Happy New Year Dr. McGowan,

Finally, after going back and forth on the merits and demerits of Isentress and Truvada, my health care provider and I decided that I should get on Atripla. So, DDay arrived(December 28th), and I got on my meds, no dizziness, no wild dreams/nightmares till about the 7th of January: rashes up and down my arm which gradually spread to my chest, and as well, a little to my back. Concerned, though I knew that I might be the 1 in 5 to get rashes, I called my health care provider, and was informed that he wasn't in, and wouldn't be in till next week. Appointments were made for next week and I was informed to stop taking the medication(till I saw him,), and that most probably I would need to get on different meds after being seen.

My questions:

1) Aren't the rashes that uncommon? And don't they usually go away/dissipate severity wise?

2) What side effects are there if one indulged in street drugs while on it?

Thanks, and my best to you, Mack.

Mack,

Sorry to hear about the rash. In many cases, if the rashb is mild, it may go away on its own even if you continue the treatment. If it is more severe, with fever or sores in the mouth, it should be stopped. Some doctors like to change to a medicine called truvada (which contains 2 of the 3 medicines) in the Atripa (not the one that causes the rash) for a few days after stopping the tablet if it is early in the course. This is to lessen the chance for drug resistance because one of the efavirenz part of the pill can clear from the body more slowly than the other 2. However, the risk is small of resistance so this is not done by everyone. Street drugs can cause many reactions on their own, a rash being more likely though from Atripla is probably not one.

Best, Joe