Stay Put...

 

Until I went on Triumeq, I was on what most people considered dinosaur drugs.  My meds were from the 90s or earlier.   I started on about 2 dozen pills a day, after a while they stopped producing Fortovase & I was moved to Invirase & a Norvir booster.   I was also on Didanosine & Lamivudine (Epivir).  When they stopped making Didanosine, I moved over to the 1 pill a day, Triumeq.

My numbers improved on the new med.  I had less worries about missing pills & side effects.  Still there's always issues.  New doctors want new meds.  New research reveals previously unknown issues with meds.  

Triumeq is composed of Abacavir, Dolutegravir, & Lamivudine.  Abacavir requires a test to determine if you can take it without being hyper-senstive. It is also being reported that some people have cardiovascular issues associated with it.

Lamivudine has been around the longest of the meds in this pill.  It has a host side issues & is usually only given in tandem with other meds.  It's the only med I've been on since the beginning of my regimens.

Dolutegravir is the 3rd component of this med.  Besides being in Triumeq, it's also in Dovato along with Lamivudine.  My new doctor has mentioned wanting to move me to this med.  Some people who have switched from Triumeq to Dovato have not had a good experience.  For now I'm doing all right where I am, so I have no desire to change.

For over a decade doctors have questioned my meds & their efficacy.  But there are only so many meds & changing back generally isn't an option.  So, until I have to, if I can, I stay put where I am, taking what I have been.  

Eventually something might happen & I'll need to change.  I want as many options as possible.  This article tells of a growing drug resistance in some parts of the world to Dolutegravir.  If this does become a problem for me, then I'll need something other than Triumeq or Dovato.  

That's some of my meds history & why I'm reluctant to change.  I will if I need to.  But it's going to be a need, not some doctor's whim.  Drugs get developed & modified, new info arrives, different perspectives prevail & all this affects HIV treatment.  Be educated about your meds.  Your doctors don't always know more about your drugs than you do.  Especially, not if you've been taking them longer than they've been practicing medicine.

Take care.

Cya...