Question

Will I be okay if I have symptoms after two weeks on ART?

26 December 2022. Related: All topics, Newly diagnosed, Side effects, Starting treatment, Support.

I tested positive type 2 three weeks ago and started treatment immediately.

I feel a bit stronger but I’m still having fever, ongoing diarrhoea and I feel bloated.

Is it a side effect from the treatment or is too late for me?

Answer

Answer: Simon Collins

Hi there

Thanks for getting in touch and for letting us post an answer online online.

Even if you are already ill when you are diagnosed, HIV treatment – called ART – is very effective. It can still work really well.

As you started ART straight away, do you have your CD4 result yet? This is a blood test and results can be from about 0 to 1600. Higher is much better and less than 200 is advanced HIV.

Your CD4 result would help me comment on your current symptoms.

• If you had these symptoms before starting ART, the meds can improve them. This might take a few weeks.
• Sometimes, if your CD4 count is less than 50, new symptoms can be from a new illness. This needs expert care because the new infection s can be very serious.
• New symptoms can also be low level side effects as your body gets used to ART.

Please talk to your doctor about which of these is most likely.

HIV-2 is much less common than HIV-1. It usually progresses more slowly, but needs to be managed just as carefully. One difference is that some of the drugs used to treat HIV-1 do not work against HIV-2.

ART will already be working though and things should soon get much easier.

Please let me know if you have more questions.