Question
I am not on ARVs but gaining weight, what does this mean?
6 September 2016. Related: All topics, Side effects, South Africa, Starting treatment.
I tested HIV positive 2 years back and never took ARVs but I’m gaining weight. Isn’t it that a person with HIV should lose weight if not on medication?
Answer
Hi,
Thanks for getting in touch.
Have you considered starting treatment? Treatment is also effective at preventing transmission of HIV if you feel that the other benefits are not appropriate for you at the moment. Please see here for more on starting treatment.
You are right that untreated HIV is more likely to lead to weight loss over weight gain. However, everyone is different and this does not necessarily mean that if you don’t lose weight you shouldn’t consider meds.
It’s also worth noting that weight gain can be unhealthy depending on your lifestyle and diet. That’s why it’s important to discuss this with your doctor an they can assess why you are gaining weight and if that is good for your general health.
Hi Dorah,
I’m sorry to hear about your diagnosis. But can I ask why you have stopped taking the medication?
Please let us know what HIV meds you were taking. And if you have access to your viral load and CD4 count please tell us what they are.
What country do you live in? There could be local support to help you move clinics.
Hey
I tested in August and my results were positive but my boyfriend was negative. I have now stopped taking the medication and I’m gaining weight though I sweat a lot during the day when it’s hot and not at night.
And I don’t really stay in one place i move around a lot so sometimes I miss my appointment dates because I haven’t really disclosed to anyone about my status it’s only my boyfriend who knows so it allowed to continue at a different clinic if I’m not around the clinic i usually go to?
Hi Charles,
It’s not unusual for one partner to be HIV positive and the other negative, even when not using condoms. There could be a number of factors for this, including just luck.
But can I ask if you’ve had a viral load test? It often takes several years for symptoms of HIV to appear. But a viral load test would show how much HIV is in the blood. It will show how much damage HIV could be doing to your immune system.
So it’s a good idea to see your doctor and ask for tests and results. Starting HIV treatment (ART) is recommended even if your immune system seems to be working well. Please see this link to the Start study for more info.
And here’s an introduction to ART. There’s a lot of info in this about starting ART.
Hi
I tested positive in 2015 but since then there are no symptoms or signs that I’m sick. My two previous girlfriends tested negative. How is it possible?
Hi Worried,
The clinic were right in telling you to come back for another test, this is because there is a chance that you could be newly infected, however a HIV test won’t pick it up yet. So yes, there is an element of the ‘waiting game’. I know that this may be hard, but it’s one of those things that people at times have to go through. It is however important to know that it’s actaully quit hard to contract HIV.
If your partner has just been diagnosed, unless he is an elite controller (which isn’t common) his viral load will be detectable. What this means in practice is that until his viral load is undetectable you’re going to need to use condoms. Assuming that you’re negative that is.
Hi there…me and my boyfriend went for tests and he tested positive and I tested negative..
I’m very worried since we have been having unprotected sex the past few months …is it possible that I might not have been infected…or is it just a waiting game? I was told to come back after 6weeks and he was started immediately on treatment I’m not sure how much his viral load is we were told that he will get his results after 7 days
Hi Mzukisi,
It’s great to hear your girlfriend is HIV negative. And congratulations on having a healthy baby.
However, the situation is very common and your girlfriend has just been lucky. The risk of catching HIV is usually quite low, even if you don’t always use condoms. It’s also related to many things, including your viral load (ie how infectious a person is).
Please see this similar Q&A for more info.
Hi I tested positive in 2015 and was on meds then after 2 years i stoped taking meds but I am gaining weight now dont know whats happening…2018 my girlfriend was pregnant by mistake and gave birth to to a healthy baby, what surprise me is….they are both negetive and they tested several times but still negetive….can you explain…thank you
Hi KoketjO,
Any viral load result that’s less than 50 copies/mL means HIV is undetectable. Viral load test is a key marker to whether treatment is working. When you achieve a non-detectable or undetectable viral load it shows that the treatment is working.
On average, the normal CD4 range for an HIV negative person is between 460 and 1600. When you start HIV treatment (ART) your viral load drops dramatically during the first few days. So your CD4 count can start to recover and it will go up. But this can be slower than the drop in viral load.
Please see this page in ART in pictures. It shows what happens to CD4 count and viral load once ART is started.
What HIV meds are you taking?
Hi wat does it mean if I have 5oml copies and cd4 count of 280 can some one explain