Weight gain and Triumeq

[WilliamSG]

I started Triumeq in December and gained about 15 pounds. The fat is around my midsection. Despite ramping up my cardio workouts and changing my diet the fat gut will not go away. Has any experienced gaining weight after starting Triumeq?

[Jim Allen]

Hi William,

Welcome to the forum.
Sorry to hear your having some weight gain problems, the midsection can be a real pain to shift.  I know I gained a few kilos but for me its just my metabolism starting to slow down/settle. 

Curious if you think its related to the meds have you mentioned to this to your Doctor by any chance ? What did they have to say ? Did you switch treatment to Triumeg or are you new to treatment?

Anyhow welcome to the forum and hope you stick around.

Jim

[WilliamSG]

Jim,

Thanks for the response. I shifted to Triumeq after many years on Atripla and Reyataz. Yes, told my doc and decided to give it a bit more time but thinking I need to switch again.

[owt]

I started Triumeq in December and gained about 15 pounds. The fat is around my midsection. Despite ramping up my cardio workouts and changing my diet the fat gut will not go away. Has any experienced gaining weight after starting Triumeq?

Oh don't tell me so.. i thought only PI cause weight gaining more often ... i'm now in Truvada/Prezista/Norvir and since i started it i got 3 kilos with Truvada/Reyataz/Norvir i gained like 12 kilos :S i have to be sincere i'm not a very active boy but i've been trying cardio and some diets and they don't really work and exactly like you all fat is in the midesection... i was thinking that Triumeq could be an option for me, but you're telling me very bad news.

this situation is getting me very sad, and i also have depression problems so you can imagine right now i'm feeling very bad...

tell your doctor if there anything to do.. i told mine and she said that HIV MEDICATION IS NOT THE REASON that surely i'm eating more and doing nothing.. yeah she's a bitch... she neither gave me any medical solution to my weight gain, i'm seeing a nutritionist this monday... i hope that goes ok.

keep looking for a solution.

[Jim Allen]

@Owt,

I appreciate overall you are going trough an extremely difficult time, however 1 persons experience does not mean the same is destine for you even if you do someday end up taking this specific combination.

Mod note
Can you please refrain from calling someone a b*****  its just unneeded and every time someone says it I end up getting complaints. So please find a different way to express yourself.

Thank you.

Jim

[CaveyUK]

she said that HIV MEDICATION IS NOT THE REASON that surely i'm eating more and doing nothing..

Owt - firstly, I am pleased you are looking at continued treatment options. Thats a good thing.

But there is another possibility which isn't 'the meds causing it' or 'being unhealthy', and that is that body chemistry changes as a result of having the virus suppressed may be altering or slowing the metabolism and therefore making it easier to put weight on and equally more difficult to shift the weight.

I'm not a scientist, so it's very much theoretical but I'm seeing a similar thing on my combo (Tivicay/Truvada). I've always eaten a lot and not exercised much - I'll admit that - and I'm a biggish guy as a result, but my weight was relatively stable, even if on the obese side. Since starting meds, I've found shirts tighter and less comfortable and I've clearly put some weight on.

What I've done is download the 'myfitnesspal' app, and started logging my food and weight (as well as exercise) on a daily basis. I don't expect it to resolve without changing my diet or activities, but with that app you can get a breakdown of the food you have eaten so you can see if there are any adjustments that could be made as well as have documented data regarding physical activity. This is important for two reasons - if I make those adjustments and I see weight reducing then I can continue to identify ways to keep at it - as well as having some motivation due to everything being logged BUT if I cannot lose the weight then I have some evidential data (calories vs activity) which I could show to doctors or nutritionists to hopefully influence a course of action.

Not saying you should do the same, but it is a suggestion which may help.

[owt]

@Owt,

I appreciate overall you are going trough an extremely difficult time, however 1 persons experience does not mean the same is destine for you even if you do someday end up taking this specific combination.

Mod note
Can you please refrain from calling someone a b*****  its just unneeded and every time someone says it I end up getting complaints. So please find a different way to express yourself.

Thank you.

Jim

i'm so sorry Jim, i did not want to offend anybody here (well of course there's a reason i used that word but if you knew how hard is to deal with that lady) i apologize to everybody about this.

[owt]

Owt - firstly, I am pleased you are looking at continued treatment options. Thats a good thing.

But there is another possibility which isn't 'the meds causing it' or 'being unhealthy', and that is that body chemistry changes as a result of having the virus suppressed may be altering or slowing the metabolism and therefore making it easier to put weight on and equally more difficult to shift the weight.

I'm not a scientist, so it's very much theoretical but I'm seeing a similar thing on my combo (Tivicay/Truvada). I've always eaten a lot and not exercised much - I'll admit that - and I'm a biggish guy as a result, but my weight was relatively stable, even if on the obese side. Since starting meds, I've found shirts tighter and less comfortable and I've clearly put some weight on.

What I've done is download the 'myfitnesspal' app, and started logging my food and weight (as well as exercise) on a daily basis. I don't expect it to resolve without changing my diet or activities, but with that app you can get a breakdown of the food you have eaten so you can see if there are any adjustments that could be made as well as have documented data regarding physical activity. This is important for two reasons - if I make those adjustments and I see weight reducing then I can continue to identify ways to keep at it - as well as having some motivation due to everything being logged BUT if I cannot lose the weight then I have some evidential data (calories vs activity) which I could show to doctors or nutritionists to hopefully influence a course of action.

Not saying you should do the same, but it is a suggestion which may help.

Hi Cavey, well in fact i'm a big fan of myfitnesspal since some years ago, as i told you i'm not a very active person so that app help me a lot to control what i eat and when a start to feel a little fatty hehe, i stick to that app a lot, it worked very well in that time, unfortunately since i'm on meds and chemo  it's been very hard to stick to a diet, i feel very tired if a don't eat enough so, that's the reason i'm seeing a nutritionist tomorrow i hope i get a good advice or some prescription to do this more easy, and yes i'll try to use myfitnesspal more often. it's an awesome tool.

thank you for caring about my meds, i really appreciate ... my friend

[Sam875]

I started Triumeq back in October and had a check up today - I've gained 19 pounds in six months. My doctor has received similar weight gain complaints this week from patients on Triumeq.  I've been Poz since 1994 and been on various meds over the years and never experienced this sort of weight gain in such a short period.  We're looking at alternative meds.