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?
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Hi Tami,
The rash could be due to a lot of things. Please consult a doctor about this.
Hi ,I have a rash on my neck its paining like m burned, and m on arvs treated for 5 month plz help m very worried. Regards thami
Hi Magatalena,
Sorry we are not doctors at i-Base. But can you go back to the doctor and tell them again?
What ARVs are you taking? Do you have access to your CD4 count and viral load results?
Hi.. I start to taking arvs November 2017 late 2018 I started to suffer chest pain I went for x-ray I did blood test and Gscop they don’t find anything wrong but the pain still the same
Hi Portia,
It’s good that you’ve just started HIV meds. What meds are you taking?
And what does the doctor say about your rash? It’s important that you let the doctor see the rash because it might be a reaction to the HIV meds.
You can ask them about creams and treatment for it too.
Hi i started taking my hiv meds on the 3 of this month & i suddenly develope an irritating rash on my hands.what can i take or apply on its irrittating me especially whn is hot i even want to buy Allejex or apply baby bum cream help plis.
Hi Joseph,
I’m sorry to hear about the rashes. But what does the doctor say about them? It’s a good idea to show them to the doctor so you can find out what’s causing them.
How are your blood results? Do you have access to your viral load and CD4 count? Please let us know, and tell us what meds you’re taking too.
Hi good day…ive been on my hiv Meds since 8th October 2018 and on december I started noticing rashes on my inner thighs which I apply anti fungal cream and I went for a while and came back again this time to my chest and still my inner thighs and I’m also on septrin as part of my hiv medication I’m tired of the rashes tho it’s not painful but I dnt like it on my body!!
I’m in Nigeria
Hi Kim,
I’m sorry to hear this story. Are you taking HIV meds too? This website is for people who are HIV positive and their friends and family.
However, treating TB is impotant, with or without TB. Unfortunately any treatment can cause a serious rash for some people. What does your doctor say? It’s important to show the rash to your doctor. It sounds like it is serious.
This doctors are so useless when it comes to TB patients they tell u how can it be the treatment that give you a rash wtf since I started to take it that shit gave me rash all over wtf?