Question
How soon will my partner see a response to treatment?
18 August 2011. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, Newly diagnosed, Starting treatment.
My partner received his diagnosis a week ago. His CD4 was 210 and viral load high. I’m quite nervous as there is a lot to take in and understand as well as dealing with the shock. We realise he will likely start treatment quite soon.
How long after treatment would we see his results start to improve? He is very healthy and had been leading an active lifestyle and eating well, although has just been feeling a little run down for quite a while.
Answer
I am sorry to hear about your partner’s recent diagnosis. This is a lot to take in and although it is difficult now, it will slowly get easier.
Treatment is very effective, and adherence (taking each dose on time) is important for a good response.
After starting treatment, viral load drops very quickly. This is usually by 90% in the first few days and by 99% within the first couple of weeks. UK guidelines state that viral load should be undetectable by three months, but although a few people take longer than this, some people see this within one month.
The CD4 recovery is usually more steady and slow, but this varies a lot between individuals. Your partner still has a good CD4 count and after treatment this should get stronger.
See these links for information on CD4 counts and for an Introduction to Combination Therapy.
In the UK you can get support from many organisations and lists of support groups are included on the Positive East and Positively UK websites.
Hi there,
I just wanted to add there as a HIV positive person myself. I have been on treatment for over a year now and can vouch that the HIV treatment works!
If you can find a combination that is tolerable and your partner adheres to treatment, there could not be a better thing than that.
And, don’t put dates/ time period on the success of treatment…if you have high expectations you are likely to get disappointed.
Most websites will suggest that your VL wil become undetectable in 3-6 months, but that may/ maynot be the case with you! Everyone is different. It took me a year to get undetectable and my VL has been undetectable for two consequtive tests now and my CD4 cells are now above 800!
So hang in there and don’t miss doses. HIV treatment is not like taking paracetamol off and on.
Some tips from my personal experience:
1. Make an informed choice about treatment. Stick to treatment and keep an eye on the sideeffects. Best is to keep a log of how you feel physically and mentally during the first months of starting treatment.
2. Attend your appointments regularly and tell your doctor how you feel.
3. Maintain high levels of hygene – most infections happen through the hand to oral route. Not all though…lol.
4. Learn about STIs, their symptoms and have safe sex. Treat existing infections.
5. Don’t self medicate. HIV drugs can interact with other over the counter medicines. Speak to your doctor about what comon remedies you can/ cannot take.
6. Seek medical care ASAP. HIV causes even mild infections to flare up…so as soon as you have symptoms, go to your doctor.
7. Get vaccinated – for Hep A/B. Take your annual flu jabs.
8. Eat well and sleep well.
9. Avoid stressing your system with alcohol and smoking.
10. Above all, don’t panic! You will still get an odd tumy bug, chest infection and and flu. Be cautious, but don’t relate everything to HIV.
Above all, learn, understand, don’t be shy asking questions, however stupid they may seem. Some good websites are:
http://www.thebody.com
http://www.i-Base.info
http://www.poz.com
As a carer, be braced for a rough time ahead, at least for a few months…there will be all sorts of issues, treatment, side effects, money, issues around relationship, emotional turmoils etc etc.
Remember, the dust will settle down – it always does! Grieve, cry, express your emotions and don’t bottle up. It is like a bereavement…you mourn, miss the person but life carries on. I can assure, the intensity will reduce.
And if this comes as any reassurance; I am sat here writing this, as I am off work due to a urinary track infection. I am taking it easy, on antibiotics and behaving- a year ago, I would have pressed a panic button when I sneezed!
I know all of this will be information overload – take it in bites.
Love to you both and God bless!
I would like to add the MyHIV.org is a new interactive site with a very active forum which I can recommend for your partner. Forum members range form people living with HIV for many yrs to others who like your partner have recently been diagnosed.
Registration is very simple and you can as annonymous as you like.
Hope this is useful