Guides › Introduction to combination therapy

Can I take a break in my treatment?

Once you start treatment, taking a break in the future is not generally recommended unless there is a medical reason.

The largest study to look at treatment interruptions (the SMART study) found that the risk of illnesses and deaths was higher in people who stopped treatment, compared to people on continuous treatment. This included both HIV-related and non-HIV-related illnesses like serious heart, liver or kidney-related disease.

In people who took an interruption, the average CD4 count was still 150 cells lower 18 months after restarting treatment than it was at the beginning of the study.

Stopping treatment for any period is not generally recommended.
Your viral load can increase again very quickly (within weeks). Each interruption also carries a risk of developing drug resistance.
If you want to take a break it is essential you talk to your doctor first.

July 2010

Decisions relating to your treatment should always be taken in consultation with your doctor. Information in this guide is intended to support those discussions.

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