Anybody bold enough to try FOTO strategy for taking meds

[ElZorro]

Leather -

I can't emphasize enough how great it is to be able to listen to the experienced advice of LTS like yourself. I'm really glad that you were able to "hang in there" because you serve as an inspiration to those of us who are newly infected.

I was just royally scolded about a month ago by my mother. She's a retired nurse and the person I ran to when this all started last year. I was "whining" a bit about having to take the HIV meds (Atripla at the time) and hypothesizing "what if" I just stopped taking the meds for awhile and took my chances. Her response was to show me the handful of pills that she takes every day (at the age of 62) for a variety of ailments (everything from blood pressure to bladder). What she basically told me was to get passed the psychological issues that I was creating for myself and to understand that all I'm taking are antivirals and they aren't going to kill me. It really made me see things in a different light. Of course, I've changed meds since then, but I do take to heart the fact that what my mom said is probably true: those of us who are unfortunate enough to have this virus should recognize that the treatment is viable and we are (hopefully) being adequately monitored for adverse effects.  I'm just glad I don't have to take a pill to prevent me from peeing my pants!  

[wtfimpoz]

My concern is that these studies seem limited in their scope.  It is widely presumed that viral load in the cerebral spinal fluid increases the liklihood of neurological complications, and we know that viral load in the CSF correllates with viral load in the blood.  Does this correllation remain in those who regularly skip doses after becoming undetectable? 

EDIT:  I wanna throw out props to Leatherman too.  He's really inspirational to a lot of us.  The person he is today gives me hope for the future.

[YaKaMein]

Here's a contribution I made on the same subject in another forum. This is a very subjective and individual decision for each of us to make with serious consideration. -YaKa

http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=34941.0

[camille07]

I take Truvada, Norvir, and Reyataz....never took Atripla as a first line.    I take off two days out of the month, 2 separate Sundays.  I would never recommend this for anyone.  I do it because I also take pain meds occasionally.  I start filling like my body needs a break.  I'm still not detectable and high cd of 800, %47. 
 
I know that this is not as radical as the Foto stragedy, but I would love to see more studies done regarding this stragedy.

Camms

[mecch]

Converting a few years ago, and going on meds pretty quickly, I hardly think of my experience with these drugs, these days, as having anything to do with poison.
Other people in other situations might think otherwise.
I'd only do FOTO under the advice and surveillance of a ID.