Switching From Atripla to Biktarvy

[GIVEMESEED1974]

Has anyone made the switch from Atripla to Biktarvy or another medication?  I've been on Atripla since being diagnosed almost 20 years ago, and switched to the generic form a couple months ago.  Due to some insurance fuckery, Biktarvy is being prescribed since I won't have a co-pay with it.

Has anyone had any side-effects due to switching meds?  Is it like the break-in period I had with Atripla?

Parenthetically, Atripla and I have been partners for so long, this feels like a break up.

[mixnzz]

i was om atripla for years....2 years ago i switched to genvoia....no problems at all

[Hairypiglet]

Atripla, Genvoya, and Biktarvy are in the same class. You shouldn't feel any differences. 

[fskn]

It's important to discuss this with your doctor if you haven't already, or if you didn't get thorough answers.

My boyfriend switched (voluntarily) from an old-line regimen they'd been using for more than a decade to Biktarvy. The Pharm.D. in the medical office, who helps them with HIV care and me with PrEP care, is cautious and conscientious, so she reviewed potential side effects and arranged an early round of testing after the switch.

Purely out of curiosity, did you and your doctor consider Cabenuva, the recently-approved monthly injectable — since you'll be switching regimens anyway?

Most of all, I hope you have a problem-free transition!

Edited September 15, 2021 by fskn

[BootmanLA]

I can't speak to Atripla use specifically, as I've never been on it. I would note, though, that it was approved for use in the U.S. in 2006 as the first "one pill, once daily" treatment for HIV. It has more known side effects and more known interactions with commonly prescribed medications for other conditions, and for that reason, I suspect, it's not as commonly prescribed as some newer alternatives like Biktarvy. 

Whether or not you'll have any issues with the switch is hard to say. I was initially on Genvoya, but that medication is known to be harder on certain organs than Biktarvy, and my HIV specialist switched me to the latter about 18 months into treatment. I've had no problems with it, but that's not to say you won't.

I'd suggest you ask your doctor if there are any signs in your medical history that suggest Biktarvy may actually be an improvement for you. For instance, Atripla is known to interfere with certain drugs used for cholesterol, and with certain others used for hypertension (blood pressure).

[BigVers]

I got off Atripla 5 years ago (the Sustiva kidney issues) and went to Triumeq....not a blip in blood work nor any side effects...My doc and I are now looking at switching to Dovato, but I have reservations after read many weight gain issues...I really want to get off a 3 med to a 2 med for my livers sake ... Good Luck with your switch!

[ErosWired]

I started on Atripla in 2014. From there, Triumeq > Genvoya > Biktarvy. Of the four, Atripla was the biggest pain in the ass because it limited when I could take meals, and because it added 30 pounds to my body. It beat back my viral load, but my cell count wasn’t improving, so my first infectious disease specialist  switched me to Triumeq, which wasn’t much of an improvement. I switched doctors, and the new doc immediately put me on Genvoya, then switched me to Biktarvy after a year.

She and I had a long talk about Biktarvy at my last visit, because even though my viral load is holding undetectable, my CD4 count is fluctuating and at one point dipped to 204 - that’s 4 points above being back in diagnostic range fir AIDS again. She took my concerns and discussed them with colleagues, and apparently the consensus is that for now, Biktarvy is pretty much the best thing going with the least side effects, and for men in my condition who presented with advanced infection at an older age, it seems to be maintaining health, albeit at a reduced immune level.

[GIVEMESEED1974]

7 hours ago, fskn said:

It's important to discuss this with your doctor if you haven't already, or if you didn't get thorough answers.

My boyfriend switched (voluntarily) from an old-line regimen they'd been using for more than a decade to Biktarvy. The Pharm.D. in the medical office, who helps them with HIV care and me with PrEP care, is cautious and conscientious, so she reviewed potential side effects and arranged an early round of testing after the switch.

Purely out of curiosity, did you and your doctor consider Cabenuva, the recently-approved monthly injectable — since you'll be switching regimens anyway?

Most of all, I hope you have a problem-free transition!

Thank you for your sincere well-wishes. We did not discuss Cabenuva. I’m much better with pills than injections. 

Edited September 16, 2021 by GIVEMESEED1974

[funpozbottom]

My Switch from Atripla to Biktarvy was completely uneventful. I do sort of miss the dreams I had on Atripla -- I'd literally wake up laughing at the stuff my mind came up with -- which would put me in a good mood for the day, but otherwise, I've had no side effects from changing.

[GIVEMESEED1974]

3 hours ago, funpozbottom said:

My Switch from Atripla to Biktarvy was completely uneventful. I do sort of miss the dreams I had on Atripla -- I'd literally wake up laughing at the stuff my mind came up with -- which would put me in a good mood for the day, but otherwise, I've had no side effects from changing.

My god. I dreamt in HD, 3D, surround sound, and smell-o-vision the whole time on Atripla!

[TakingItDeep]

I went Atripla - Genvoya - Biktarvy and it was fine BUT - I work out 6 days a week and my muscles got very very sore (creatine kinase level went through the roof) on the new Biktarvy so I moved to a new class of meds to get those issues fixed. Apparently those class of meds make some people who work sore, but it's not everyone. 

[pigpozdad]

Anyone switched from Triumeq to Biktarvy?

[bbpoznow]

dont know  what in hell is it 

[ErosWired]

3 hours ago, pigpozdad said:

Anyone switched from Triumeq to Biktarvy?

I went Triumeq > Genvoya > Biktarvy. Triumeq didn’t do me much good; Genvoya was better, but my doctor wanted me on Biktarvy because it was the next development and had a reduced side effect profile. I just got my latest numbers on Monday - CD4 up by nearly 100 this time, and still Undetectable. The Biktarvy must be doing something.

[pigpozdad]

20 minutes ago, ErosWired said:

I went Triumeq > Genvoya > Biktarvy. Triumeq didn’t do me much good; Genvoya was better, but my doctor wanted me on Biktarvy because it was the next development and had a reduced side effect profile. I just got my latest numbers on Monday - CD4 up by nearly 100 this time, and still Undetectable. The Biktarvy must be doing something.

I was Atripla > Triumeq > Biktarvy