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
Hi Luthuli, you can restart treatment after 3 years. Are you able to return to your old clinic?
It’s been 3 years now