Question
What happens if I miss a week of ARVs?
3 December 2021. Related: Adherence, All topics, CD4 and viral load.
I have been on treatment for the last 8 months. I stopped my medication for a week and just did a viral load test, it says I have a viral load of 700000. I don’t understand.
Answer
Hi, how are you doing?
Do you mind if I asked why you missed a week? Adherence to a daily medication can be difficult and you might find a better way of managing it if you speak with a doctor.
For ARVs to be effective they need to be taken daily at the same time. This is because a constant level of the medication is required to be in your body to keep HIV suppressed. Missing a week of ARVs would allow the level of medication in your body to drop below a required amount. If it drops this low it will stop working and HIV will be able to replicate and increase its viral load. Here you can find out why taking ARV daily is important.
Missing a week means there is a chance HIV has gained resistance to your current medication. Taking ARVs until you are undetectable does not mean you can stop with taking them. ARV therapy will be required long-term to prevent the virus replicating. You may need to speak to your doctor about better ways to adhere to medication or if there is a more suitable combination.
If you have another question please get in touch,
Josh.
Hi Amanda, I am sorry to hear this. How long has he been living with HIV?
When did he last have a viral load/CD4 count test?
Has he now started to take his medication more regularly? and do you know why he has not been doing this previously?
Hi
My patner doest take his medicine everyday
at the same time, and he smokes a lot
Now his always tired and runny tummy is the problem when starting to take medication.
Worse he doesn’t want to talk about it.
Hi Ishmael, do you know your partners viral load? Even with missing occasional treatments, if he has an undetectable viral load, missing treatment for a few days is not going to risk viral rebound and U=U can still apply.
As you have mentioned, when you experienced night sweats it was very hot and this is the most likely cause for your night sweats.
Even though your risk of HIV is minimal to none in this case, it is still advised to have an HIV test. This is to continue being sure of your own status. Your partner missing a few days of treatment will not have risked transmission to yourself.
More information about transmission can be found here: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing
Hello,I need to ask a question because I’m afraid I might have been infected with hiv by my lover.
My partner has been positive for years and we’ve been dating for 7 years,he takes his medication, sometimes we do have unprotected sex but not all the time.i went home in December for 2 weeks and came back on the first week of January, and we had unprotected sex the day I came back,when I checked his medication there was plenty left and it was supposed to be finished, I asked him and he honestly told me that there was times when he didn’t take them because he was drunk and forgot,the longest was 2 or 3 days straight then he would take them,and maybe forget a day after a while and take them the following day.
In February(or was it March i don’t remember)weather was so hot and the was a time where I had night sweats for about 3 to 4 days I don’t remember but then it stopped and
I’m afraid of going to test.
Hi N, I am sorry but there is not enough info here for me to be able to help.
The answer will depend on your CD4 and viral load when your started ARVs and whether there are any other health concerns. It will also depend on which meds you are taking to know if this might be a side effect.
You doctor needs to decide if this is related to health or a side effect.
Most side effects get easier over the first few weeks.
If you started with a very low CD4 count though, this might be a new infection.
Have just started taking arv.i am feeling so tired even almost not able to walk my legs are tired. When will this end
Hi Allen, HIV medication needs to be taken at the same time everyday or at least within the same hour of your regular time e.g., if you take HIV treatment at 9am it would be okay to take it anytime between 08:30am and 09:30am.
HIV treatment is only effective in the body for around 24 hours. After this time it is less effective and cannot suppress HIV as well. This risks the medication not working as well and can lead to resistance of treatment.
Are you able to find a way to make it easier to take your treatment at the same time each day e.g., using an alarm or doing it as part of your routine after brushing your teeth?
I dont have a fixed time drinking my pills but i make sure i drink everyday is it okay
Hi Ish, for information about transmission please see here: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing