Truvada

[Guest guest]

Is anyone on Truvada and how is working?

My doc wants me to switch from Atripla and take Truvada and Sustiva.

Any info?

thanks

Max

[Guest guest]

Hi Max, that's very confusing ... Atripla has three drugs in it - Emtriva, Viread, and Sustiva. Truvada has two drugs in it, Emtriva and Viread.So, if your doc takes you off Atripla, and puts you on Truvada plus Sustiva, you are still taking the same drugs! So, either he has some weird reason to take the doses separately, OR maybe he wants you to go on Truvada plus some drug OTHER than Sustiva. Most people who go off Atripla do that because they can't tolerate the Sustiva in it.My partner takes Truvada plus Lexiva, boosted with Norvir. He is doing GREAT. It is the best combo he has been on, very effective and he says he has zero side effects (well here comes TMI but he sits on the toilet about three times every morning instead of just once ... small price to

pay).Good luck! Truvada

Is anyone on Truvada and how is working?

My doc wants me to switch from Atripla and take Truvada and Sustiva.

Any info?

thanks

Max

[Guest guest]

Hi Max, that's very confusing ... Atripla has three drugs in it - Emtriva, Viread, and Sustiva. Truvada has two drugs in it, Emtriva and Viread.So, if your doc takes you off Atripla, and puts you on Truvada plus Sustiva, you are still taking the same drugs! So, either he has some weird reason to take the doses separately, OR maybe he wants you to go on Truvada plus some drug OTHER than Sustiva. Most people who go off Atripla do that because they can't tolerate the Sustiva in it.My partner takes Truvada plus Lexiva, boosted with Norvir. He is doing GREAT. It is the best combo he has been on, very effective and he says he has zero side effects (well here comes TMI but he sits on the toilet about three times every morning instead of just once ... small price to

pay).Good luck! Truvada

Is anyone on Truvada and how is working?

My doc wants me to switch from Atripla and take Truvada and Sustiva.

Any info?

thanks

Max

[Guest guest]

Thank you all of you for answering.

I am on Atripla at the moment and I am doing great. Undetectable since I was diagnosed and Tcell around 520. The only tiny side effect I have is a creatinine too high and a protein in the urine. I am also frequent control with my urologist who is quite happy with my lab results lately. My Hiv doc thinks that switching protocol and giving me Sustiva every day and Truvada every other day I may reduce the effect of Viraed which is too much for my kidney function. Apparently Viread can be too strong on my kidney function. Does this make sense?

Max

From: chocoroc@... <chocoroc@...>Subject: Re: Truvadamassadigalugnano@...Date: Thursday, August 21, 2008, 5:15 AM

Hey There, I have been on Truvada for a few years now and have had no problems at all. IT is very tolerable for me to take and I have had great results on it! If you need any more info just hit me back thanks, Truvada

Is anyone on Truvada and how is working?

My doc wants me to switch from Atripla and take Truvada and Sustiva.

Any info?

thanks

Max

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[Guest guest]

Thank you all of you for answering.

I am on Atripla at the moment and I am doing great. Undetectable since I was diagnosed and Tcell around 520. The only tiny side effect I have is a creatinine too high and a protein in the urine. I am also frequent control with my urologist who is quite happy with my lab results lately. My Hiv doc thinks that switching protocol and giving me Sustiva every day and Truvada every other day I may reduce the effect of Viraed which is too much for my kidney function. Apparently Viread can be too strong on my kidney function. Does this make sense?

Max

From: chocoroc@... <chocoroc@...>Subject: Re: Truvadamassadigalugnano@...Date: Thursday, August 21, 2008, 5:15 AM

Hey There, I have been on Truvada for a few years now and have had no problems at all. IT is very tolerable for me to take and I have had great results on it! If you need any more info just hit me back thanks, Truvada

Is anyone on Truvada and how is working?

My doc wants me to switch from Atripla and take Truvada and Sustiva.

Any info?

thanks

Max

Get the MapQuest Toolbar. Directions, Traffic, Gas Prices & More!

[Guest guest]

Max,

I don't know the levels of Viread and Emtriva that are required to suppress the virus and prevent resistance, but I would have to assume that the doses of those drugs in one Truvada daily are calculated to be sufficient for those purposes. I would be concerned that reducing the Truvada to every other day might encourage resistance to Viread, in particular. If the virus becomes resistant to Viread, then it might become resistant to Sustiva as well as other drugs in the same class. If Emtriva is like its chemical cousin, Epivir, it will have a valuable function in any regimen even in the presence of mutations of the virus that are resistant to it. I would definitely ask your doctor if there is any research to support an every other day dose of Truvada.

I, too, have elevated creatinine and have had protein in my urine at times in the past, particularly when I was taking Viread. After my kidney doctor suggested I drop Viread, my primary HIV doctor came up with a regimen that doesn't include it. I currently take Viramune, Epivir, and extra high doses of Reyataz, taken twice daily because I prefer not to take Norvir. The Epivir is there even though my virus is resistant to it because the mutation that it forces on the virus makes the virus less fit.

You should ask your doctor if there is any reason you can't take a protease inhibitor instead of Viread, which is an NRTI. You might also take one of the older NRTIs, although these have fallen out of favor for good reason, lipoatrophy and neuropathy being the most important ones. If neither of these options is possible, you might consider Isentress, the new integrase inhibitor to replace the Viread. The main reason NRTIs are included in most regimens is historic; they were the first drugs approved for HIV, and protease inhibitors and NNRTIs came later. A regimen can be built primarily from protease inhibitors and NNRTIs, although I don't think there is much (if any) research to support the idea. Viral load tests taken shortly after regimen change will tell you and your doctor if the unconventional regimen is working.

Why are you seeing a urologist? If you are concerned about kidney function (and you should be, with elevated creatinine and protein in your urine) and want to see a specialist, you should be consulting a nephrologist.

[Guest guest]

Dear and dear all,

thank you so much for informing me about all this new updating. You know one thing of me

is that I am so emotionally when it comes to discuss about my health. For me this site is a great support because of the support of all of you who know so much about this disease. Thank you all of you to have answered my questions and my doubts.

Max

From: R. <johnrsf94114@...>Subject: Re: Truvadamassadigalugnano@..., " " < >Date: Monday, August 25, 2008, 9:41 AM

Max,

I don't know the levels of Viread and Emtriva that are required to suppress the virus and prevent resistance, but I would have to assume that the doses of those drugs in one Truvada daily are calculated to be sufficient for those purposes. I would be concerned that reducing the Truvada to every other day might encourage resistance to Viread, in particular. If the virus becomes resistant to Viread, then it might become resistant to Sustiva as well as other drugs in the same class. If Emtriva is like its chemical cousin, Epivir, it will have a valuable function in any regimen even in the presence of mutations of the virus that are resistant to it. I would definitely ask your doctor if there is any research to support an every other day dose of Truvada.

I, too, have elevated creatinine and have had protein in my urine at times in the past, particularly when I was taking Viread. After my kidney doctor suggested I drop Viread, my primary HIV doctor came up with a regimen that doesn't include it. I currently take Viramune, Epivir, and extra high doses of Reyataz, taken twice daily because I prefer not to take Norvir. The Epivir is there even though my virus is resistant to it because the mutation that it forces on the virus makes the virus less fit.

You should ask your doctor if there is any reason you can't take a protease inhibitor instead of Viread, which is an NRTI. You might also take one of the older NRTIs, although these have fallen out of favor for good reason, lipoatrophy and neuropathy being the most important ones. If neither of these options is possible, you might consider Isentress, the new integrase inhibitor to replace the Viread. The main reason NRTIs are included in most regimens is historic; they were the first drugs approved for HIV, and protease inhibitors and NNRTIs came later. A regimen can be built primarily from protease inhibitors and NNRTIs, although I don't think there is much (if any) research to support the idea. Viral load tests taken shortly after regimen change will tell you and your doctor if the unconventional regimen is working.

Why are you seeing a urologist? If you are concerned about kidney function (and you should be, with elevated creatinine and protein in your urine) and want to see a specialist, you should be consulting a nephrologist.

[Guest guest]

Hello there,

My Doctor at Stanford Positive Clinic in California is pushing me to quit Atripla and go instead on Truvada every other day and Sustiva. Apparently Atripla, which contains Viread is toxic for me having a high (0.0-17.0) of creatinine. I have been undetectable for many years and I am just worried that switching to Truvada every other day my viral load may be detected. My Doc. has asked me to ask you guys if there is anyone in here, who is on the same protocol, Sustiva and Truvada every other day and still undetactable?

Thank you.

[Guest guest]

This is an interesting suggestion. Atripla is composed of truvada and

sustiva. Truvada itself is two drugs, viread and emtriva. The doc

has a good point in being concerned about the elevated creatinine. It

sounds reasonable to want to reduce viread and watch carefully. The

question would be if sufficient levels of truvada (ie viread and

emtriva) would stay in the body for the duration of the two days (48

hours) so that it could be used every two days. After a person takes

a drug, it starts leaving the body. Different drugs have different

rates of clearance, which also depends of the initial dose. It may be

that both emtriva and viread stay in high enough levels at the end of

48 hours, to still suppress the virus sufficiently. You may want to

check the clinical studies to verify it this is the case. pubmed.gov

would list all clinical studies and you can find the full medical

journal articles in the university's library. I think Stanford has a

medical school. You could ask the good doc to point out the studies

that show emtriva and viread last in the body in effective amounts for

48 hours. Getting a second opinion from an SF General or UCSF doc

wont hurt either.

There is also a logistical difficulty to overcome: it may be harder to

take a drug every two days vs every day. One may forget if taken the

day before. Maybe if it was always to be taken on even days, it would

be possible to deal with it, or if each month's days were marked in

advance. Taking an extra one once in a rare while wouldnt probably

hurt, as long as the creatinine pulls back into the normal range on

this regimen.

>

>

> Hello there,

> My Doctor at Stanford Positive Clinic in California is pushing me to

quit Atripla and go instead on Truvada every other day and Sustiva. 

Apparently Atripla, which contains Viread is toxic for me having a

high (0.0-17.0) of creatinine.  I have been undetectable for many

years and I am just worried that switching to Truvada every other day

my viral load may be detected.  My Doc. has asked me to ask you

guys if there is anyone in here, who is on the same protocol, Sustiva

and Truvada every other day and still undetactable?

> Thank you.

>