Dovato...

 

I'll take my Dovato for the 1st time today.  This is a link to Dovato's site.  I shouldn't have any problems with this medication.  Both meds in it are in Triumeq.   This is the same minus Abacavir.   Some people are hypersensitive to Abacavir.  According to research coming out for a bit now, it looks like this med can lead to heart issues in some people.  

Points for the new med.  It's much smaller.  Abacavir was the largest component of Triumeq.  The bottle itself is about an inch shorter.  I'm already on these meds.  The med has 5+ years on the market, so it's been around longer in research.  There are a lot of articles comparing efficacy of Dovato to other meds & found the medication to be non-inferior.  I hate that phrasing. Why not say, as good or performs the same?  

Another point here, if Abacavir is found to be too problematic, they will probably pull it & any meds containing it.   Triumeq could be on its last legs.  I was on it for 7+ years.  I only started Triumeq because the manufacturers stopped producing Didanosine.  That happened with Fortovase as well.  I had to stop taking Combivir because of AZT.  This is the 1st time I've opted to make a change.  It feels weird.  

Here's hoping for a good outcome with Dovato.  Take care.

Cya...

Not 1...

 

I was hoping June would calm down.  I needed an easy morning after decent sleep.  I'm not getting either.  Little things keep happening & edging at my nerves.  I woke to crap noise outside & cats on the porch fussing.  I laid there just trying to rest.  Cause when I get up, I know the morning's going to be crap.  They almost always are anymore. 

I get up & the kitten has knocked a bunch of stuff over.  There's more BS outside.  I finally get to my computer & Iolo System Mechanic is trying to force a renewal on me for about $50.  I have to call those assholes & deal with their crap accents & shitty hard sales attempts.  I think it's cancelled.  If not I'll be calling my credit card. 

I'm spent.  I've been on the edge of breaking for years now.  But, it seems that something or someone always has more pressing needs & I can't deal with me.  I hate this.  I hate waking.  I hate just being here & it always being an unnerving crapfest.  The universe must hate me, it keeps having me wake up every morning.   Maybe if I could just let go, I wouldn't constantly feel like I'm vibrating so hard I could break.

On top of that I still don't anything about when my meds will get here.  I hope it's soon.  I have some extra, but this needs to end.  This is an HIV med.

So no, Apparently I can't have a good morning.

Cya...

Post Telemedicine...

 

My telemedicine appointment went as expected.  We just went over labs, which were good.  I'm currently on Triumeq.  A drug in it has been related to coronary issues in some  patients.  They talked to me about switching to Dovato.   It's basically the same med minus the problematic medication.  I'll consider it.  

Starting my next appointment, I should have a permanent attending, instead of people on rotation.  It's taken them a bit to replace the last attending in this position.  When he arrives, I'll discuss the change with him.  There are reports of increased inflammation with some streamlined HIV meds.  I need to know my options & their issues better before I make a choice.  I also need to make sure my pharmacy can get the medication.

That's all for  now, take  care.

Cya..

Newsish...

 

I saw a couple of pieces today, neither really worth citing though.  The 1st noted ViiV is filing with the FDC to lower the weight of person allowed to take Triumeq from 80 to 30 pounds.  This would allow the medication to be used in children's regimens.

The next piece was a continuance of the confusion surrounding HIV & COVID.  This focused on HIV+ people's strength of reaction to the vaccine.  This brief stated in their research HIV+ people had lesser responses to the vaccine, but I never saw a suggestion of how much weaker.  It also implied the recipients of  Pfizer's vaccine had a far weaker response than those who'd received Moderna's.  Info regarding everything connected to HIV & COVID has changed nearly weekly.  I'd wait & see how this plays out before putting stock in this.

Cya...

Not Sure What To Think....

According to this article,  parts of Africa will soon have access to a top-tier HIV medication for $75 annually.  This medication contains these 3 drugs; tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, lamivudine & dolutegravir.  It's called the TLD combination pill at this time.  I can't find much about it.  As far as I can tell, it's not yet available in the United States. 

Wow, that's great.  Africans will have access to a med 1 step removed from the Triumeq I take.  Instead of tenofovir, my med contains  abacavir.   Tenofovir is half of the PrEP medication Truvada.  Still, how is it Africans will get this drug for $75 annually?   When Triumeq costs over $80 daily.   That's over $2,500 monthly.  

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy these people will be able to afford treatment.  But why is it we're always making sure people elsewhere can afford their meds?  If I wasn't on disability I wouldn't be able to pay for my medication.   The medical system in the US is a crap-fest, but still so many  Americans focus mostly on the elsewhere.  

I guarantee you, when & if this medication gets approved in the U.S. it won't sell for an annual price of $75.   It'll be priced like everything else.  So, we get to pay for the rest of the world.    For what I pay monthly for Triumeq, 33+ people could be covered for a year on this TLD pill.  That could greatly alter the medical situation in my state.  But, it'll never happen.

Here I thought, poor, white Americans were supposed to be so privileged.  I guess that means we get the honor of footing the bill for things like this.  Yay us!  We didn't need those things anyway.

Cta...

Hot Thursday In July...

Old record time, it's hot & humid here today.  We woke up to a houseful of swampish air.  It took quite a while to air it out.  The AC came on early.  

The garbagemen came & took the trash away.  I'm surprised they don't come earlier in the day to avoid the heat.   I do not envy them their jobs.

My meds should be here later this afternoon.  Hopefully, CVS didn't screw it up again. It'll be the 2nd shipment of Triumeq.  So far, so good on the new med.  I'll get blood work drawn the beginning of August to see how things are going.  

That's all for now.

Cya...

OK, So...

OK, it's day 4 & I have to wonder about some of the potential side effects of Triumeq.  Many on  the list, I already experience; diarrhea, cough, achiness, etc...  So, it's hard to tell what's causing what.

  Also, moving my thyroid medication also causes me issues for a while.  However, I am tired, pretty much so.  This is listed as a aside effect of Triumeq, but it could be a lot of other things.  They say men in my age range who've been taking the medication for less than a month often experience being overly tired.  I hope this passes, it's seriously no fun. 

That's all for now.

Cya...

Cya June...

It's the last day of June.  It wasn't a bad month, but it certainly was stress-free either.  So long June, I'm  sure you've got places to be.

It's day 2 of Triumeq.  I'm not dead or dying yet.  Hopefully, that'll hold.

We had a decent downpour this morning.  We needed the rain.   

I've noticed some new birds in our trees.  They look like a leaner, grayer cardinals.  It had less of head crest & a slightly longer tail.  I looked it up.  I think it's a desert cardinal.  I suppose it could've been a hybrid between a desert & northern (normal) cardinal.   They're fairly attractive birds.  

I saw my 1st hummingbird this morning as well.  The Hummers & Dragons are back.  Summer is here.

Cya...

It's Here...

My new med, Triumeq  arrived yesterday.   I took the 1st pill today.  So far, so good.  My new regimen will have my thyroid pill 1st thing in the morning.  About 10 - 11 AM, I'll take the Triumeq.   Later in the day, I'll take my vitamins & supplements.  I don't like to crowd the supplements with other pills, they can be rough on the stomach.  Also, anything with iron or calcium in it needs to be taken with some time between them & the Triumeq.

This is the site for Triumeq.  It has quite a bit of info on it.  This medication doesn't need a buffer like I was taking with my Invirase.   It can be taken with or without food,  It's a once daily pill, that can be taken at any time.  As you can see above, it's a bit of a horse pill, but not too bad.  I am sort of concerned with card that came with it to carry, pictured below.  But at least it's fair warning.

OK, it's here & I'm on a new regimen.  Here's hoping all goes well.   BTW, I finally saw a new little visitor in the backyard.  The 1st this year.  A tiny, little, black dragonfly on the clothesline.  The dragons are back.

More tomorrow.

Cya...