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Mark100
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Newbie
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Reged: 02/23/13
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Posts: 17
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Loc: Montreal, Canada
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Just started my treatment today.
#271406 - 03/29/13 12:09 PM
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Hey Guys, well I saw my doctor yesterday and after my second blood test results she decided to start me on medication. I was infected in early December 2012 and was diagnosed February 20th with an initial cd4 of 420 and a viral load of 150,000. This time my cd4 was 400 and my viral load was 500,000. I guess this is somehat common after the initial infection.
The doctor started me on Isentress and Kivexa, which is a 2 pill a day regime. She said that will help my viral load go down pretty quickly and then after that I could switch to a one pill a day treatment if I like.
Anyway, so far so good. I took my first pill a few hours ago and never really noticed any side effects. I guess time will tell.
Has anyone here ever taken any of these medications? If so, maybe you could let me know how they work for you?
Thanks!
Mark
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kicker
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Legend
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Reged: 10/25/10
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Posts: 696
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Loc: GA, USA
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You have taken a very good first step in dealing with HIV. That's awesome. I haven't taken that combination myself, but I wouldn't put to much stock in other's experiences with them. I started with one 1 pill a day medication and it was one of the worse experiences of my life. I suffered for months on it. Everyone else I spoke to about it loved it. Had no problems and had nothing bad to say.
My point is that every medication has a different reaction with every person. No two people are alike so everyone will have a different experience. What matters is does it work for you. If it does great! So far it sounds like it does and that is what is important. Not if it was a great or horrible experience for someone else.
Keep up the good work, in no time you will feel like you have control and eventually even taking the meds won't seem like that big a deal if you even think about it. It's been two years since I started and I don't even give it any thought anymore its so routine. That's what you want, normalcy it goes a long way to feeling healthier and better all around.
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Mark100
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Newbie
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Reged: 02/23/13
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Posts: 17
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Loc: Montreal, Canada
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Hey thanks for the words of encouragement kicker ;-)
That's what I figure as well, everyone's different so there will be many different experiences. I guess I just wanted to know if maybe this was a combination that was known to cause side effects for a lot of people.
I was a little nervous about having just started my medication because I tend to be very sensitive to stuff like that. Over the counter cough medicine can be sometimes too much for me to handle, as is a simple cup of coffee. But like I said, so far so good. I'll be taking my second pill in a few hours. I'll take it one pill at a time and see how it goes. And like you said, pretty soon it will just be part of my routine ;-)
Thanks,
Mark
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iam1
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Fanatic
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Reged: 06/17/09
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Posts: 84
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Loc: Georgia
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Mark, Congratulations on seeking care and getting help! So many people try to deny to themselves that they could possibly have HIV. These people tend to be the people who do poorly on meds, because they don't take them like they should.
Taking your meds is IMPORTANT! Taking your meds correctly is IMPORTANT! Not missing doses of your meds is IMPORTANT! Do you see the idea I'm trying to push here?
I'm going to be the wet blanket at you party here. I'm going to tell you, because you need to know. It's been the weekend and hopefully you're still taking your meds with no side effects. But, side effects often take days to show. You may just be starting to see them now. Don't be surprised if you have a reaction next weekend. If you get through the first couple days without severe reactions chances are later reactions (if they occur) will be mild.
IF you have a reaction keep taking the meds if at all possible. Try to get through the side effects. Call and talk with the staff (the nurses are very good about handling this type of issue) at the clinic where you're being treated if the side effects persist more then 4 or 5 days. Or, if the side effects are causing you to not be able to function normally (not work, not sleep).
One of the first things I do whenever I get a new med is look it up on the internet. What is most important for me to know the interactions and restrictions. Most meds you take from now on WILL have both.
It's important to get all your meds from the same pharmacy. They are your first line for drug interactions. And, interactions don't only occur with prescribed meds. Many of the HIV meds have contra-indications for other over-the-counter products. You need to discuss with your care providor all possible meds you might take. Even vitamins and aspirin.
Most HIV meds don't have food restrictions by type of food. Some do have food restrictions by limiting when you can eat. It's important to follow these instructions. if the label says "Not 2 hours before or 1 hour after" be sure you have a good 3 hour window. And, some of the meds recommend that you DO eat when you take them. This is to prevent stomach discomfort, diarrhea (could be explosive), and gas (enough to fuel a medium sized city for the next 20 years).
The meds your doctor is going to prescribe for you are considered first line meds. Meaning they are recommended for people to take them first. They have been proven to work well with fewer side effects.
At some point in your treatment your meds will start to fail. It happens to everyone no matter how well you take your meds. HIV is a devious little bug that can mutate to find a way around the different meds being used to fight it. This is why they continue to do blood test regularly. If/when the meds fail there are other meds that can be used. Some of them first line meds. Some of them second line meds but still very good. Maybe with more pills or stricter restrictions on dosing.
BUT, the number of possible meds is NOT unlimited. If you refuse to take them as prescribed or want to complain about the side effects then you may find yourself suddenly with few to no opetions.
Luckily, for most of us, there are always new meds in the pipelines going through trials. Chances are when you change meds what you get changed to isn't even on the market, yet.
Stick with your meds as best you can for as long as you can. Suffer side effects if possible. Get through the side effects. A month of side effects for a med you could be taking for 10 years is a tiny price to pay.
Let us know how you're doing. And, if you have any side effects.
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Mark100
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Newbie
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Reged: 02/23/13
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Posts: 17
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Loc: Montreal, Canada
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Hey iam1,
thanks for much for all the information, there was definitely some stuff in there I hadn't heard about before. I've been taking the medication for 4 days now and still no side effects to speak of (knock on wood). It's something I was a little concerned about too since I find I'm very sensitive to many things such as coffee and alcohol. I'm due to meet back with my doctor in a week to see how I'm handling the medication so far. I have a really great doctor and she seemed genuinely concerned about my well being and said if I ever needed her for something that I could stop by here office anytime she is there with no appointment.
I've read and been told that it's very very important to take your medication at the prescribed time and I've set up 2 reminders in my phone and I have my medication with me at all times just in case plans change. I must say that I didn't quite realise that if you took your medication faithfully at the right times that it would still stop working after a while. But like you say, they are constantly developing new medications so hopefully there'll always be one out there that works for me.
Thanks for the support and I'll definitely keep you guys posted as to how my treatment is going. I do realise that I have only just begun treatment so side effect could show up somehere eventually.
Cheers!
Mark
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DaveSF
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Reged: 01/14/09
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Posts: 9
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Loc: San Francisco, CA
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I wanted to add my two cents and disagree with iam1 on one point, though I agree with most of what he says. I do not think it is at all inevitable that your virus will become resistant to your meds if you are adherent and take them as scheduled. Based on my own experience (infected for more than 30 years and on meds since 1990) and the experiences of others I know, I have not seen a single case of viral resistance (in people on triple combination therapy) that was not linked to poor adherence to the regimen.
In my own case, I have been on a bunch of different HIV meds over the past 23 years, but I am only resistant to AZT (Retrovir), which was the first anti-HIV antiretroviral, and I took it in mono therapy (alone, there were no other drugs) for years and then in combination with 3TC after that. Mono therapy will definitely lead to resistance.
But in every other case, I have changed meds because of side-effects, not resistance, and in almost every case it has been because of side-effects that were more annoying than life-threatening. All of those discarded meds are still available to me if I needed to go back on one of them.
My point is that you shouldn't view resistance as an inevitable outcome. Strive for complete adherence and, if your current regimen doesn't cause you any difficulty, you could be on it indefinitely. Most likely, you'll switch at some point because another option has more convenient dosing or something, but who knows? It's important to remember that there will always be a finite number of drugs out there, and if you burn through them because of poor adherence, you are probably taking one or more meds — and sometimes entire CLASSES of meds — out of the mix forever, and really limiting your options. So don't take the attitude that you are going to become resistant, take the attitude that you won't let that happen.
There may be people that develop resistance despite perfet adherence, but from what I have seen, and from what my doctors have told me, that is rare or unlikely.
Finally, while you should, of course, be aware that side-effects may occur, you shouldn't see them as a foregone conclusion either. Most of the more modern HIV meds have very minor side-effects that are fairly rare. I haven't experienced any in a long time (my last med change was to get rid of a pill that was difficult to swallow!). Minor stuff.
Good luck to you—you sound like you have a great attitude and are getting good care, and if both of those continue you will live to be old and crotchety, just as I hope to. ;-)
Dave
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