Hello,

I am about to start treatment, and I am really concern about side effects. I have not been on any previous medications. The genotype of my virus indicates no resistance to any meds, but I am not sure about allergic reactions. My doctor told me to start taking Atripla and see how it goes, to stop if I get rush, or severe stomach problems, but in general I am worried about side effects. I cant afford not going to work and/or school, and the forums here are a bit scary and my doctor as well told me I would most likely experience some kind of reaction. Do you agree with this treatment regime? Also, my doctor told me to spot taking all my vitamins and gym supplements. Why is that? Finally, can I use Viraday and Atripla interchangeably? They seem to have the same composition, but Atripla is common here and Viraday in South America. I could access both and I may eventually need to move to South America, so it is important for me to know if the medications are actually the same. Thanks,

Viraday contains the same 3 HIV medications as Atripla (efavirenz, emtricitabine, and tenofovir)--I would be confident that the drugs are very similar with good results with either. Since there is some modest concern about drug interactions with some vitamins and supplements a conservative approach would be to minimize use of chemicals and drugs when starting certain HIV medications. Atripla/Viraday is a very good choice for initial treatment of HIV infection-it may be worthwhile to discuss what is plan B if you have side effects (switching to different regimen may be preferable to stopping meds altogether). Good luck! KH