Question
Can I return to my first ARVs – I have side effects with second-line?
28 November 2016. Related: All topics, Changing treatment.
Hello can i change from second line back to first line cz the second line is giving me too much problems with side effects.
Answer
Thanks for getting in touch.
For me to be able to answer I need to know why you changed the first treatment?
If this was because your viral load had either increased or not become undetectable, then the first treatment was not working well enough.
This means going back to the first treatment would not be good.
If you changed for other reasons, and your viral load was undetectable when you changed, then you can use the first treatment again.
What treatment were you taking and what are you now taking now?
It would also help to know your CD4 and viral load? Also, which country do you live in?
Hi Hellen,
Unfortunately changing from first line due to high viral load means that your first line meds were not working well. So it sounds like going back to first line would not be a good idea. But you can talk to your doctor and ask if you can switch to other second line meds that will be easier for you to take.
Do you have access to your viral load result and CD4 count? Please let us know what they are. Also please tell us what your first and second line meds are.
Can I go back to firstline, due to side effects of second line, the reason I was changed due to high vl.
Hi Hellen,
i-base advocates aren’t medical doctors, if you are having health issues you’re going to need to discuss these with your doctor.
I was using nvp tdf 3tc for nine years nvp failed to me,my vl started raising,up to where doctor told me that he will switch me to second line,and I accepted,bt now from Feb that when I started atazanavir n other,now since that time from Feb,my eyes changed to yellow,i was tested for bilirubin and it wa high,the doctor told me that it will be for a while then it will disappear,still from that feb,have been having a constipation till now,i take fiber n water bt doesn’t change,sometime when I poop I see blood on my tissue.plis help.am mentally ill
Hi Alex,
The weight loss can be due to a number of issues, one of which is stress, so this could be why you’re losing weight.
ARVs don’t cause people to have breathing issues, so what’s happening now is very unlikely to be connected to the meds. The meds that you’re now taking also have less side effects to Atripla. Since you started the new meds, have you had your viral load checked?
Hello. I need your advice. Prior to when I discovered I was hiv+, I had itching skin and breathing problems (similar to asthma), but that went away when I started my first regimen (atripla), and I soon became undetectable. Though the drugs made me sweat a lot and made my body hot after taking it. I also used to pee more after taking the drugs. Few months ago, my doctor advised to go to this new drug (acriptega), and just a few months on it, those symptoms I had before I found out I was positive, are back. I have night sweats now, shortness of breath(at night mostly and when I work out) and body itch. Does this mean that my new regimen isn’t working? I have talked to my doctor and he said I should wait it out. But I’m afraid. And now, I’m losing weight too. What do I do please?
Hi Ayo,
Please discuss this with your doctor. They will be able to advise you on which meds you can take.
Please I need help. Can I switch back to the first line? The second line makes my eyeballs yellow. I was switched to the second line because I the first line gave me gynecomastia. And I was still I teen. Now I think I prefer that to this one
Hi Lyn,
I’m sorry to hear you’re having difficulty accessing treatment because of economic problems in your country.
However, it sounds like you switched to second-line meds only because of side effects. So if you want to go back to first-line they should still work as well as before.
Do you have access to your CD4 count and viral load results for your first-line meds? If your viral load stayed undetectable, which is less than 50 copies, then they were working fine.
But it’s a good idea to talk to the doctor about these side effects and ask if there are other meds that they can give you.
My question is, when i started taking my meds in 2010 i was on first line regiments then my body started growing too big which was not normal, i then contacted my doctor who changed my meds from first line to second line. Now i am having challenges in getting my meds in Zimbabwe due to economic problems, can i change from second line to first line because my Doctor told me that second line are very expencive as compared to first line. Pliz advice