Question
I’ve restarted treatment and my viral load is high, what will happen?
2 October 2016. Related: Adherence, All topics, CD4 and viral load, Changing treatment, Living with HIV long-term, South Africa, Support.
I was diagnosed with HIV in 2008. Things went well and I took my meds responsibly after a 3 month stay in hospital with TB. I have now defaulted my meds for more than 2 years. I’m rather ill and have just restarted meds. Amazingly my CD4 count is 244 but viral load above 350 000. Will my brain and body be able to recover from everything it’s going through?. Or can I throw in the towel and just accept the outcome of a great deep sleep after all the battles?
Answer
Hi,
I am sorry to hear you are having such a difficult time. Do you have anyone supporting you? This could be a friend or family member, or anyone at your clinic that could help. It’s always better to talk about how you are feeling and work through any concerns.
It is great that you have restarted treatment and you should feel good that your CD4 count has stayed at an OK number. This means your immune is doing OK despite taking time off treatment.
Even though your viral load is high right now, treatment is very effective at bringing it down quickly. This means your brain and your body will be able to recover thanks to your treatment. Many people who have gone undiagnosed for a long time with an uncontrolled viral load manage to live full lives once they start or re-start treatment. Re-starting will hopefully allow you to get back into your good habits of taking your meds and carrying on with your life.
Did your doctor check for resistance before restarting treatment? This would have been done to check if your previous meds would still work. Did they also mention anything about your TB?
Good luck
Comment