Question
I just started odimune and have difficult side effects.
15 May 2013. Related: All topics, Side effects, South Africa, Starting treatment.
Hi,
I started odimune last night and after two hours I felt like some things were crawling on my face,my ears became painful,my head feels like its going to explode and it went on until today. I can’t work please help.
Answer
Hello,
Thanks for your email. I’m sorry to hear about these difficult side effects you are experiencing.
It is very normal to have difficult side effects in the first few days and weeks of treatment. Some people may find that they need to take a few days off work while this is most difficult. Are you able to do this?
Most side effects will get better or go away after a few weeks. If these are very severe and you are worried you should talk to your doctor. If you have any rash you should show this to your doctor. You should be able to access some treatment to make these side effects easier- for instance painkillers for the headache.
There are a small percentage of people who cannot tolerate certain drugs. You could be one of these people. If the side effects do not go away after a month or so, then you need to discuss this with your HIV doctor. They can usually replace the drug, which is causing the side effect.
Please see our side effects guide for more information.
Hi Sammy 41,
This is something that you need to discuss with a doctor as it isn’t HIV related. Nor will the ARVs be causing this. It sounds like you have an infection.
I ‘m using odimune for3rd time,now my vagina sor &fine rash in&out and itch ing I go to the clinic report this they give me 5Flaggers still Itching its been 2weeks now no changes what must I do now because its painful,when I check my vagina with mirror its faiding black.
Hi Zinhle,
It’s a good idea to see the doctor and tell her you think the antibiotics are not working.
But how long have you been on Odimune? And do you have access to your CD4 and viral load results? Please let us know.
I have a problem, since i started taking this odimune, i started to have a rash on my face n now it’s changing to itching big bumps on my face. I told my Dr about this and she gave me Doxytet antibiotics for 3months but it getting worse.
Hi Baxolise,
I’m sorry to hear you’re having this reaction to Odimune. Side effects are mainly related to efavirenz which is part of Odimune. The side effects can include sleep disturbance and nightmares.
Many people have mild side effects when starting HIV treatment (ART). But these are usually mild and go away in a week or two. Please talk to your doctor about all these symptoms. There might be other HIV meds that will be easier for you to take.
Do you have access to your CD4 count and viral load? If so, please let us know.
Hi I’ve just started odimune 2nights ago, and at night I have this dizziness& scary bad dreams, and now my appetite is not the same I feel like eating certain things how long this will go on, & also this morning I was vomiting after that I feel fresh, I’m eating but I don’t feel like what must I Do?
Hi Doris,
What ARVs are you taking? If you’re taking Odimune you can talk to the doctor about changing treatment to see if that helps.
Even when these symptoms are generally linked to one class of drug, the effect of each drug can be very different.
However, body fat changes like this are likely to be the result of several different factors rather than any single cause. These include your HIV treatment history, individual drugs, lowest CD4 count, age, diet, exercise and family health.
Here’s the guide to body fat changes (lipodystrophy) for more info.
im positive and im taking arv since 2009 what make me worry is that now my legs are so thin up to the buttocks and my stomach is so big what must I do or use in the situation like this im so embarrassed to wear mini skits or dress.
Hi Motlasti,
If you’re having issues with diarrhea, please talk to your doctor. They will be able to give you something for this.
Hi I just Started taking odimune but at night I have uncontrollable diarrhea please help