What are Sustivas Possible Side Effects?
Like all anti-HIV drugs, Sustiva has been shown to cause side effects. While some of the side effects, including rashes, are similar to those seen using other NNRTIs, Sustiva appears to cause a number of brain-related side effects not seen with other anti-HIV drugs. In clinical trials, over half of the patients taking Sustiva reported one or more side effects related to activity of the brain or central nervous system (CNS). These symptoms included dizziness, insomnia, impaired concentration, drowsiness, abnormal/vivid dreams, anxiety, depression, nervousness, and even hallucinations (although very rarely). Although very rare, serious psychiatric symptoms have also been reported in patients receiving Sustiva, including severe depression, suicide attempts, aggressive behavior, delusions, paranoia and psychosis-like symptoms. While the percentage experiencing mild to moderate CNS symptoms seems high – a fact that has made many people nervous about starting therapy with Sustiva – there are
