I found out I was Poz in '04. My doctor put me on ATRIPLA in '06. I also take Zoloft and Zocor. My Triglycerides have gone from the low 600's to the low 400's, but there has been no change in the last nine months. My doctor has mentioned putting me on TRICOR. What is your take on this. I am 60 years old, and aside from having my appendix out four years ago, have never been hospitalized or sick.

Thanks, dg

This is really a drug interaction issue. A statin might do a good job on your triglycerides without needing a fribrate drug like tricor. The problem is that the efavirenz in Atripla reduces the exposure of Zocor to a great degree, so you are not getting much bang for your buck from Zocor. I would suggest changing the statin from Zocor to Lipitor (start at 20mg and titrate up to 80/night based on effects) or Crestor (start at 10mg and titrate up). Both these drugs still have some interaction but will do more for both Cholesterol and Triglycerides than Zocor. If your trigs stay above 250 after another 6 months, tricor or an omega 3 supplement may help. Meanwhile, cutting back on sugars (like sodas, or in coffee)and alcohol and taking regular cardio exerise usually helps trigs a bit. Best Wishes Dr Moyle