Author Topic: Starting Truvada and Sustiva this Sat, any tips? (Read 5616 times)

9941_K · « **on:** January 08, 2008, 08:01:45 am »

Hello everyone

Haven't logged on for a while and hope you guys are fine and ok!!

A few weeks ago I posted on starting meds soon
http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=17551.msg222565#msg222565

After compromising with doc I will start truvada & sustiva this Sat. I know my body is on downhill and its about time to start meds (though I feel very fine)

Now I'm abit worried about Sustiva. I have a pretty demanding & busy job during day time and need my full attention. I know Sustiva will affect central nervous system and wonder if there's any tips to minimise its impact during daytime, esp. in setting my intake time before sleep?

Is there any tips / suggestions, esp for those who went through the adjustment period!

I would be also grateful if there's any special change I should take note on my body in the coming weeks and to learn more about the long term side effect of Sustiva

The road in front of me is really unknown but I'll try my best to cope with it. I'm so glad to have found this site which has been really helpful and supportive for me

Hugs
K

BT65 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 08, 2008, 08:21:19 am »

When you take the Sustiva, don't eat foods that have high fat content. That will greatly intensify the side effects of brainfog. I'm sure others will have some good advice for you as well.

btobaby · « **Reply #2 on:** January 08, 2008, 09:15:29 am »

I have found taking sustiva in the evening to be the best. Taking it before bed so that the high I feel helps me fall asleep but early enough so that I'm not foggy in the morning. It takes a little fine tuning. Good luck.
B

randym431 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 08, 2008, 04:46:58 pm »

Im not on truvada itself (on something else), but I am on sustiva as part of my combo.
You'll feel wacky the first few hours (like drunk or wobblie).
But only for the first few hours. When you awake you should feel fine again.
So thats why they say to take at night, to sleep it off. And miss the 3-4 hour drunk feeling.
But after a week or three, even those first few hour drunk feeling sides should lessen a lot.
My sides lasted 10 days (the drunk feeling) and really only the first time was a problem,
cause its a new drug you're taking and never felt its sides before, so I kinda worried
but just be calm, try to go to sleep. It wont kill you, just feels weird.

After 10 days, I usually felt hardly no sides at all. I really could take it day or night and still function like normal.
They say the body takes a few months to get use to the sides, but I found it was more like a few days.

Its just that sustiva does, especially for the first time, make you feel weird or different. Cold-ish, clam-ish,
dizzy and general just weird. But just keep calm and try to sleep those first few hours off.
Like I said, it wont kill you but you might feel really weird. This new feeling can set off a panic attack
in those that have panic attacks, so you might have someone in the household be aware of you starting the new
drug, so you can wake then and talk and get your mind off it, if a panic attack starts up. Or have a friend handy to call
on the phone if you need someone to talk to. This all is more for any panic attack one might get, not the drug.
It helps to talk to someone if you're thinking your having a panic attack, due to those new weird drug sides.

You may feel so weird that you think something is going wrong and then the panic attack thing can trigger.
So talking to someone else can bring you back to earth and calm you down.

Just try to remember, this drug is so good, that you will get to undetectable really fast!!!
And once the virus is put down, your CD4 will over time recover too, but that can take months.
Also, you should be on some anti biotic while your cd4 tests below 200, to keep from getting
any of the nasty bugs that one can get with a low cd4. Hope your doctor is up on that.
All the best!

littlefire · « **Reply #4 on:** January 08, 2008, 04:47:28 pm »

It takes me about 6 hours to sleep off Sustiva. I aim to take it at 11 at night, then it starts fogging me over at about 12 - nice time to hit the hay

Other tips... hmmm... stick to your dosing times

BT65 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 08, 2008, 06:37:35 pm »

I've said this before, but I'll say it again. When the Sustiva makes me feel drunk/high, I just go with it and try to enjoy it.

dingowarrior · « **Reply #6 on:** January 08, 2008, 07:35:15 pm »

sustiva gave me a bad case of the jiters the firdst night, cold yet hot feeling, very much like a bad acid trip...but the second nite was just fine

MOONLIGHT1114 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 08, 2008, 10:56:05 pm »

I've been on Sustiva for 5+ years (with Truvada for the past two) and I have only recently stopped getting the drunk feeling. I take it about an hour before bed. Yes, the drunk feeling is kinda fun, nothing to be scared of, like being on a merry go round at the park. Oh, and I never got any wild, erotic dreams like they promised!

~ Cindy

cjc · « **Reply #8 on:** January 09, 2008, 08:55:20 am »

Hello, I have been taking this combo for 3 years and have found(for me) it's best to take it right before bed. And I try to get 8 per night but I know someone else said 6 is sufficient to clear the effect. Now it did kinda make me anxious the first night but after that I have been fine with it. My #'s are good and VL undetectable. It effects everyone a little different. Hope you do well on it. Cristy

9941_K · « **Reply #9 on:** January 09, 2008, 09:38:41 am »

Thanks alot everyone for kind advice

A little bit more background. I'm from Asia, sleep fairly little (approx 5 hours per night) and hate dreaming. Tried and get drunk only once in my life. So taking sustiva may like an adventure for me

Like what Bettytacy said, go with the flow

Right now my schedule is planned at 1030 pm, then spend another hour bathing etc before hitting the bed for approx 6 hours sleep. Hope it works fine (but I'm prepared to have fine adjustment)

But well noted the possibility of getting a panic attack. In fact I don't want my family to know about it but don't wanna bother my friends in the mid of midnight at local time. So anyone who's willing to offer help on this please PM me

I'm happy to learn the drug works well for many of us and looking forward to having improved numbers soon!

Many thanks again and hugs
K

littlefire · « **Reply #10 on:** January 09, 2008, 10:13:44 am »

MOONLIGHT1114: I remember the Sustiva brochure said that I might get some nightmares. Never had those, and am quite pissed off about it because I quite liked my nightmares. I'm a horror kinda freak though

Now you say you're supposed to have erotic dreams? Damn I feel so marginalised now

Strayboy74 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 10, 2008, 10:57:40 pm »

I echo everything everyone has said... and encourage you to drink lots of water.

My sustiva adventures still render me a bit drunk the next morning if I get less than my regular 8 hours of sleep. Additionally, after two weeks of taking it, I became a little emotionally unstable.

Hopefully, a gym membership and a dedicated daily workout will be able to cure it. We'll see.

Good luck!

-joseph

9941_K · « **Reply #12 on:** January 11, 2008, 05:43:09 am »

Thanks alot Joseph

Starting meds tomorrow and will have a big drink party tonight to farewell my final alcohol consumption at night!

Will keep you guys posted how I adjust to the meds which maybe helpful to other newbies!

Take care and hugs
K

Tim Horn · « **Reply #13 on:** January 11, 2008, 06:45:21 am »

K:

You might be interested in this lesson on AIDSmeds.com:

Tips & Tricks on Taking Sustiva

I wrote this "lesson," soon after Sustiva was approved, to help AIDSmeds.com member better understand some of the side effects they've been experiencing or are hearing about. While it's true that side effects of Sustiva therapy can be frustrating and make life difficult, there are steps that can be taken to help lessen their severity and, in some cases, prevent them from occurring in the first place.

Hope you find it helpful,

Tim Horn

komnaes · « **Reply #14 on:** January 11, 2008, 10:19:55 pm »

Quote from: 9941_K on January 11, 2008, 05:43:09 am

Starting meds tomorrow and will have a big drink party tonight to farewell my final alcohol consumption at night!

.. and you didn't invite me! Good luck and a big hug to you K.

Gary · « **Reply #15 on:** January 13, 2008, 09:50:34 am »

Hi, I'm on this combo and I've never felt better in my life, it really works for me. no matter what you do, your first few doses (maybe few weeks) on sustiva might make you a bit out of it but it gets better, like everyone else has said, take it before bed. I take mine 2 hours before and remember if you eat something fatty about an hour before, the side effects are worse.
I've never had a bad dream in the 4 years I've been on it, vivid dreams, yes!....and rude ones

libvet · « **Reply #16 on:** January 13, 2008, 01:04:32 pm »

Unless you find yourself totally disabled by Sustiva, don't throw in the towel if it takes a few weeks to get past the initial effects. For the vast majority of people, the vivid dreams and stuff tend to subside after a couple of weeks.

I've been on it for 8 years now and have been undetectable every single time since I started this regimen.

Forums Index

Welcome

Author Topic: Starting Truvada and Sustiva this Sat, any tips? (Read 5616 times)