Next page: CD4 and viral load results

Changing treatment to avoid side effects

This guide is about changing treatment if your current ART stops working.

However, you might want to change treatment to avoid side effects or to have a regime that is easier to take.

Changing to ART that is more tolerable is very common. Your meds needs to be ones you can tolerate.

Newer drugs may also have become available since you last changed treatment.

If adherence is difficult you might be able to use long-acting injectable ART.

Changing meds can improve your quality of life. It can still keep your viral load undetectable. If the change doesn’t make things better, you can always go back to your old combination.

Your choices depend on your treatment history.

This link has information about every HIV drug.

The i-Base Guide to Side Effects has detailed information on changing treatments to avoid side effects.

Last updated: 1 January 2025.