Question
Shall I start treatment, as I have symptoms?
13 May 2008. Related: All topics, Starting treatment.
I am HIV +ve for 14 weeks now, I am getting pains in my body especially in hands feet and stomach and also diahrrea is persistent. Shall I start HIV treatment or treat the symptoms with other medication ?
Answer
Starting treatment will depend on some more indicators than symptoms alone. The current trend is to start treatment when the CD4 count of somebody is around 350. Some medical professionals also use the CD4% as an indicator. More information about those can be found in the i-Base booklet Introduction to Combination Therapy.
If your CD4 count is relatively high and you do not need treatment, then perhaps it is a better idea to check what is the reason for your current condition and if necessarily treat the condistions symtomatically (drugs for the different symptoms you have).
If, however, your immune system has already detiriorated as a result of the infection, then starting ARVs at some point will be necessary.
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