Reminders...

 

For anyone with a regimen, doesn't matter the kind, life seems to try hard to screw it up.  It's not that it's hard to remember to do this or take that.  It's just that it's so easy to get distracted, delayed or just forget.   That's what reminders, alarms & calendars are for.

Some people think they can remember to do everything.  Ha!  If most people could, day planners wouldn't be so popular.  Using a reminder doesn't make you lazy or undisciplined.  It doesn't automatically mean you have a cognitize disorder.  It just means you decided to be a bit organized & set up a reminder to ensure things get done.

For a long time, I've used reminders to keep track of my meds.  It's a little app that pops up on my PC when it's time to do whatever; take a med, take my blood pressure, order a refill, upcoming appointments, etc...  I keep a running doc for my pharmacy so I know when to reorder.  I have another doc noting when I opened my latest bottle of HIV meds.  That way I know how many I'm supposed to have.

There are many articles on using reminders.  Try some & see what's right for you.  For me, it's a combo; an app, some docs & a wall calendar.   They help keep me organized when everything else is demanding my attention.

Take care.

Cya...

The Next Big Thing...

 

When I was 1st diagnosed, I took handfuls of meds, some that needed refrigeration.  Many had potent side effects; nausea, sleep issues, hair falling out, dental problems, etc...  They had me on a steroid for a while & I gained a lot of weight, most which I never lost.  HIV & age crippled my metabolism.  

In the mid-2010s, my doctors starting pushing for me to move on to newer meds.  I was resistant, there weren't a lot of options & many choices lacked any way to back up if they failed.  Slowly parts of my cocktail were altered or discontinued.  Finally, it wasn't maintainable, so in 2017 I switched to Triumeq.  I was on it until I moved on to Dovato 2 years ago.   I went from a couple of dozen or more pills to a single dose daily.

Sooner than we might think, even the daily pill might be a relic.  A few new daily options are being developed, but most are focusing on long acting options.  My next med could space dosing out to weekly, monthly or even longer intervals.  I'm not sure if I'd get those at the pharmacy or my medical provider.

The horror show that was HIV is mostly just scary stories for the younger generations.   Even the idea of taking more than 1 med is foreign to most of them.  Soon a daily pill could seem barbaric.  It's a step forward & I should be happy.  But progress like this always leaves wondering, what if...?  I'll adjust, but I will be hesitant. 

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Final October Wednesday & Midterms...

 

It's the last October Wednesday of 2026.  The final trash to the curb run of the month.   The meteorologist say we're leaving the 2nd month of Autumn.  Those who base their time on the moon & seasons, say we just entered the 2nd Fall month last week. 

We have some errands today.  After trash, we need to stop buy mail, pick up my meds & do early voting.  The midterm is already here.  It'd be nice if this went well.  It most likely won't for Oklahoma.  

That's it for now, October's ending & it's time to vote.  Take care.

Cya...

A Few Things...

 

The FDA has a approved a new 1 pill daily regimen from Gilead.   This piece also covers the matter.   The med is for suppressed patients who seek a simplified treatment.  

– Novel Daily Oral Tablet Combines Bictegravir, a Guideline-Recommended INSTI with a High Barrier to Resistance, with Lenacapavir, a First-in-Class Capsid Inhibitor with No Cross-Resistance to Other Existing Antiretrovirals –

– Bixlenvo Now the Smallest STR; First and Only STR for Most People on Complex HIV Treatment Regimens –

It'll run about $4,500 monthly.  It will provide another option for those on more complicated regimens.  They  the price is about average, but wow.

This is the last Friday of August 2026.  There's only 3 full days left in my 59th year.  Here's hoping it ends well & 60 doesn't start of with some level of suckage.

Finally, I saw a 3rd hummer this morning.  It was larger & slightly darker.  Unfortunately, the bushes in our yard look like it's late October, so it flit around & then promptly leave.  It was probably hungry & these shrubs had little to offer.  I haven't seen people posting any of the normal hummer pics like I used to.  I guess everybody is having this issue.  It's just too hot & dry.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Bill Day & A Bit More...

 

Yesterday was an odd day.   My roomie wasn't feeling well.  It wasn't the coolest day, but it wasn't too hot.  The cool moment is about to evaporate.

Today is bill day.  It also means a trip to the bank & shopping.  There might be some other errands.

This piece is more on the weekly oral med being developed by Gilead & Merck.  If the price is decent it could lead away from daily pills.  It might be he 1st, but if it pans out, it won't be the last.  Weekly could replace daily, just like daily replaced hourly.  

That's it for now, take care.

Cya...

More Options...

 

Merck has announced trials for a monthly, oral PrEP medication.  This piece offers information about  Alimatravir.  This is the only data I can find on this drug.  It's a good piece & a monthly pill could offer options that other forms of prevention can't.  It may not be twice yearly, but it's also not an injection.  For some, that will be a significant factor.

It's dark today & not supposed to get much warmer.  It's also not supposed to get much cooler.  Tonight could be hard sleeping weather.  The last week of July looks to be hot.

I'm trying not to, but I'm already getting anxious about Fall.  Summer has been a bust again & I haven't handled the last 2 falls well.  I doubt I will this time.   I really don't need to see Sucktember.  I don't need all of it's hell drama.  I guess SAD is just a year round thing for me now, like allergies.  

That's all for now.

Cya...

Research & Heat...

 

There wasn't much for articles, but I found these, A & B.  The prior piece details Gilead's currently ongoing research over prevention & cures.  Both pieces discuss research from Gilead & Merck concerning a weekly pill for HIV treatment.  Neither are long, but contain updates on the process.

Yesterday was hot again.  I didn't fair well.  It's not supposed to be as hot today.  The days are hard, but it's the hot nights that are doing me in.  

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Healthspan & Flu Meds...

 

There's a continuum between quality & quantity.   Most opt for the most over the best.   I want the most candy over a single bite of the best.  But that shouldn't be the case when it comes to a person's life.  Lifespan is how long someone will live.  But another concept healthspan or healthy life expectancy, is how long the individual will life in a mostly healthy state absent of chronic illness or injury.  

When it comes to HIV, new meds have led to a near normal lifespan.  That isn't always the case for healthspan.  Many with HIV+ age faster than normal & face health issues earlier or more intensely; cognitive decline or increased susceptibility to some cancers.  

According to this piece, this is due to the inflammation caused by HIV even when suppressed.  HIV impacts the bodies ability to fight.  The research reported a sugar molecule in the body called glycans help control inflammation.  While glycans dip as we age, it can be worse for women as the enter menopause.  But in HIV+ people these glycans levels lessen & with that their ability to control inflammation.

Research is studying a medication to inhibit this effect.  A group of meds referred to as sialidase or neuraminidase inhibitors can lessen degradation of glycan levels.  These compounds are found in common anti-flu meds such as Tamiflu.  

This research is in the very beginning, but could prove very useful.  They aren't promoting flu meds as a treatment for HIV related inflammation.  They're saying the chemicals in these meds could be lead to new treatments for the condition.  Which could impact a host of inflammation induced ailments.

Give it a read.  Take care.

Cya...

HIV & The Future...

 

The field of HIV research is decades old & huge steps have been made in the fight against the virus.  However, we haven't found a cure.  We're back to admitting prevention is currently our best option.  While there have been advancements in treatment, there's still no silver bullet. 

Some are admitting the difficulty of this pursuit & altering course.  Alongside long acting treatment & PrEP that can greatly limit transmission, researchers are looking at options not found in pill bottles.  Some are researching the areas of gene therapy and broadly neutralizing antibodies.  

I've discussed these topics before.  It's a shift from a wide net approach meant for the masses to a personalized effort for individuals.  This could be the path forward, but it's still early days on this matter.

That's all for now, take care.

C=ya...

 

Injectables & Adherence...

 

Since the beginning of HIV treatment, the game has been the same.  Medications have to be accessible, tolerable & reliable.  Then there's adherence.  The best meds in the world won't matter if they aren't taken regularly. 

90 - 95% adherence is what's needed for HIV meds to be effective & help prevent resistance.  The aim was to create regimens that were accessible with ease of regimen maintenance.  We went from handfuls of pills to a few, to a single pill.  Now there are injectable options given weekly, monthly, quarterly & at larger intervals.  Until a cure is found, they'll probably aim for annual injections.

For many adherence is a serious challenge.  Injectables could be a much better option for many.  After taking handfuls of pills daily, a single dose at wide intervals would be astounding.  Even if it was a weekly pill, that would be a drastic improvement.  

Adherence makes this all work.  Any threat to that is a threat to that person.

Cya...

Such A Monday...

 

I didn't sleep well last night.  Everything kept making noise.  The stupid cat kept charging the window to shoo an outdoor cat.  I had to push her out of my room & close the door.  She tried to get  in & rattled the door for a while.  It made my room stuffy.

I tried to call for a refill with my pharmacy, but my medical provider hadn't provided new refills.  Now I'm waiting for that.  It'd be nice if people could just do their jobs.  

There's a lot going on & there will stuff up in the air for a while.  I'll be lucky if crap settles down before Summer starts.  A lot of people just need to die for making everyone else's life so much more difficult.

That's all for this morning.  I still have shower, go shopping & yes I'm running late.

Cya...

New Med Development...

 

According to this piece, ViiV has a new long acting medication in phase 1 research.  The piece doesn't go into much detail other than obscurely listed 2 drugs in the new medication.  VH184 is list as an integrase inhibitor.   VH499 is listed a capsid inhibitor.  

At this point, there isn't much more known about the medication.  It's aimed to be another long acting medication, usually twice a year.  Another biannual med on the market could move these drugs to the forefront of treatment & drive down costs due to competition.  

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Sneezy Morning...

 

The pollen levels have been high for weeks.  There's been a lot of sniffling, sneezing, coughing & eye watering.   This will probably be the way of things for a while.

The car is back.  We'll see if everything is order with it soon enough.  I'm trying to get a drug refill handled with the pharmacy.   Not much else is on the schedule for today.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Maybe It's Time...

 

I try not to get too political on this blog.  I do express my opinions of the orange asshat & his cult of maga idiots.  But maybe I should take a bit to make a point.

Assistance for HIV meds & providers is being gutted in the US.  Ryan White programs are being impacted.  I'm not a big trans supporter, but what's happening in Kansas is disgusting.  If that state can do what they want, then it might spread to others & for other groups.  Some states are wanting the right not to recognize same sex marriages.

If any of this affects you or someone you know, thank the damn republicans.  If someone in your life voted for these people, then they voted against you.  It's that simple.  This is a midterm election year, make sure you vote.  They're trying to make it harder to vote.  All that means is that they're afraid of losing.  

This isn't just about Gays, trans or people of color.  It's about anyone who isn't a 1%er or above, conservative, straight, white man.  I doubt anyone meeting those criteria is reading my blog, so this is aimed at you.  Just vote.

Cya...

Resistant...

 

HIV can develop resistance to any med.  This can be deterred by maintaining a regimen, giving the virus little chance of microevolution.  This is important & the link provided above gives more info on resistance.  Much can be found on Google as well.  

Gilead has posted about resistance to lenacapavir.  No medication is immune to resistance.  This piece details more on that.  This is an arms race between meds & HIV.  Resistance to lenacapavir is rare & might be treated with the addition of another med to the dose to further disable the virus' ability to resist. 

This is why medical research & new meds will always be needed.  Even if HIV is someday cured, other viruses will remain.  Medication & it's knowledge base must constantly evolve to keep up with current health issues.

Give these pieces a read & maintain your regimen.  Take care.

Cya...

Regimen Add-Ons....

 

TV commercials show people using add-ons to the boost the effectiveness of their current meds.   This is usually with medications for depression or other psychological disorders.  The approach is also used with HIV meds.  I was on Norvir for a while as a booster to another med.  

This article is about using Spironolactone as part of an HIV regimen.  This medication aided in inhibiting the virus & lowering viral levels.  This helped with inflammation.

It was an interesting read.  It would've gotten more coverage if the US hadn't backed out of World AIDS Day.  Give it a look.  

Cya...

Regimen Changes...

 

The earliest HIV regimens or cocktails contained many types of meds & often dozens of pills.  By the time I was taking meds, I was on about 2 dozen a day.  In a few years that lessened by 18 pills.  The med Fortovase was dropped in favor of an adjacent drug Invirase with a Norvir booster. 

After a few more years, another med Didanosine or Videx was discontinued & I was put on Triumeq.  For a little more than a year now, I've been on my latest med, Dovato.

My early meds were replaced due to causing many health issues dealing the heart, lipids, blood pressure, etc.  Some of the early drugs were fairly toxic. thus a lot of testing to see how your body was handling them.  Some of them ruined my hair & were hard on my teeth & skin.  These meds came with a host side effects, many gastrointestinal. 

Now I'm on a 1 a day - 2 drug med.  They're developing PrEP that can be taken monthly or biannually.   There are long acting injectable HIV meds that can last months.  Weekly and monthly oral options are in development.  That would mean between 12 - 52 pills a year.  In the beginning that wasn't even 3 complete days of meds for me.  

The meds are more effective, safer & easier to manage.   Biannual PrEP could functionally put a hold on HIV.  The only threats are ignorance, hate, greed & the orange stain.  If these obstacles can be overcome, there might be a chance to control HIV.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness & Guidelines....

 

Today is the National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness day.  Here are a couple of pieces with info, POZ & HIV.gov. This day deals with the disproportionate numbers of Gay/BI men with HIV.  As well as the specific issues & needs of this group.

#NGMHAAD is Saturday, September 27. Gay and bisexual men account for 58% of people living with HIV in the U.S. They made up 66% of new cases in 2023, and most were in the South.

I'm not sure where POZ got their numbers, but if they're even close, it's a problem  MSM are the most apt to be diagnosed.  There are points on other matters such as age & ethnic/racial background.  These are good pieces, give them a read.

HIV.gov updated their guidelines for the use of antiretrovirals in adults & adolescents.  This is not an easy read.  It's dense, complex & written for a fairly professional audience.   There might be info here for you.   I'd at least scan it & save it.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

More & Newer...

 

After yesterday's post, I realized there are resources on sites like Facebook & X I've never mentioned, like HIVgov on Facebook.  There are many more on both platforms, like living with HIV 50+, just google your interest area concerning HIV & the social media sites.  A search for HIV & your area, might find resources pages for things near you.

The newer topic is with this article.  Recently there's been a lot of posting about ART-Free HIV remission.  ART (antiretroviral therapy) has been in the forefront HIV & varied in their methods.  This newer approach would like to employ BNAB or Broadly neutralizing HIV-1 antibodies to suppress the virus throughout the body.  From what's been posted so far, it would be more like limited ART than ART-Free.  ARTs are too good at limiting the viral load not to employ to give the BNAB a shot at doing their job.  This could also be combined with long acting ART injections.

This is still in the research stage, but it is a step.  Sometimes steps are all we can take.  Hopefully they can trudge this bit forward & hold their ground until the next step can be taken.  Approaches like this could further the fight against HIV & may even lead to  possible cure someday.

Take care.

Cya....

Last, Best Choice...

 

The way things are with global funding for HIV, long acting medications may be necessary.  These  monthly to bi-annual injections from Gilead, ViiV, Merck, etc...  may be the only real option.   Even with the extreme costs, these meds won't need as much infrastructure.  Patients won't need daily doses, so that overhead will be less.

Long acting meds aren't cures.  But, if enough people were treated, it could buy time.  Time to either come up with a vaccine/cure or to starve the virus out of existence. 

Even if this is the best option, it may still not be a choice.  These things are very costly & the funds may not be available.  The orange stain declared war on the fight against HIV.  He & his could cost the world decades of advancements.  They are evil & disgusting.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...