Question
What about quality of life with long-term treatment?
21 May 2008. Related: All topics, Living with HIV long-term, Side effects.
I know with current meds one can live a long life with HIV, but can you tell how much of this will be healthy. What about the quality of life?
Answer
Quality of life is everything.
For most people in Western countries the range of treatment (over 20 drugs) means that getting a combination that is both effective and tolerable, is now pretty easy. Newer drugs in development may improve this even further.
This is more difficult in countries where the older drugs are still the basis of treatment, including d4T (stavudine, Zerit) and to a lesser extent AZT (zidovudine, Retrovir). This is why it is important to improve both access to treatment and access to the best treatment.
Have been on treatments for about 16 years and the quality of life has been terrific. I am now 55 years old.
Recently though, I have had side effects, resulting in changing several drug combinations, and I am still having problems leaving me with only the latest treatments to try. This implies that either I change my life style i.e. addictions to specific behaviors like obsessive workaholism or change my drugs?
My sex life has been almost dead for a few years due to lack of drive (I am so glad that happened now have time for a life).
I am looking at taking up yoga and trying to give up an addiction to work. To me stress is the main problem and behavioral addictions are a response to stress i.e. avoidance or relaxing or sitting still. The body can only compensate for a given period then it is up to the owner of the body to change the minds direction -just my opinion.
Alan