Question
What vitamins or antioxidants are recommended HIV positive people?
19 September 2014. Related: All topics, Supplements and herbs.
I’ve recently been diagnosed with HIV and am starting to make changes to my diet. I’ve read your very helpful guide to vitamins and minerals on the factsheets page but am still a little confused about exactly what vitamins to use. I’m currently taking a one-a-day multi vitamin but understand that I need a little more than that.
My next appointment isn’t for another 3 months and I wanted to start taking vitamins before then. Please help.
I’m not sure if its significant but my CD4 count is 380.
Answer
Thank you for your question.
In general, there is unlikely to be a benefit from taking a multivitamin unless you have a vitamin deficiency. In this case your doctor would recommended the vitamin. When the vitamin or supplement is for a specific use there is likely to be proven evidence of a benefit.
Some people take a multivitamin if their diet is not good, but otherwise vitamin supplements are not usually needed in you have a balanced and nutritious diet.
If you want to do this, then any of the multivitamins in most supermarkets and pharmacies would be okay – and unlikely to do any harm. One recent caution, is that if you are using an integrase inhibitor in your HIV combination, the multivitamin should be taken more than four hour apart from your HIV meds.
It is also good to tell your doctor of any supplements or complementary medicines you are taking. If you are doing this for a specific symptoms, then your doctor may have other options.
Just as with vitamins, there is little evidence to show any benefit from taking an antioxidant, unless this is for a medical reason recommended by your doctor.
There is no evidence to show that vitamins or supplement have any effect on your CD4 count or viral load. When you come to need HIV treatment, ARVs are the only proven way to reduce VL and increase CD4.
The market for vitamin and supplements is part of a multi-billion dollar operation and given the vast profits that are made, it is a concern how little evidence is available for any benefit. When careful studies have been performed the evidence of benefit is not only not found but sometimes harmful results are reported.
Also given the size of this market, there is very little regulation to know whether what it says on the label is actually reflected in the supplements themselves.
Note: This answer was updated in September 2014 from an original question in May 2010.
Hi Ken, I am sorry to hear how your weight has been changing while on treatment. How long had you been taking Aluvia for? and how long have you now been taking this new combination?
How much weight have you lost? Often when weight changes are caused by treatment, switching can help reverse some or all of the changes. This can be a slow process and might not completely return to how you were before. Have you spoken with a doctor about how you are feeling?
Some people find success in building muscle in the areas that they have lost weight. Do you still feel like you are losing weight? The new combination you are taking is more commonly associated with weight gain instead. Dolutegravir can increase the appetite of someone leading to an increase in weight over the first two years of treatment. What have you tried to gain weight?
And have you noticed any other symptoms that could suggest another cause e.g., night sweats, recurrent fevers of rashes? Or has anything changed in your life that could have caused this e.g., eating less, doing more exercise, stress, sleep disturbances etc…
Hello.. Iam positive since 2016 and undetectable at present. My CD4 is 381.
I had undergone several ARVs starting from efavirenz then switched to Alluvia for some allergic reaction..
Aluvia however I noticed Im becoming thinner. I switched meds again to Rilpivirine and now taking Dolutegravir.
Everything seems fine but Im worried about wasting. Felt like Im getting thinner and losing weight. Please help. What should I do?
Hi Grace, did you have a question?
Hello
Hi Jack, what ART are you taking? Kidney damage is more often associated with people who already have kidney problems. If you started your treatment with healthy kidneys you are not at high risk for kidney damage caused by HIV treatment. Have you had any testing to determine the health of your kidneys? Smoking increases the risk of kidney problems four-fold. If you can consider stopping/cutting down smoking, that will greatly reduce your risk of kidney problems. There are no supplements you can take that will help prevent kidney problems. The major thing to do is reduce/stop smoking.
Hello i am a HIV positive patient and my CD4 count is 560 and also i am taking the ART supplements.
But it can harm the kidneys .So can u please suggest me which supplement should i take.
And i also smoke .
Hi VR,
It sounds like your HIV meds are working fine. Your VL is undetectable and CD4 is 400.
But sleep disturbance and your other symptoms are reported side effects of efavirenz. Please see this link.
Please talk to your doctor about switching to other meds that will be easier for you to take. I’m sorry to hear that you have depression. But you should make sure your doctor knows about this. And also tell them that you have feelings of self harm. These symptoms can be linked to efavirenz too.
However, it’s a good idea to also discuss taking any supplements. Detox antioxidants and other supplements like Usana Hepasil might interact with your HIV meds. This can stop them from working as well as they should.
Please let us know how you get on. And tell us if you’re taking new HIV meds and what meds they are.
Hi! Im VR. I was diagnosed with HIV 3 years ago. It was an early detection, at most 5 months since the suspected contact. My CD4 is above 400 and my VL is undetected based on my latest lab results 3 months ago. I’m taking my first line regimen, which is a combination of Lamivudine, Tenofovir and Efavirenz. But I’m getting thinner and more fatigued and sometimes my dreams are really vivid. I also experience hallucinations and sleep paralysis. I also get easily feel down and burnout, and emotionally exhausted. Although, I haven’t been clinically diagnosed with depression, I always think of harming my self. Is it one of the side-effects of the ART or just my own anxiety for having HIV?
Also, I’m taking Usana Hepasil DTX since my SGPT level is slightly above normal. I haven’t told mu doctor yet. Will it do me good?
Please answer all my questions. Thank you!