Question
Will missing ARVs for 5 days risk my undetectable status?
20 July 2022. Related: Adherence, All topics, CD4 and viral load.
I lost medications whilst travelling and have not been able to take meds for 5 days. I am virally suppressed for 10 years without problems. I have pills arriving tomorrow. My adherence is very good and this is the first time i have gone without taking meds . Should I be ok?
Answer
Hi, how are you doing?
What ARVs do you take? Most modern ARVs have a longer half life. This means that you can miss a few days and there is enough medication in your body to still work.
As you are undetectable, it usually takes a week or more for a true viral rebound to occur. As you are getting your ARVs tomorrow, it will be less than a week and they will probably still work.
Are you able to access a viral load test? While it is likely that everything is fine, checking your viral load in a few weeks after restarting medication will let you know that everything is still okay.
Josh.
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