Question
Can I restart my treatment after years?
31 August 2023. Related: Adherence, All topics, CD4 and viral load.
I have stopped taking my ARVs and it’s been years, will they work if I retake them now?
Answer
Hi, how are you doing?
How many years have you been without treatment? and do you know the name of your treatment?
Have you had recent viral load/CD4 tests?
It is great that you want to restart. In most cases restarting treatment will not be a problem and it will continue to work.
Depending on your current CD4 count you may be required to take additional medication for a short while as your CD4 count recovers. This is called co-trimoxazole and is an antibiotic used to prevent other infections as your immune system recovers.
It would be recommended that after restarting treatment you have a viral load test a few weeks after. This will be to check that your medication is working and that HIV is being suppressed.
Are you going to the same clinic where you had your medication from last?
Josh
Hello Mercy and thanks for getting in touch.
Great news to know you are an elite controller.
The current strategy of management is still ARVs as this way the inflammation (and the side effects from chronic inflammation) is managed better.
However, it’s best to discuss with your doctor before making any decisions – that way you can make sure you know the consequences in either option and make up your mind having all the information.
It’s also crucial you remain in touch with your clinic and receive monitoring even if you decide to stop the medication but also get help in how to do that safely.
I am also sending you this link to understand better what the situation might mean for you:
https://i-base.info/guides/starting/what-about-people-who-progress-slowly
https://i-base.info/qa/23583
I was diagnosed almost 14 years ago and have never been on arv’s. Part of the reason I never went on medication is, I didn’t believe I caught the disease.
Two months ago, I travelled to a different country, and through a routine check I tested positive and was put on bikarvy. But before I started the medication, my cd4 and viral load was checked.
Cd4 is 540
Viral load 20
The problem is, I had taken the arv’s for a whole month before I read the results.
Now I that I know that I’m an elite controller, I want my body to do it’s job.
How do I stop the arv’s now?
Will one month arv’s cause any problems?