when I had to start to double the dosage of viramune I started to have dizzy spells for the first three days. The combination seems to be working because my CD4 jumped 50% and my VL went down from 40803 to 207. I go in next week for second blood work since being on therapy (August 12, 2009) -- I hope they numbers do continue to improve.

The other side effect I had was when I increased Viramune to 2x day, it elevated by liver count numbers, so doctor is continuing to monitor it every two weeks.

Good luck

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Author Topic: Truvada and Viramune.... (Read 5702 times)