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Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: InChicagoNow on July 20, 2009, 06:16:16 pm

Title: Viral load has gone up and about to start meds
Post by: InChicagoNow on July 20, 2009, 06:16:16 pm
Hi all... my viral load has skyrocketed in the last 6mos or so from around 12,000 to 90,000+.  My t-cells are at 446.  I'm about to start Isentress and Truvada.  I did the mail order thing, so just waiting for them to arrive.  In the meantime, I'm sooooo tired and sleepy all the time.  Is this something that happens when the virus is more prevalent in your system?  I just have no energy at all, and would love to just sleep all the time.  Also, my Dr. said that since the virus is in the brain, if could be contributing to any symptoms of depression I might have been experiencing.  He said this could improve those symptoms as the amount of the virus leaves the brain... does anyone have any thoughts on these issues?  I've never been on meds before, so I'd love any info or experiences you guys have had.

Thanks!

Scott
Title: Re: Viral load has gone up and about to start meds
Post by: pinkadam on July 20, 2009, 07:59:50 pm
Hi all... my viral load has skyrocketed in the last 6mos or so from around 12,000 to 90,000+.  My t-cells are at 446.  I'm about to start Isentress and Truvada.  I did the mail order thing, so just waiting for them to arrive.  In the meantime, I'm sooooo tired and sleepy all the time.  Is this something that happens when the virus is more prevalent in your system?  I just have no energy at all, and would love to just sleep all the time.  Also, my Dr. said that since the virus is in the brain, if could be contributing to any symptoms of depression I might have been experiencing.  He said this could improve those symptoms as the amount of the virus leaves the brain... does anyone have any thoughts on these issues?  I've never been on meds before, so I'd love any info or experiences you guys have had.

Thanks!

Scott

Your viral is not that high. You will be undetectable with in a month once you start your medication.
I dont think  viral load can make you tired but i could be wrong as i am not a specialist. You may be tired thinking about the disease
Just take the meds and you get your health back with in no time.

Good luck

Title: Re: Viral load has gone up and about to start meds
Post by: J.R.E. on July 20, 2009, 08:09:49 pm
Scott,

Here's a link from the lessons, dealing with fatigue. I had a lot of fatigue and tiredness, before I started on meds, and I was in a lot worse shape than you are.

However, after starting on meds, things improved quite a bit.


http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/Fatigue_7533.shtml


Take care---Ray
Title: Re: Viral load has gone up and about to start meds
Post by: WillyWump on July 20, 2009, 10:33:12 pm
As my Vl increased I got increasingly fatigued, especially from the 50k to 100k mark. At times it was tough to go more than 4 hours without a nap. However once I started meds I immediately got more energy and now rarely take naps during the day, for me it was like night and day. I'm not sure whether it was a mental issue (thinking abut it) or a physiological one but nevertheless that is my experience.

Cannot comment on VL causing depression as Ive been Bipolar since before my diagnosis, so depression has always been an issue for me and it has remained about the same pre and post meds.

Good luck and I'm certain you will be very pleased with your results once you start.

-Will



Title: Re: Viral load has gone up and about to start meds
Post by: mecch on July 21, 2009, 07:26:24 am
Everyone is different but yeah sounds like your viral load spike is associated with your tiredness. The good news is the HAART will be very effective in controlling your viral load - daily decreases by many "logs". You and the chemestry will soon take control of that virus and you'll be feeling better, you'll see!  Good luck.
Title: Re: Viral load has gone up and about to start meds
Post by: InChicagoNow on July 22, 2009, 10:06:19 am
Thank you all very much for the responses.  It has been harder to deal with the fact that I have to start taking meds, than it was to initially test poz.  I'm just ready to get it started!