TRIUMEQ – A NEW BEGINNING!!!

My Journey With HIV - A New Beginning

For those who have been following my journey living with HIV, I now want to share that I have begun a new chapter in my journey. On this day, September 26, 2014, I am starting a new HIV treatment regimen.

For the past five years I have taken the drug, Atripla. I must say that although I am eternally grateful that the Doctor I was seeing at the time decided to put me on Atripla, I am even more grateful to be leaving Atripla behind.

I know questions arise when I say I am grateful both directions so let me explain. I am grateful that I was started on Atripla five years ago because my CD4 count was dropping rapidly as the HIV Virus was progressing at a rate that my body could not control it.

 From the time I was diagnosed on May 28^th 2009 until I started on treatment October 1^st 2009 my CD4 count had dropped to below 700 and the HIV viral load was over 100,000. The Doctor I was seeing at that time told me I would be dead in two years if I did not start medication because I had been infected with a "Super Bug". He told me he had never in his thirty years of practice seen the HIV virus take over a person’s body as fast as this virus was taking over my body. Because of the fast progression of HIV he suggested that I start HIV treatment as soon as possible. The Doctor’s suggestion at that time was for me to start taking Atripla.

 In 2009, Atripla was the number one recommended first line HIV treatment drugs for those just starting out on HIV medication. He told me that many people had had great success taking Atripla and I should consider taking it for my first pill. I of course did not want to die so I took his advice and began taken the pill immediately. Within one month Atripla brought the HIV viral load down from over 100,000 to just 70 and within the next three months to an undetectable level. My CD4 count began to rise again and so the Doctor was very pleased, as was I. I have since had an undetectable viral load and a CD4 count constantly above 1400 for the past 5 years.

There was one problem {among many} taking Atripla that I did not enjoy and was told it would go away after a few weeks, that was the “DREAMS”. The endless dreaming that caused me to wake up all through the night and would cause me to wake up the next day feeling drained. I was assured that it was a common side effect that would go away in time. Well, five years later they went away alright because I have not been able to sleep for almost a year now. What started out in the beginning as nightmares and restless sleeping had turned into insomnia. 

That “ONE A DAY” wonder drug called Atripla, had turned into my once a day NIGHTMARE. Here I am five years later having a wonderful CD4 count of over 2600 and an undetectable HIV viral load, with all kinds of health issues from taking the “Wonder” drug.

I do realize that some people have great success with Atripla and I am very happy for them, so I DO NOT discourage anyone from taking it at all. Remember this is my personal experience with Atripla.

At this time I will not go in to great detail about all the problems that I have experienced with Atripla, but I will say that when you read the “Possible” side effects, I experienced MOST!!  One of the worst side effects has been “Depression”. I realize that having HIV or any other life threatening disease is depressing in itself, however, when you add a medication that is known to cause depression on top of it you are in for a whirlwind. A whirlwind or as we have here in Oklahoma {TORNADO}, I have been in for five years now. The depression has just gotten worse even with the anti – depressive drugs the Psychiatrist has tried me on the past five years. It seems no amount of prayer or medication would work. So I am trusting God that this new HIV medication will NOT have the same effects on me as the last. I am ready to have ME BACK!!!

TRIUMEQ – A NEW BEGINNING!!!

So here it is my friends, TRIUMEQ, the new HIV medication I started as of September 26, 2014. In case you are wondering how to pronounce this drug I will break it down easy for you: try - u – mek. I have read all the research studies and I have decided with my current IDI Doctor that this will be a better choice for me at this time. Since I am doing well with my CD4 count being so high and being HIV undetectable we thought I would be able to change with no bad results. I am praying that this new drug will give me my life back.

 I have never put my “Faith” in medication or mankind who creates the medication. I have “Faith” that God has given the men and women the knowledge to make the drugs to help keep this virus under control. God is the only ONE who has the POWER to CURE this virus. My prayer is that one day the right man or woman will hear the voice of GOD and create the “CURE” for this disease. When that day does occur, I pray that we will be able to see the “CURE” and not be kept from it because of FDA regulations.

Until that day comes, I will keep my faith in God and trust that He will allow the HIV drugs to work in body as they are supposed to do and not to make me sicker than the virus itself.

So for now I begin the next chapter in MY JOURNEY WITH HIV…

I will keep everyone posted on my continued journey and how my journey with TRIUMEQ is going in a couple of months.

Blessings and Peace,

David A. Moorman