Side effects and adherence

Whether you are starting your first treatment or have been using HIV drugs for a long time, your doctor should have talked to you about the importance of adherence.

This is the term that describes taking the medications exactly as they are prescribed.

This includes:

• Taking them on time.
• Following any dietary advice.
• Taking them everyday: weekdays, at weekends and on holiday.

Not getting adherence right leads to treatment failure and resistance.

There is a link between adherence and side effects. People in one study who reported higher numbers of side effects after the first month of treatment were less adherent and had lower viral load reductions three months later.

This study provided a idea of the impact of side effects on everyday life. Ninety-four percent of people reported at least one symptom after 4 weeks, which dropped slightly to 88% after 3 months. Feeling more tired and having diarrhoea were the most frequently reported side effects, 40% of which were mild and only 7% were severe. Most importantly, the severity of these side effects reduced over time.

This study was run a few years ago, and treatments in 2010 are much more tolerable. Nevertheless, the conclusion was clear. If you get side effects, take them seriously and tell your clinic.

Many treatments help with nausea and diarrhoea. You can be given a small supply of these to take to prevent side effects when you first start treatment. You should also be able to collect these easily from your clinic if you get symptoms.

Adherence can be more difficult when medications make you feel less well.