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 Mkateko, how long have you been off your ARVs? Are you able to speak to a doctor/visit a health clinic to discuss your current symptoms? Returning to ARVs will be best for keeping your immune system healthy.
I started taking my ARVs for 2 years now,my problem was I was feeling dizzy,now my fingers are getting swollen am thinking of going back to my ARVs
Hi BS,
If you’d developed resistance to your previous meds, you won’t be able to use these again.
As the meds that you’re taking now are working (which is great) there’s no need to change, that is unless your doctor has advised this.
I have the same question, I was switched to second line regimen because I was not taking my treatment as prescribed I was sometimes missing doses,as a result my viral load was not going down until I was switched to second line.After that I told myself that I will comply to my treatment and since then my viral load remains undetectable.Can I switch back to first line coz I’m now complying and I want to keep my viral load undetectable?
Hi John,
For us to be able to help, we need to know about your treatment history. Why have you been changed, and changed to what?
Hi My Name is John, my Nurse Has just Decide To Change My Arv To Second LINE and I’m not Comfortable About it
Hi 123456789,
As Lisa says above, if your viral load was undetectable when you changed, then you can use the first treatment again.
But you can talk to the clinic about your CD4 count. CD4 counts can go up and down as the immune system recovers on HIV treatment. But you can ask if you need to take other meds, such as antibiotics. They can help stop other infections while CD4 counts are low.
I was taking first line for a year. I started with CD4 of 102. After six months, it went up to 148. However, six months after that, it dropped to 86.
My VL results still wasn’t available at the time as the clinic had plenty of backlog then. The doctor ordered a genotyping of the virus to see if I’m responding to the treatment. However, she also mentioned that the sudden drop in CD4 is indicative of treatment failure. She suggested that I switch to second line. And so I did.
2 weeks after that, my VL results and genotyping tests arrived at the same time (both taken while I was on first line meds). I was undetectable, which means the first line was working.
The second line meds has plenty of side effects that interferes with my daily life. It also gave me severe anxieties. I want to switch back to original meds. So I want to ask you guys if it’s possible given my circumstances.
Hi Hellen,
It’s great that your VL is undetectable. And your CD4 count looks strong at 678. So your meds look as though they’re working well.
Please can you explain your question? Do you want to go back to firstline meds? What was the reason you switched to second line? Please let us know.
Firstline was NVP TDF 3TC and second line atazanavir lamivudine zidovudine my vl was undetectable and my CD4 was 678.