Interview 46  

Interview 46

Age at Interview: 34
Sex: Female
Age at Diagnosis: 31
Background: A 34 year old black African woman who came to the UK from Africa to study for a degree in a health profession, but became very ill and was diagnosed with HIV.

Brief outline:Although her CD4 count was as low as 40 when she ill, it is now 700 and she feels better than ever. Counselling, support groups and staff at GUM clinics have been the most helpful to her. (Video and audio clips read by an actor.)

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She couldn't sleep so tried changing the time she took it, and eventually her combination was changed. (Read by an actor.)

 



The Sustiva (efavirenz) made me dream abnormally! [Laughter] I dreamed seeing snakes coming to me, I had nightmares. I dreamed seeing my dead relatives… I think maybe it's because I was scared of the medication. 

But it was difficult… Then after, the next morning and the next day again, oh the other thing, I couldn't sleep. Maybe it was the first time, I couldn't sleep the whole night because of the Sustiva or maybe it was my fear I don't know, I only slept in the morning. And when I, in the morning I was feeling very tired. Getting up from bed was hell. Oh, then I phoned my consultant and my clinical nurse to tell them that I had, I was dreaming too much abnormally. They told me that it is the Sustiva. 

Then they told me that I should change the time of taking. Maybe if you take it a bit late, it would help. [Laughter] Yeah I tried that, it… it helped but, maybe it helped halfway because I, I could now dream four days a week [laughter]. Then they changed the Sustiva to another drug. 

Then I was so surprised…. I could sleep just like a normal person. Yes. I really changed. Getting up well, sleeping time, and I was… I wasn't moody because, the dreaming was stressing me very much, I was just a very sad person. I was a very sad person.

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