Started Edurant+Kivexa

[ivegotthepills]

Hi guys ,i`m new here
Ive started my treatment before 3 months with Edurant (rilpivirine) and Kivexa ( abacavir + lamivudine). What do you think about this combination, because there is not so much info about rilpivirine, especially in collaboration with kivexa. . Is it good for first line therapy ? thanks

[Jim Allen]

Hi

Welcome to the forum, glad to hear you are on treatment.
Hope to hear that you have fantastic results in the future.

There are a good few examples of rilpivirine being combined abacavir + lamivudine. I added at the end of my post a recent example 2016 where they compaired to Edurant - Kivexa vs Eviplera.

Anyhow best of luck and looking forward to hearing more from you.

Jim

http://www.bhiva.org/documents/Conferences/2016Manchester/Presentations/Posters/commended-poster-presentations/P17.pdf

Aimed to describe the characteristics, indications and outcomes of those switching to RPV (rilpivirine) with Kivexa (KIV-RPV) compared to Eviplera.

Conclusions: switching to KIV-RPV (rilpivirine+ Kivexa) was as effective as EVP (Eviplera) at maintaining virological suppression with no key difference observed

[ivegotthepills]

Hi , thank you for the fast response.
Ive start my treatment with 550 CD4 , and 11,000 VL.
after 25 days : 900 CD4 and only 75 VL .
2 months later  i visited other lab with different apparatus of PCR testing and my
CD4 were again 900 but my VL was 485 . is it normal the Viral load to increase in the first several months or due to the different kind of pcr testing ?

[Jim Allen]

Hi

Look if you are being adherent the virus should be quickly suppressed, having a blip can happen and you have only just started treatment.

So just follow your doctors advice, keep taking the meds and in the follow-ups appointments with your doc keep an eye on the VL. Time will only tell if the meds your on will give you sustained suppression.

However you have no need to panic at all

Jim

[Reggie]

I also am very interested in any information on rilpivirine  with kivexa as I have been on rilpivirine with truvada for over 2 years but now my Docter has done the sensitivity test to see I have the alergy to kivexa and am able to make the switch to take in place of truvada with rilpivirine or not?

The reason he wants to change me off the truvada is too give me kidneys a break from the toxicities of truvada on them as all my kidney function numbers are on the high end. I have no other side effects and this combination  has worked great keeping me undetectable and strengthening my immune system .

My concerns now are the side effects from kivexa on heart etc....?? Being one of the older arv's?

I think you will do well on this regime from what I've studied and wish you all the best

Cheers

Reggie

[ivegotthepills]

HI Reggie , is there a option for Odefsey ( emtricitabine, rilpivirine, & tenofovir alafenamide ) ?

[Jim Allen]

Hi

I think both of you need to talk to your doctors, the combinations are possible and not unique.

Reggie, as for the concerns, look a lot of it relates to additional risk factors and avoiding additional risks , family history, smoking , blood pressure etc etc. Take to your doc.

Jim

[Reggie]

Yeah thanks Jim, my next labs and Docters appointment the end of January so will discuss with my Docter and make a decision based on that.

Still feel grateful we have different options for treatmentso can make good sense to change if having certain side effects from some of the meds.

Cheers

[Jim Allen]

You can say that again.

With today's generation of medication and choices available we are very lucky to expect no major side effects and indeed that we have options to switch if needed based on our individual needs.

Good luck on the follow-up and let us know how you get on and what switch you make.

Jim