Question
Is tiredness a side effect?
29 April 2010. Related: All topics, Side effects.
I am on combination therapy. I take Truvada and nevirapine. I have so far experienced no major side affects. However I have mentioned to the doctor how tired I have become and the lack of energy I have. Is this a side effect?
I have been on treatment for over 12 months with a viral load which is undetectable. All my blood test results are fine although a liver enzyme result is low but the doctor said it was nothing to worry about. I would like my energy back as it is hindering my work and life. What can I do?
Thank you for your help
Answer
Thank you for your question.
Tiredness can be a side effect of HIV treatment, but this is not generally reported as a long-term side effect of the drugs you are using, Usually tiredness is an early symptoms that improves wihtin a month or two of starting treatment.
If your lack of energy is interfering with your quality of life as you described then talk to your doctor about the details: how often are you tired (everyday, some days etc), how long does it last (ie all day, for a few hours etc) and severe is this (are you still managing daily life, do you sleep more) etc.
Talking to your doctor will help find out whether other tests might be useful, and whether the fatigue could be related to another health problem.
Another cause of tiredness is if your are not sleeping well at night. Are are worrying about anything, or is your sleep disturbed for other reasons?
The i-Base guide to ‘Avoiding and Managing Side Effects‘ includes sections on all these areas, including
– describing symptoms to your doctor
– fatigue and feeling tired, and
– insomnia.
If nothing can explain this, sometimes being more active improves energy levels, if you are currently not active, even though this sounds difficult. You could also try switching to alternative HIV drugs, knowing that you can return to your current drugs if this doesn’t help.
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