Page 7 - Adelante Magazine May 2021

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BY: DANIEL PEARCE, D.O., FACOI, AAHIVMS ASK THE
DOCTOR

HIV HELPED COVID

I attended the major HIV meeting of the year There are more and more months of proven LONG LIFE
recently and took some notes. So this will be a good control on Dovato®. But Dovato® can’t Diabetes, Heart Disease, Hypertension, Kidney
heavily HIV article today. The virtual meeting bring down inflammation as swiftly as a triple Disease, etc were much more important in
was The Conference on Retroviruses and combo so many are using Biktarvy first, and determining length of life than having HIV. So
Opportunistic Infections. Usually held in Boston then switching over to Dovato®. Getting off live a healthy lifestyle!
and sometimes Seattle. Less than a week Tenofovir (in Biktarvy®, Symtuza®, Truvada®,
before last year’s conference, Covid broke out Descovy®) is a goal since long term it may PrEP
in Boston and flooded the hospitals so they have side effects of weight gain, kidney PreExposure Prophylaxis with Truvada® or
abruptly changed it to a virtual meeting and told impairment, and osteoporosis. Descovy® (see some points above) does not
those flying in to turn around. Jet Blue gave me Tenofovir also has been shown to shorten show much side effects or resistance if taken
a coupon for the future and the hotel gave me telomeres in some TCells which is a sign of over 2 years and 9 months.
a refund. They really had to scramble to the premature aging.
suddenly change to a virtual meeting. This year Dovato® has been shown to still work well after METH AND MARIJUANA
the virtual meeting was much smoother and 2 years and is expected to work for life. Dovato Meth is associated with getting a second HIV
next year maybe we will have the 2 options: should not be used if a person has chronic infection on top of the last one and a second
virtual and in-person. Hepatitis B since the one of the two drugs in Hepatitis C infection after the first one is cured
that combination is not very strong against by medications.
HIV HELPED COVID Hepatitis B and the other has no Hepatitis B Marijuana use is associated with missing
The HIV researchers, past work, networks and activity. antiviral doses and not having good control of
systems set up were a natural fit for the Covid HIV causing damage to brain and other organs
problems. These same people were ready and CHRONIC HEPATITIS B,C and maybe resistance necessitating a
jumped in quickly. For example, the mRNA Truvada® and Descovy® have tenofovir in medication switch.
vaccine work against HIV has proceeded for them and that taken for 8 years has cured
years, setting the stage for the Covid vaccine. some of chronic Hepatitis B. TELEMEDICINE
Covid is a less complex virus than HIV so it Curing Hepatitis C with the new medications California may stop reimbursing clinics for
was easier to make a vaccine against. A was not affected by heavy alcohol use. Of phone visits and maybe video visits. Those
successful HIV vaccine has been difficult to course we don’t recommend heavy alcohol. who do not have good wifi and have low quality
make for over 30 years. These leaders are Men: no more than 3 drinks/shots/12oz beers a cell phones or a computer are usually the ones
anxious to get back to HIV their work. day, and women: 2. Otherwise there is a little who will gain the most from these visits. They
liver damage each time you go over this limit. are working hard and making little money and
ANTIVIRALS have little time to drive to the clinic.
1. WEIGHT GAIN YOGURT FOR NEUROPATHIC PAIN AND
Each of these: Tivicay®, or Evotaz®, or WARTS Keep those questions coming and be safe!
Prezcobix®/(Symtuza®) plus Descovy® is You might consider eating more yogurt to
associated with weight gain when giving improve your good gut bacteria since that is
antivirals for the first time, so this is a good associated with less neuropathic pain. This is dpearce@western.edu
reason to change to Dovato® after the viral not well proven. Daniel Pearce, D.O., FACOI, AAHIVMS
load comes down nicely on another The bacteria in yogurt was associated with Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Loma
medication, e.g. Biktarvy.®. curing venereal warts in women and some men Linda University School of Medicine Adjunct
2. SIMPLIFICATION who have sex with men. We’re not talking Professor of Internal Medicine and HIV, Touro
University California College of Osteopathic
Using these medications as a s ingle agent had about putting yogurt on warts, but eating Medicine and Midwestern University Arizona
too many failures: Kaltra®, Prezcobix®, yogurt. College of Osteopathic Medicine HIV, Hepatitis
Evotaz®, Tivicay,® up to 15% failures, but if B,C, Transgender, Suboxone Specialist, Borrego
you add Epivir® then the two are powerful TRANSGENDER PEOPLE Health (Riverside, San Bernardino, San Jacinto)
Member, Coachella Valley Clinical Research
enough to control HIV. The most popular single Truvada® or Descovy® given for PrEP did not Initiative
pill is the Tivicay®/Epivir® pill which is Dovato® alter the hormones taken, e.g. testosterone or
and many of us are switching patients to this. estrogen. REFERENCES: My notes and materials from
CROI, Medscape®
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