Answer

Thank you for your question.

It is difficult for me to answer your question accurately without further information. I would need to know your age, height, your ‘normal’ weight before you were positive in 2008 and where on your body you are putting on weight e.g. around your stomach, chest and back or elsewhere.

As a general rule, most people put on weight when they start treatment – perhaps with a weight gain of 5-10%. This is due to your body having to work really hard to fight the infection before when your viral load is still high.

Once the medication is started and your viral load goes down your body is no longer using up as much energy fighting the virus. So although your food intake has not changed, the rate at which you burn it has changed and this could mean there is some weight gain.

However, fat accumulation is also a well documented side effect (called lipodystrophy) that has been reported with nearly every combination. Ask your doctor whether your symptoms are more likely to be a side effect than normal ‘return-to-health’ weight gain.

Lipodystrophy involves fat accumulating in the abdomen (stomach), breasts, shoulders, neck and is sometimes exaggerated by fat loss from the arms, legs, buttocks and face.

Although this usually only happens slowly over several years, there have also been reports of it occuring more quickly in some people.

For more information fat accumulation see this link.

As we get older it gets more difficult to shift the weight we gain and it is also harder to go back to exercise.

Answer: Charlotte Walker