Do I have a choice of what combo to take?

[27years]

It might time for me to start meds soon.  Do I have the right to choose a combo which i want to start with or does it have to be the Dr who picks any which he thinks are good for my numbers, I have read about some which i think i might not like and i have read about some that are much tolerable, so incase a Dr choose what I wouldnt want can i turn them down and go for my choice, I will be getting my medication from UK.  Has anyone been through this or its just me fearing the unknown.

[libvet]

As long as there are no issues with resistance or allergies or drug interactions, you should be free to pick the combo that best suits you.  It's a decision to be made with your doctor's advice since he would be able to alert you to any particular issues with the regimen you choose.

I told my doctor what I wanted to start on and when I was wanting to switch drugs, I told him as well.

As long as you aren't suggesting something that would cause you harm, there is no reason you shouldn't have a say in your therapy.

[BT65]

27, you should have resistance testing done to see if the virus will be resistant to any of the meds.

Other than that, the decision should be made between you and your doctor.  Read up on the medication, see what you might want to take and not to take.  And know that the side effects are not all the same for everyone.  Good luck with this and let us know how you're doing.

[gaz41]

I just have a quick question as I am a little confused.  you say you will be getting your medication from the UK, but in another thread you state you are living in Germany ...how does that work ... do you have to travel to the UK every 3 months to see the doctor ...are you unable to access trreatment in Germany ? 

[27years]

Gaz41 I do travel to UK after every 3-4 months.  It has been like this and i am quite happy with the arrangement, my dr is in Germany but HIV Dr is in UK.  I know it might sound confussing but thats the way it is.  I am not in the Germany system at all because of my job I would rather have the treatment in UK.  Hope this clears the confusion

[sprockett9]

27,

Betty is right - first you need to get tested to see if your strain of the virus is resistant to any of the current drugs.  From there you Dr can share with you your options.  Make sure he/she shares with you all the risks/side effects and a plan that works.

My one concern for you is that your HIV Dr is not in close proximity.  When I started my meds, I went only a few weeks before going back to ensure there were no adverse effects (both obvious but also blood work to check non-obivous like liver functions)  make sure you can get there easy if needed during the first weeks/months in case you have any complications.

[27years]

Thanks everyone for the information.  I will make the final decision on what to start with when I have done the resistance test.  As for travelling to and from Uk I am so used to it, hoping the meds wont trigger something that will stop me from travelling.  It takes about 2 hours for me to get to get to UK, so going to UK shouldnt be a major issues.  Incase I need urgent medical intervention then I will have to rely on my local GP who is also aware of my treatment plan. For now I am just reading through lessons on drugs  so that i get as much information as I can and hey its not easy to understand but i will get there eventually.

[BT65]

27, just give yourself time, baby. 

[newt]

Treatment for any condition is based on patient consent. The simple phrase if offered a non-preferred combo is "I do not consent to treatment with that drug" - whatever the doc then says simply repeat it.

You may of course consent to treatment with your preferred option.

Doc may argue you do not have the scope of consent to a specific treatment ie a particular combo but it is extremely arguable. Docs will prefer to treat with a patient-suggested combo than not treat at all, unless there is a good clinical reason.

- matt