Cobicistat / elvitegravir / emtricitabine / tenofovir alafenamide for HIV Infection User Reviews (Page 4)

• Dan...
• October 4, 2017

"Diagnosed with HIV-1 5 weeks ago. 190,000 viral load and only 280 CD4. Was given Genvoya almost immediately. A little dizzy on day one, otherwise, have not felt anything from taking the medicine and lived as I always did. Try and eat healthy and exercise, though. One month later, down to 53 viral load and CD4 up to 540. I am thrilled! Hope this will stay like this. Will definitely happily keep taking this pill."

• Ray...
• December 13, 2017

"I've been on this drug for almost two years. Not a bit did I like this drug. I started noticing that I was more depressed than ever. I've become so anxious, so lost. I constantly had diarrhea, and if I was lucky, there were some days I was able to deliver the feces normally. My eyes, they've been red for almost two years, and I assumed it was just my eyes. I remember going off the drug for two days because I didn't have insurance. Everything went back to normal. My eyes whitened again, my stomach felt better, and my mentality got better. I then noticed the drug was the problem after two years. I switched to a different drug, and I'm now recovering and feeling back to normal. Finally convinced the doctor after two years."

• Roc...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 15, 2018

"I was diagnosed with HIV one year ago, and my viral load was in the thousands, and my CD4 was at 253. After 4 months on Genvoya, I was undetectable, and CD4 was 450. The Genvoya made me healthy again and no side effects. I now have a future to look forward to because Genvoya gave me a second chance at living a healthy life."

• Ric...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 19, 2018

"This is my 4th update since my HIV diagnosis. Now 20 months on Genvoya (my first and only HIV drug so far). CD4 count now 576, up from 326 back on 07/2016. An increase of 100 in the past 6 months alone. I am sorry to hear the previous poster did not respond well to Genvoya, but shame on him to allege others here are not telling the truth about our experiences. My experience with this drug has been very good. I do remember some very, very vivid dreams early on, but they gradually subsided. I do worry that my white blood cell count has dropped well below normal levels. I don't know if that has anything to do with Genvoya or just one bad test result. My cholesterol has also raised a lot since starting Genvoya, but just above normal range. I take an Omega-3 supplement which has lowered my triglycerides well. Other than those things, I am still thrilled with my blood test results so far."

• Sti...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 20, 2017

"I have been taking Truvada, Selzentry, Lexiva, Norvir for 10 years. Was not happy about some of these meds being discontinued. I am allergic to a lot of meds. I have been positive since '87.' I have been undetectable for 8. T-cells are 285. I have been taking Genvoya for 1 month, 1 week. The first week was rough: nausea, diarrhea, fever, but I stuck it out. Hope this medicine helps us all. Do not give up."

• Pat...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 10, 2017

"I was diagnosed in May of 2011, and I am 23, yes, that's 6 years. I was put on Genvoya 6 or 7 months ago. I was switched to this medication from Atripla, where I was having issues with weight because of constant diarrhea. Since switching to this med, my weight has stabilized, and the side effects of this medication are minor compared to others. I have been undetectable since 2012, so that didn't have room for improvement on that. My CD4 has gone down a little, but my CD4 can go up and down 200 points within a 6-month span and be normal, so otherwise, all is well."

• Ajh...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 7, 2018

"5/7/18 Here is my update with taking Genvoya. My main complaint is that it gives me chronic nightmares every time I sleep - whether it's during the day or at night. I think the reason is it's affecting my nervous system, which is getting me very jittery before I go to sleep. It feels like I'm having 10 cups of coffee, it is that wired, jittery type of feeling. I could feel my nerves going crazy. So, I'm going to talk to my doctor and have him switch me off to something else, even if it's temporary, to see if these side effects go away. This has been happening for about 8 months. I thought it would go away, but it's not. Even though my body is responding very well to Genvoya and keeping me undetectable, and my CD4 count has been in the 850s, I just can't take the crazy dreams waking me up in the middle of the night. Time to try something else."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 9, 2018

"I’ve been on Genvoya for almost 2 weeks now, and besides the diarrhea and slight tiredness, I feel fine. I’m looking forward to seeing how well I do on lab tests after having it in my system longer."

• Oth...
• November 17, 2017

"I had tried other medicine for HIV, and they worked, but they also made me sick and depressed. I stopped taking them. Genvoya is the best! After I started taking it, I got a night sweat here and there, but that was about it. My viral load went from 123,000 copies to 122 in a month's time. CD4 went from 173 to 364. Genvoya is not for everybody, but if your doctor recommends it, get it!"

• Tom...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 2, 2022

"I was diagnosed with HIV 5 years ago, and I have been taking Genvoya ever since. I did not experience many side effects, luckily. Although, I would say I can get tired easier and sometimes have issues with recalling events, but this might be just me getting older. Btw I'm 27. However, I was just recently diagnosed with EPI - exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, which was quite a surprise for me as I have a fairly healthy lifestyle; going to the gym and being on a vegetarian diet. The doctors could not give me a definitive answer, so I also started to do some research, and I came across some papers which mentioned that patients on antiretroviral therapy can develop pancreatic insufficiencies. I'm not 100% sure that it correlates, but I don't see another possible reason."

• Tom...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 19, 2017

"I have been taking Genvoya since September 2016. I had absolutely no side effects for the first month or two, except constantly breaking out into small rashes on my face, chest, and back, which the docs claimed was not the medication. After the second month, my hands and feet started getting so tingly to the point that they'd go numb. This is still happening, and now weekly vitamin B12 shots help, but not completely. I was given the B12 for severe lack of energy and always wanting to sleep, which started happening four months after into Genvoya (shame it didn't work for that). Lastly, my bones feel weaker than ever. Hey, I can deal with this, as the alternative of no meds is one I don't ever want to face."

• shg...
• March 20, 2017

"Have been on Genvoya for 3.5 months. VL has dropped from 293,000 to 78; CD4 is unchanged at 153. There initially were no discernible side effects. But have noticed problems with remembering things and forgetting words and really strange dreams. I am also on Wellbutrin, which apparently can also affect dreams. My kidney function has declined as well, and I will see a nephrologist this week. Am also on a diuretic for blood pressure, which can also affect kidneys. So, we'll see."

• Ele...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 1, 2019

"I did learn I'm HIV+ when I had a brain hemorrhage 6 months ago because of a car accident. I do not remember those days because I was in a coma. Anyway, after brain surgery, they explained to me I'm HIV positive. I did not think anything because my brain did not let me think :) but I started my treatment with Genvoya 4 months ago. After 20 days since I started taking that pill, I turned negative VL. Except for disgusting acne and fat, I have had no other side effects for now. Even though I am positive, I am happy because I turned back from death. The brain is more important, I did learn."

• Anonymous
• March 31, 2018

"In 2010, was diagnosed with HIV, so started Isentress and Truvada. Two weeks later, was undetectable. Isentress at that time was 400 mg twice daily, with Truvada once daily. Then Isentress changed formulation to once daily. Remained undetectable until last week. Changed to Genvoya 6 months ago simply for 2 pills once a day...and now my viral load is 54 copies per ml. CD4 is highest it's ever been in 8 years at 1386. I have had no side effects. I want to get back to less than 50 copies per ml and being undetectable, but with Genvoya, you must take it with food. For a while, I was fairly inconsistent with this...hopefully better news in 3-6 months."

• Ran...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 6, 2023

"I tested HIV+ in 2011 and was fortunate to have participated in Gilead's development/trial of Genvoya prior to the drug's approval by the FDA in early 2016. Once approved, I continued to take Genvoya and I am currently 68 years old and have had, overall, great results. I do take care of myself; I eat healthy, I exercise/weight train 5x a week, not on any other medications other than Genvoya, and I don't miss doses. I have experienced very few side effects. I actually have looked at them as a sign of getting older: wild vivid dreams, interrupted sleep, and lower back pain. However, in the last 1 1/2 years, my cholesterol has jumped to the low 200's and I was diagnosed pre-diabetic. I know this is a red flag side effect since I eat between 130-150 carbs a day and have a 23.1 BMI. After reading all of the side effects others are experiencing with antivirals, I am leaning toward continuing with Genvoya rather than taking a chance with another drug. But I will discuss with my doctor on my next visit."

• Tru...
• October 11, 2017

"Shortly after I was infected in Mar 2017, the HIV wreaked havoc on my nervous system with some horrible peripheral neuropathy pain. Diagnosed on May 11 and started Genvoya in June with a class of 12,000 and CD4 of 660. One month later, my class was 40 and CD4 increased to 822. Unlike most of the reviewers above, I do have more side effects. The neuropathy is better, thank God, but I have tiredness, sleeplessness, some abdominal pain, and lightheadedness. All that considered, this medicine is what I call a wonder pill because it just works, period. Due to the fact that cobicistat works with the liver, I take it at night before bed so my liver will be at rest while Genvoya does its thing. This was not my first choice, so thanks, Doc!"

• Ric...
• September 22, 2017

"Latest update. After 13 months on Genvoya (my first and only HIV med so far), my latest blood test showed the virus still undetectable (<20), which is great. So this medicine is still doing its thing as advertised. No complaints there. However, my CD4 T-cell count has already plateaued. I went from 471 in March to 478 in September. I try not to get too jazzed about one test result, but this was a big disappointment for me. I was hoping to be right down the middle of the Genvoya patient bell curve, with my CD4 count still gaining about 10 cells per month after six months on the drug. But this does not appear to be the case for me. That is not a fault of Genvoya, as far as I can tell. I just happen not to be a strong responder."

• Pla...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 27, 2018

"I've been HIV positive for at least 15 years. Maybe 16. That's when I found out about it. I started on Combivir and Sustiva. Worked really well. I've been off any meds for about 8 years due to financial issues or whatever. I just never got sick. My doctor said I was a genetic miracle. I even partied some. The past 6 months or so, I could tell I might need to start treatment again. Well, flu season hit, and I got a little sick. So I immediately started Genvoya, as my doctor instructed me to. I almost immediately could tell it was working. I've been on it for a week and a half. I definitely feel better. Like I said, almost instantly. In about another month, I'll have some lab work done and share my results."

• Jaj...
• October 19, 2018

"Diagnosed 07/22/18 with CD4 578, viral load 654,000. I started taking Genvoya 8/30/18, after one month, my CD4 count is 754, viral load of 1,130. My experience on Genvoya has not been good. For the first few days, I have had vivid and triggering dreams. They stopped. Then I noticed a week or so later I was starting to develop bad muscle pains in my feet, legs, and hips. These pains are mainly sharp cramps (charley horses) and would happen frequently in my sleep and whenever I was cold. It felt as if I ran for miles, every day, just always fatigued and often short of breath. On top of that, I noticed my toes and fingers were sometimes unable to move. I would lose feeling in my pinkies and pointer fingers and would have to pull them back up into place. I am 24 y/o. I’m also transgender and on HRT, take 2 mg of estradiol twice daily and 100 mg spironolactone twice daily. My doctor informed me HRT and ART have no effect on each other and is now switching to Triumeq."

• Dra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 17, 2018

"I shared some feedback about Genvoya about 1 month ago (under the same name - Dragon) and wanted to share more. After just 8 weeks on this drug, my VL is 70 (from 33,000) and my CD4 is 760 (from 510). I am so happy! My treatment nurse was all smiles delivering these results. I've had a Hep B and HPV inoculation today, too. We're monitoring my BP as from a regular norm of 140/95, today it was 101/90. This is good, but we're obviously aware of potential interactions, even though none are cited for my hypertension meds."

• Fea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 5, 2022

"I was on Atripla for 10 years, and then I went to Genvoya for 2 years, then back to Atripla for 2 years! I switched back to Genvoya because Atripla is more toxic because it has more tenofovir in it! My protein in my urine was 100 mg, meaning my kidneys were leaking, but luckily my kidneys did not get damaged from what I was told! I was so scared because I felt like I was poisoned on the inside out, and the taste was even more toxic! I felt like I was dying and went to the emergency room 12 times in a month, and no one believed me on how I felt until they did a urine test and said I was peeing sugar! I called my HIV doctor and went back to Genvoya because it only has 10 mg of tenofovir in it compared to Atripla that has 300 mg of tenofovir! I’ll stick with Genvoya and take heavy legs over my kidneys dying any day, and you would be wise if you did the same thing!"

• CW2...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 13, 2021

"Remember, this is a place people share their experience. In 2001, I tested positive. Genvoya is my 2nd HIV medicine. I was told it had less medicine in just the right way and to put Truvada in the rearview mirror. My VL and CD4 have not gone up or down. Side effects in this medicine I have not experienced. I have mental health issues that come along, so it's a tightrope knowing what is causing what."

• Dra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 20, 2018

"I was diagnosed HIV positive in April of this year. After lengthy discussions with my treatment nurse, we mutually decided to start treatment as my labs were 'good' - VL 33000 & CD4 510; meaning this was caught early. I've been on Genvoya for 1 month so far and all is good. I already suffer high cholesterol, so I take G in the morning to prevent interaction with atorvastatin taken at night. Suffering just 1 day of extreme nausea, I think this was down to not eating with the tablet as per advice. I was rushing as I was late for work. I'm keeping an eye on tiredness as I often feel like a short nap around lunchtime. This is unusual for me. My BP (blood pressure) and DM2 (Diabetes mellitus type 2) remain stable. I just had my blood taken a few hours ago and have to wait 2 weeks for the first results while on this regimen. My adherence is also 100%, so I am generally hopeful."

• Tak...
• June 10, 2017

"Start with 500,000 VL, 10 CD4. Was taking Genvoya for 6 months, and it couldn't get me undetectable. My doc said that Genvoya is not working with other patients too. Otherwise, no serious side effects. If you start with low VL, that's the best drug for you."

• Sco...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 1, 2021

"Been on Genvoya for around 6 years after having been on Stribild for 2. No major side effects at the start, but gradually my mental health has struggled with anxiety/panic, and now I feel depression is setting in. Fatigue has also become a real issue. Not sure if this is related to Genvoya or not, but have asked the clinic if I can try switching to rule it out. Having done some reading on others, though, genuinely not sure what will be best to try. I should add that my numbers have been good on this."