SUSTIVA Reviews (EFAVIRENZ)Average Rating: 2.9 (28 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare SUSTIVA with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Date added. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 |
More on SUSTIVA: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR SUSTIVA | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 4 | HIV | I too had very very odd dreams for the first few years, but those subsided. I feel now I have these brief images that appear to me (nanoseconds only) as I am almost awake. I cannot shake the images or stop them. Anyone else? Yes, I think I'm finally acknowledging some depression as well possibly due to the drug. | Medically, I'm fond of Sustiva. My counts have been stellar for years on it and I'm slightly afraid to change medications due to how well they work, but the mental aspect lately has got me on edge. | M | 49 | 12 years 300 1X day | 10/8/2012 | 1 | HIV | Day terrors, depression, suicidal ideation and hallucinations. | The POS that approved this drug had greed in their cold hearts. Having been on HIV meds continuously since 1996, I have taken a lot of poison but this one takes the cake. | F | 57 | 18 days 1X O | 9/8/2012 | 1 | HIV | I put EIGHT pounds on in three days and threw this crap down the toilet | M | 54 | 3 days ? 1X day | 7/22/2012 | 2 | HIV+ | Unpleasant dreams affecting quality of life | HATE IT! | M | 64 | 3 years Atripla 1X day | 7/16/2011 | 4 | hiv + | Lost my sexual desire....no other side effects. Would like to know if others have had similiar problems? | M | 61 | 3 months 600mg 1X day | 3/29/2010 | 1 | In Atripla, for HIV | Just awful. Wooziness about 2 hrs after taking pill at 10 p.m. Jerkawakes all night long. Intense, very "physical" dreams-sometimes very bad-like struggling with a twining vine or a maelstrom. On the contrary, if I have had even a slightest adrenalin rush a bit before bedtime (say, an unpleasant phone conversation) I might end up not being able to sleep for hours. (Have never had sleep problems in my whole life). Now I sleep 10+ hours regularly when I needed only 8 or less before. If I get less than that, I feel tired all day and might have to take a long nap in the middle of the day. Wooziness occurs quite often-sometimes way into the day. This might be accompanied by twitching eyelids etc For three weeks now, I have also been having a very worrisome ache on my right shoulder joint. | I am coming to the conclusion that it might not be worth the while. Have been "toughening" it out hoping side effects would go away. But it has been getting worse. | M | 46 | 3 months | 10/1/2009 | 5 | hiv | vivid dreams for first few weeks but these subsided | works well, counts are great | M | 46 | 3 years | 8/2/2009 | 5 | HIV | Absolutely great... feeling much better after 3 years of this. The psychedelic dreams etc. are OK too. | M | 47 | 3 years | 5/4/2009 | 4 | initially intense kaleidiscopic psychadelic dreams, that phase lasted a couple weeks. definatly depersonalization slightly not myself strange. mildly agoaraphobic. | | 8/8/2008 | 3 | HIV+ | Normal side effects mentioned. No problems with my stomach, but I simply could not get restful sleep. The vivid dreams were simply too much for me and it affected my overall quality of life so I changed from Atripla (single pill Sustiva and Truvada) to Truvada and Reyataz. | If you can get over the side effects (more minor in some people -- more serious in others) the convenience of the single pill Atripla is a godsend. I am happy with the change ... my CD4 count is over 400 for the first time in years and VL continues to be undetectable. Fight the fight! | M | 37 | 18 months | 7/7/2008 | 4 | First-line treatment for HIV1 | Combined with Combivir for HAART. This has proved effective! Nearly 3 years on treatment... never missed a dose. I take Sustiva and Combivir in the MORNING, as opposed to the "recommendation" to take Sustiva at night. That way I only have to be concerned with taking ONE pill in the evening... (Combivir). It's easier when you're in social situations. (...was that a Tylenol? ) ( Yeah, I get headaches...) Okay... Side effects? Sure, there are some. When you first start Sustiva, expect to get wierd rashes in various spots around your body. Don't freak out about it... in several weeks it'll completely stop. ( It did in my case ). You will continue to have extreme dreams during the coure of this treatment! ...They are not unpleasant... just very vivid... very strange. Fatigue and/or grogginess usually follows about an hour to an hour-and-a-half after taking Sustiva. Fight through it or take a brief nap to deal with it. My CD4 has stayed above 200, and my VL is | If you start on this (or any) treatment prescribed by your Inf.Dis. Doctors... STAY WITH IT 100%! It can fail EASILY if you neglect your dosages. The results are worth any discomfort or inconveniences you might endure. | M | 50 | 33 months | 5/23/2008 | 4 | AIDS/HIV | I have been on Atripla (sustiva & tuvada, one pill)for a little more than 3 weeks. The first 2 weeks were not good. I couldn't see, had crazy dreams, couldn't stand, felt hot, sweating and anxiety. I even threw up one morning. After the 2nd week I started feeling better and everything cleared up. I feel fine now. My lymph nodes in my neck were swollen for years and now they aren't. My CD4 is 194 and wont know if its working for another 6 weeks but I know its working well. Last week I did have a bad rash (shingles) and it was very pain full. I am taking antibiotics and its starting to feel better. The shingles also affected my nerves on the left side of my body but taking something else for nerve pain. God Bless Us! | Give it some time and I think you'll get used to it. Atripla is only one pill a day at bed time. I take it at 11:00 pm and usually go to bed after 12. After an hour you will feel VERY high and drugged. Stay away from Wendy's chili because I ate it one night before taking the meds and had hallucinations for 2 hours. | M | 28 | 3 weeks | 3/26/2008 | 3 | HIV Aids | Horrible vivid dreams/Dizzy/reality disconnect/Panic...After going on paxil, immediate difference. I can now handle it. | I think the combination of my body adjusting and taking paxil which changed me immediately. Hope it works for me Diagnosed on 10/3/07 | M | 53 | 40 days | 12/2/2007 | 1 | a key ingredient in Atripla | At first, Vivid hallucinations and stomach pains. Exotic dreams (enjoyable). Inability to walk from dizziness. One night I had severe night sweats. Continual stomach acid and pains. I stopped when I developed a full body blistering rash. My ears swelled almost shut. This rash continued even after stopping medication. It was a living horror. | I have heard good reports about this drug, but I had a very scary experience. I have led a very good lifestyle. Nearly vegetarian and excercise 5x a week. I would regard myself as sensitive to medications. I have had allergies to Pennicillain and had a rash reaction. I hope this will resonate with someone. This drug is extremely intense worse than I have ever experienced. | M | 37 | 11 days | 11/13/2007 | 1 | hiv | like everyone else , dizziness , anxious , insomnia sometimes , now after 4 months i have a head that feels plugged something like flu symptom , thats it i won't take it tonight .I'll contact a doctor to chaange meds. I hate the malais feeling in the morning. | screw this. If anyone knows of hiv treatment combination thats allows a person to feel more normal please email me at [email protected] Thanks in advance | M | 52 | 5 months | 10/26/2007 | 4 | HIV Infection | Slightly drunk feeling about an hour after taking the pill. Really best to take it at bed time. (Also taking Combivir) | Works very well - CD4 went from 78 to 355 in 9 months! VL remains undetectible | M | 38 | 1 years | 5/18/2007 | 1 | HIV Combination Therapy | The dizziness and dreams others describe were mild for me, but it triggered a period of severe depression. I nearly quit my job and had problems with my relationships with partner and friends. More frightening is that the depression lasted for months after I was off the drug. While I do have a family history of depression I have been free of it for years before Sustiva. I have a good life, a good attitude, and have maintained a very positive outlook for years. Sustiva crashed that. I was on the drug for 3 months and the depression lasted 5 - 6. | This stuff is poision. From the experiences of people I know the psychological side-effects are significantly understated. Unless this is your last-chance drug, just say NO! | M | 43 | 3 months | 1/26/2007 | 2 | hiv+ | went through the beginning of side effects dizzy, etc. after 5 weeks now I feel very anx. irr. and more in the morning and all day I don't know if this is going to go away. I feel worst then never starting this. I can't sleep soundly either. I as of now need to speak to my Dr. about it for this continues I will want off it. I will not take one tonight and skip it. Am too afraid of this horror feeling. Not sure what Im feeling but feeling crazy. | I do not recommend even though it is prolly less side effects then most, but no quality of life I don't feel. | M | 52 | 5 weeks | 1/25/2007 | 1 | first Therapy drug combination | The initial feeling of being high and dizzy subseeded after a while but my dreams were often too vivid and unpleasant. If there is any reason that REM sleep is increased with more dream periods, then there may also be less restoring deep sleep, or so called Phase 4. After 3 months I had to stop the drug. I felt sad, anxious, irritable and very weak. After 20 years and no need of meds, I felt worse than when I started. after 2 days I feel already better, happier, can concentrate, have more appetite and much much more energy. | It didn't work for me at all, I definitely felt that the drug crosses the blood-brain barrier but it felt like it was altering my mind and my mental well being | M | 42 | 3 months | 8/2/2006 | 4 | HIV+ | Vivid dream phenomenon isn't too bad - actually, no worse than my normal dreams except I do seem to remember them better since taking Sustiva. A bit loopy/dizzy first thing in the morning but that seems to be going away the longer I take it. | Switched to Sustiva/Truvada from Kaletra/Combivir due to a resistance. | M | 35 | 4 weeks | 3/24/2006 |
SUSTIVA (EFAVIRENZ): This drug is used with other HIV medications to help control HIV infection. It helps to decrease the amount of HIV in your body so your immune system can work better. This lowers your chance of getting HIV complications (such as new infections, cancer) and improves your quality of life. Efavirenz belongs to a class of drugs known as non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). Efavirenz is not a cure for HIV infection. To decrease your risk of spreading HIV disease to others, do all of the following: (1) continue to take all HIV medications exactly as prescribed by your doctor, (2) always use an effective barrier method (latex or polyurethane condoms/dental dams) during all sexual activity, and (3) do not share personal items (such as needles/syringes, toothbrushes, and razors) that may have contacted blood or other body fluids. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details. FDA Approval Date: 1998-09-17 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)