My Continued Journey Living With HIV

Today is the third day on my once again new regimen of HIV Medication. I am back to taking the drug that I started with six long years ago. Yes, I am taking Atripla again. I would have never dreamed I would be taking this drug again after all the horrible side effects, but on October 2, 2015 this is once again my medication.

I have gone through so much grief this past year with HIV medications that sometimes I just want to give up. I know that giving up is NOT the answer so I will once again try working with Atripla. I just pray this time around I do not go through all the horrible side effects I did before.

Why am I back on Atripla? Well let me explain what has happened. Since I got off of Atripla and been on Triumeq for four months then being on Tivicay and Truvada since then, I have gained 50 plus pounds, been constipated and basically miserable for the past year. I had to switch the medication that kept my headaches under control because the one I was on was causing kidney stones that put me in the hospital twice this past year. After going through all my medications my PCP figured out that the ingredients in the HIV medication I had been on was causing me to gain weight. God knows I do not need to be this big!!! Now talking with my HIV doctor there was a war because she was convinced that I could not have possibly be gaining weight because of the HIV medication, because {here is where the fight started} none of the other people on the medication where gaining weight. I just sat there in awe and disbelief. How can a doctor think they can lump you in with a group of people when we ALL have different body chemistries and our bodies react differently to medication than the next person. The fight was on but I told her I would quit medication therapy for good if she did not get me on something else. Her answer – THE ONLY thing I will put you on is ATRIPLA. She knew all the hell I went through before on ATRIPLA but because she is the “Specialist” it was her way or the highway. Since I obviously do not want to get sick and die I chose to go back on Atripla. It really sucks when you are on Medicare and state assistance, therefore, having NO choice of doctors but the ones they send you too. If I still had my private insurance I would be switching doctors. I know there are so many new drug regimens that she could have put me on, but she was going to “show me”. So here I am back on the first line of therapy I was on for 5 years. I pray it actually gets me back to undetectable, since the last one I was on was no longer keeping me undetectable. I also pray my CD4 count does not continue to drop. I trust God will take care of me, He always has.

I will be seeing my heart doctor this week for tests to see how my heart is doing. My PCP thinks I have the beginning stages of Congestive Heart Failure. I will also be seeing the dermatologist this week to get rid of the Skin Cancer on my face. I will post updates as I get them the next couple of weeks.

For now I pray that all who read my journey can learn from my experiences. Be well – stay safe – and always - always - always PROTECT YOURSELF.

David Moorman

10-5-2015