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Should I Continue Antiviral Drugs Life Long For HIV?
Question: i am hiv positive south XXXXXXX male. diagonised in my 30's started medication as soon as diagonzed, last cd4 800 and virus load undetectable. For the past 8 months i stopped taking medicines. I used to take Truvada and Nevarapine.(used to be on strocin but changed to Nevarapine as couldnt handle strocin side effects) Used to get medicines from abroad.( as nevarapine is not available) Stopped taking them because stupidly didnt save money for my medicines.
Its almost 6 months now. How do i get back on medcines. What are the tests i need to do before starting medicines. what medicine should i take ? can i continue Truvada and NEvarapine ???
Its almost 6 months now. How do i get back on medcines. What are the tests i need to do before starting medicines. what medicine should i take ? can i continue Truvada and NEvarapine ???
Brief Answer:
On the basis of resistance test ART to be chosen
Detailed Answer:
Hi, Welcome to HCM.
Thanks for posting your query.
ART has to be continued life-long, as the total cure for HIV had not yet been achieved. Treatment adherence is the key for the successful way to achieve the goal of viral suppression. Less than 85% adherence leads to drug resistance and subsequent treatment failure. You had good viral control and CD4 count with your ART. But it would have disturbed by your discontinuance of these drugs.
You can not continue the same drugs.
What you have to do is,
1. you have to identify a HIV specialist who is well-versed with ART and consult him.
2. You have to undergo CD4 count and HIV viral load test once again.
3. If your viral load is more thousand copies, go for a resistance test for ART. If the viral load is less than 1000 copies, resistance test result are not reliable.
4. As per the outcome of the results, the next best ART combination has to be selected.
5. Best option could be Zidovidine+lamivudine+ a PI (preferably Atazanavir boosted with Ritonovir). But your HIV physician is the correct person to choose the right ART as per the result of resistance test.
Wish you have a good consultant
Dr S.Murugan
On the basis of resistance test ART to be chosen
Detailed Answer:
Hi, Welcome to HCM.
Thanks for posting your query.
ART has to be continued life-long, as the total cure for HIV had not yet been achieved. Treatment adherence is the key for the successful way to achieve the goal of viral suppression. Less than 85% adherence leads to drug resistance and subsequent treatment failure. You had good viral control and CD4 count with your ART. But it would have disturbed by your discontinuance of these drugs.
You can not continue the same drugs.
What you have to do is,
1. you have to identify a HIV specialist who is well-versed with ART and consult him.
2. You have to undergo CD4 count and HIV viral load test once again.
3. If your viral load is more thousand copies, go for a resistance test for ART. If the viral load is less than 1000 copies, resistance test result are not reliable.
4. As per the outcome of the results, the next best ART combination has to be selected.
5. Best option could be Zidovidine+lamivudine+ a PI (preferably Atazanavir boosted with Ritonovir). But your HIV physician is the correct person to choose the right ART as per the result of resistance test.
Wish you have a good consultant
Dr S.Murugan
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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