Question
I have a serious rash from starting treatment – should I stop taking my meds?
25 January 2011. Related: All topics, Changing treatment, Side effects, Starting treatment, Stopping treatment.
I am a 30 year old woman I got tested for HIV in 2009 and was found positive. In April 2010 I developed Kaposi’s Sarcoma but had only a few lesions. In December 2010 my CD4 count was 221 and I started ARVs, within a week I developed a very bad rash and they had to change my medication, I had been on this new drug for two weeks and I developed another rash which gets worse every day and I’m seriously considering stopping taking ARVs altogether because I feel like I was healthier without them and the rash is really affecting me, physically and emotionally. Please advice
Answer
Thank you for your question. I am sorry to hear you are having such a hard time taking the HIV medication. Many people experience side effects when starting medication. Some of these side effects lessen 2-4 weeks after starting the meds. If they continue then you should talk to your HIV doctor about changing your meds again until you find the right combination for you. You should not stop taking the meds or you will become sick very quickly and you could end up with resistance to some of the meds. This will limit your treatment choice in the future.
Although many drugs are linked to rash, the severity of rash and how long it lasts varies considerably. With some drugs, if you develop a rash during the first few weeks of therapy you must report this immediately to your doctor. This is because it can sometimes lead to very serious reactions. These drugs are abacavir (Ziagen, and in Trizivir and Kivexa), nevirapine (Viramune), efavirenz (Sustiva), etravirine (Intelence), fosamprenavir (Lexiva) and T-20 (enfuvirtide, Fuzeon).
Other rashes are more likely to be mild and disappear without treatment, or can be easily treated with antihistamine drugs such as cetirizine (Zirtek) or loratadine (Clarityn).
It would help me give you a more specific answer if you could tell me the meds you took previously and the ones you are on now?
For more information please follow this link.
Hi Ed,
It can’t become allergic to ARVs. Have you discussed this with your doctor? They maybe able to give you something that makes life more comfortable.
Hello, I’ve been on ARV treatments since 1997 and have experienced liver damage and rash/hypersensitivity to most. I am now only able t take monotherapy. Tivicay 50 mg. When I take multiple ARV meds, the intestinal problems are severe, as if the gut stops moving. Can the gut itself become allergic to ARVs?
Hi Lem,
What your doctor has told you isn’t true. It sounds like a side effect. Therefore, if your doctor isn’t taking this seriously, you should see someone else. This is because a rash an be a sign of a serious side effect.
I started taking triumeq and on the second week I developed itchy bumps on my face, chest and back. I told my doctor and she said it’s a reaction from my body trying to reduce my viral load with the medicine and increasing my immune system. She said with time, it would pass. I really don’t know how long this would take.
Hi Portia,
Because you have a rash, its important that you go and see a doctor. This is because it could be a sign of a serious side effect.
I also started a week ago and have developed a very itchy rash. I’m also pregnant.
Hi Thokozani,
Because you’ve developed a rash, its important that you go and see your doctor. This is because a rash can be a sign of a rare side effect. Don’t however stop taking them, but go and see your doctor.
I started developing a rash a week after beginning my ARVs. I’m on, efivarenz 600, emtricitabine 200, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg. Should I stop taking them?
Hi, It’s important that you see your doctor straight away. We are an HIV treatment information service, and we’re not doctors.
But it’s very important that a doctor examines your rash quickly to make sure you are not having a reaction to Atenef.
Just started Atenef 3 weeks ago today. I’m discovering a rash on my left hand and I’ve got abdominal pains.