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Author Topic: Starting treatment!!  (Read 4419 times)

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Offline brunofl

  • Member
  • Posts: 22
Starting treatment!!
« on: December 13, 2013, 06:45:12 am »
Hello everyone!! Greetings from Belgium!!  ;) ;)

I was diagnosed two months ago with this numbers: cd4 230 VL 200,000.
After one month i did another lab test and the numbers were almost the same: cd4 300 VL 150,000.

So my doctor told me I should start treatment immediately, she gave me TRUVADA+NORVIR+PREZISTA. I am buying the meds tomorrow, but i have to confess i am a bit scared about the liver problems it may cause, plus the lipodystrophy. Also, she told me that i can't drink a single drop of alcohol!

If anyone could help me to feel less stressed I would really appreciate!! im so scared to start treatment that i was thinking in not buy the meds and wait a little bit more! :(

My Doc told me that this combo is one of the best and the most tolerable, less side effects and that it works very good, she also told me that when my VL decrease less than 100,000 we can change to EVIPLERA.

Should I be super worried about my combo? ot is it just my paranoia and depression??

thanks for your support!!!!

BF.
Logged
10/21/2013 - DX
11/06/2013- %15 CD4 233 VL 193 000
12/12/2013- %15 CD4 270 VL 175 000
12/18/2013- Started Prezista/Truvada/Norvir
01/28/2014- %17 CD4 330 VL 420
04/22/2014- %21 CD4 380 VL UD
09/02/2014- %29 CD4 869 VL UD
12/04/2014- %21 CD4 494 VL UD
03/17/2015- %20 CD4 550 VL UD
19/09/2017- %29 CD4 530 VL UD

Offline ad2san

  • Member
  • Posts: 238
Re: Starting treatment!!
« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2013, 07:05:16 am »
Hello Belgium

welcome to the forum ! Well, your doc tries to scare you .... From what I heard this combo is easy and works very well (I'll let Newt write about it, he knows better than I).
What concerns lipodistrophy you can forget it. It was true with the medication 10 years ago .... and it is not, in general, a concern nowadays ... this said everyone is different ...
I personally like to take the meds with breakfast, this way I can have a glas wine or beer at lunch, dinner or in the evening .... I had several combos and I have not seen any impact or problem. I do not dring a lot but quite regularly and sometimes too much :-) (2 / 3 Times a year - wedding, b-day etc ).

It is normal that you feel scared. I felt the same when I started, then I was very pleased to see that it has almost no impact on my life .... the only burden is to have some spare in the closet or when you go in vacation .... You'll do fine, be confident !

Take it easy! Cheers.



Logged
Feb   2009 CD4 358 VL 2000 16%
May  2009 CD4 305 VL 3069  14% <---- Started TVD+ATZ/r
Jul  2009 CD4 512 VL <50   18%
Jul 2010 CD4 418 VL <50 24%                     
Switched to Kivexa (Epzicom) + Norvir + Reyataz (due to sleep problem)
Aug 2010 CD4 606 VL <50 25%
Jul 2011 CD4 494 UD 23%
Switched to Kivexa (Epzicom) + Viramune XR (due to kidney problems)
January 2012 CD4 564 UD 31%
January 2013 CD4 594 UD 26%
Switched to Kivexa (Epzicom) + Isentress due to BIG increase GammaGT
Feb 2013 CD4 699 UD 28%
Aug 2014 CD4 639 UD 25%
Switched January 2015 to Triumeq
May 2015 CD4 807 UD 31%
Switched Nov 2016 to Genvoya due to gastric problems
November 2016 CD4 847 UD 32%

Offline Jeff G

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  • Member
  • Posts: 17,064
  • How am I doing Beren ?
Re: Starting treatment!!
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2013, 07:33:35 am »
Welcome to the forum . Are you co-infected with Hepatitis ? That could be a reason your doctor is calling for total abstinence . When I had uncontrolled HEP B my doc asked me to stop drinking even in moderation until I was undetectable for Hep.

If not there is no reason you cant enjoy a drink or 3 every now and then .   
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Offline Ann

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  • Posts: 28,134
  • It just is, OK?
    • Num is sum qui mentiar tibi?
Re: Starting treatment!!
« Reply #3 on: December 13, 2013, 08:44:34 am »
Hi Bruno, welcome to the forums.

I've moved your thread into the Just Tested Poz forum as it is a better fit for your questions and concerns.

I'm also on Prezista, Norvir and Truvada and there is no reason why you can't drink alcohol on this combo, unless there is something else going on like Hep B or C, as Jeff mentioned.

Provided you don't have some other concurrent condition for which you should be abstinent from alcohol, the only possible problem is if you are regularly getting so drunk that you miss taking your meds.

All things in moderation, including moderation.

I really think you're over-worrying about things like liver problems (again, provided you don't have a form of hepatitis) and lipo. The combo you're on has one of the lowest side-effect profiles out there. You just need to eat a healthy diet.

I don't know why your doctor would want to change you (eventually) to Eviplera, unless taking only one pill (as opposed to three) is important to you. They're both once-a-day combos.

You're going to be ok, give it time.

Hugs,
Ann

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Offline brunofl

  • Member
  • Posts: 22
Re: Starting treatment!!
« Reply #4 on: December 13, 2013, 09:22:07 am »
Hey everyone!! Thank you very much for your answers and the warm welcome!! btw, I was born in El Paso, Texas, grew up in the mexican side of the border and now living in Belgium, lol, how weird is that??... :P

Im actually very healthy, hep C and B negative, I had chlamydia, but the last lab test came out negative, but sometimes I still feel the symptoms, my Dr. told me that will disappear as soon as my immune system starts to recover with the treatment.

My Doc also told me that Norvir has a very strong impact in the liver, that it blocks some enzymes so if I take alcohol it could be not healthy cuz it takes too much time to get it out of the system, something like that... I don't drink too much, but at weekends i drink 2 or 3 beers or cocktails, and the idea of not being able to relax myself and have a "normal" life creeps me out!!! 

In the other hand, I try to keep myself with a positive attitude, but sometimes its hard, I'm young (25 y/o) and the idea of being attached to some pills for the rest of my life is sometimes sad. I think it's normal in the beginning!!

Well, tomorrow will be my first day!! wish me luck! :)

Thanks!!!

cheers!!! :)

Logged
10/21/2013 - DX
11/06/2013- %15 CD4 233 VL 193 000
12/12/2013- %15 CD4 270 VL 175 000
12/18/2013- Started Prezista/Truvada/Norvir
01/28/2014- %17 CD4 330 VL 420
04/22/2014- %21 CD4 380 VL UD
09/02/2014- %29 CD4 869 VL UD
12/04/2014- %21 CD4 494 VL UD
03/17/2015- %20 CD4 550 VL UD
19/09/2017- %29 CD4 530 VL UD

Offline Miss Philicia

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Re: Starting treatment!!
« Reply #5 on: December 13, 2013, 10:54:57 am »
The only official warnings about Norvir and alcohol intake concern patients also taking antabuse or flagyl (disulfiram or metronidazole).

http://www.aidsmeds.com/archive/Norvir_1561.shtml

There is an oral solution for norvir that contains alcohol so they advised against drinking, but that is not the case with a 100mg capsule used as a booster. I'd inquire of my doctor why he is telling you this when it's not the published advisory. If it was the official advisory the prescription bottle would clearly be labeled 'do not use alcohol with this medication'.
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Offline 2tcells

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  • Posts: 259
Re: Starting treatment!!
« Reply #6 on: December 13, 2013, 11:36:43 am »
Im on this same combo and havnt had any side effects and my doc said I can drink with it and I drink a lot usually. For my next bloodwork I have only been drinking half as much as usual to see if it helps my cd4 grow faster
Logged
7-4-13 diagnosed   cd4- 2      vl-220,600
8-3-13                     cd4- 4      vl- 448
9-3-13                     cd4- 40    vl- ud
11-3-13                   cd4- 54    vl-ud
1-9-14                     cd4- 62    vl- 43
4-3-14                     cd4- 110  vl-ud
8-5-14                     cd4- 95    vl-ud
9-23-14                   cd4- 97    vl-ud
1-22-15                   cd4- 156  vl-ud
4-14-15                   cd4- 122  vl-ud
6-12-15                   cd4- 148  vl-?
8-15-15 start stribild
9-3-15                     cd4- 152 vl-ud
11-25-15                  cd4- 211 vl-20
2-17-16                   cd-4 194 vl-ud
4-1-16 start genvoya
5-10-16                   cd-4 220 vl-ud
9-19-16                   cd-4 182 vl-ud
12-2016                  cd-4  267!vl-ud
2018 cd4 187 switching meds

Offline wolfter

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,470
Re: Starting treatment!!
« Reply #7 on: December 13, 2013, 08:46:50 pm »
Welcome to the forums.  I'm on this same combo along with Intelence.  Alcohol is not an issue and I've had perfect results with my liver tests.  Neither the meds nor alcohol have cause any immediate issues.

I learned long ago to not worry too much about side affects but instead, focus on how my individual system is tolerating them.  Stressing about the side affects in advance can become a self fulfilling prophecy. 

Remember to record specific incidents or side affects with the meds in order to discuss them with your doctor.  There are many options if this combo doesn't work out.

Wolfie
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