Question
I’ve been off my ARVs for a while, can I restart?
28 September 2021. Related: Adherence, All topics.
I started meds in 2018 but stopped taking them in early 2021, is it OK to restart?
Answer
Thanks for getting in touch.
It’s great to hear that you want to restart taking ARVs. This is important.
As you’ve been off meds for a while, the best thing to do is to book an appointment to see your doctor. Let them know what happened and that you want to restart.
Ideally, your doctor should check your viral load as well as your CD4 count.
You may be able to use the meds that you were taking before. Or there might be newer meds..
Once you restart, it’s important to adhere to your meds, if you stop and start this can cause drug resistance.
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