Question
I have been losing weight while on ARVs, is there anything I can do?
4 April 2022. Related: All topics, Living with HIV long-term, Side effects.
Hi I’m Sheila, I’ve been on ARVs for 12 years now but I am truly depressed of the the way I’m losing body fat. I don’t want to look at myself in the mirror. Is there any other medicine I can use just to help me gain weight?
Answer
Hi Sheila, I am sorry to hear how depressed you are feeling. Have you been able to speak with anyone about this?
Have you been taking ARVs since you were diagnosed 12 years ago? and what combination are you taking? Some combinations of HIV medications have greater impacts on weight that others
Where have you lost weight from? Regaining weight can be difficult and unfortunately can take a while – just like it takes a while to lose the weight.
There are no medications to replace this lost weight, however that does not mean there are not things you can try.
Losing weight in the legs and arms, people can find success in building muscle where they have lost fat. If it is a generalised loss of weight have you increased how much food you are eating?
There are a number of factors that affect your weight, not all related to HIV. If you are stressed, very active, eating a little and even genetics can all influence your weight. If you are looking to increase how much food you are eating I have attached a guide to the i-base healthy lifestyle guide.
More specific sites of weight loss, namely the face can be read about here. While there are no medications, injections are available to recover lost definition in the face if this would be suitable for you.
Josh.
Hi Olivia, how much weight have you gained over the last 10 years? Genvoya does have an association with weight gain however the frequency of people experiencing this side effect is unknown.
The expected weight gain is a little less than 3kg over 4 years on average. Weight gain is multifactorial and can be caused by a number of things impacting lifestyle e.g., changes in diet, exercise/activity, other illnesses, stress and even sleep.
Yes increasing your exercise and following a healthier diet can help with weight loss. Have you considered speaking with a doctor/dietician about how to effectively attempt weight loss?
Hello my name is Olivia and I have been on Genvoya for about 10yrs and have gain so much weight and I’m just fat and I want to try and lose weight I’m 55yrs old and I know age and menopause and had a surgery that woman have to get from fibroid so would exercising help me and I also just ordered Mediterranean cookbook they said its good for weight loss please help.
Hi Anonymous, why do you not have any ARVs? and are you aware of your current CD4 count and viral load?
Is this a healthy weight for you? or do you now think you are underweight? How are you feeling in general and have you spoken to a doctor about this weight loss?
am anonymous i have o arvs since 2021 bt am losing too much weight frm size 36 to 28 yho
Hi Momoh, have you always used the same treatment? Has anything changed with your treatment since you have started losing weight? Losing 20kg in a year is a significant amount of weight. Have you mentioned this to your doctor?
Good morning ,av been on arc drug since 2007 but I started loosing weight since 2022
from 90kg to 70kg but since av started taking multivitamins,my weight have increased to 73.please what can I use to regain my weight fast.Thank you
Hi Precious, what is the name of the ART you have been taking? and has anything else changed in your life recently e.g., more stress/exercise, eating less?
Have you noticed any other symptoms e.g., night sweats/fever? 7kg in 6 months is a lot of weight to lose. Have you mentioned this to your doctor?
Hi my name is Precious and I started taking arvs about six months ago and my weight was 73kg but now I’m on 64? I’m worried what should I take?
Hi Nomsa, please talk to your doctor about this. Everything thing is probably fine but this isn’t something that I can help with online. Your doctor can look at your medical history and talk about what to expect now.
I’m confused because i started taking arvs in 2023 march and I’m pregnant but my weight was 73 on April next month my weight was 70 what can i do