new dilema

[lifechanging2007]

Dear all,

sorry for taking so much time to get back to the forums well i was dealing and putting together all the "shit" with this virus.

I just came from my doctor and he gave me the news "start meds" with the results i have i wasn't surprised. but the thing he told me that i will be on meds for 6 months and then stop when the vl is undetectable. this will boost the time that i will need to take the meds again.

my test results are like this:
               27-01-07     14-03-07

CD4 counts   245           241
Viral Load     542000   858000
CD4 Percentage   15%       13%
CD8 counts    1011          1176
CD8 Percentage   63.40%      63.35%
CD4/CD8               0.24    0.21

I was infected on jan 07 so im in a cute infection but 858000 this is too much right?

[budndallastx]

Check out this forums "Lesson" section.  It has a fairly decent explanation of what your tests mean and when to start meds.  This can help you talk to your doctor and discuss the best option for you.

The link is at https://www.poz.com/basics/hiv-basics/starting-hiv-treatment

[Ann]

Hi Life,

You don't HAVE to start the meds right now if you don't want to. You are still in the very early stages of infection and your own body will bring the virus under control on its own in time. The decision to start or not to start should be very much YOUR decision and you do have time to do your homework so you can make an informed decision. Starting treatment on the basis of only two lab results isn't really recommended.

Along with the link Bud gave you above, there are other articles in the Lessons that will help you. You do need to understand that taking the meds is a big commitment as they have to be taken every day at the same time - give or take an hour - without fail or you could be setting yourself up for drug resistance. The meds are also not without side-effects and some of these side-effects can take weeks and in some cases, months, before they settle down. Of course, some people don't experience any sides at all. You won't know where you'll fall until you begin to take them.

There are other threads on this subject in the Newly Diagnosed forum - so you may want to do a little reading over there as well. The best decisions are always informed decisions that you feel comfortable with. Please arm yourself with knowledge - it's one of the best weapons we have in the fight against this virus.

Please don't let your doctor push you into something you're not ready for or don't feel comfortable with. You should be working together with him as a team - not just letting him run the show single-handed.

If more questions arise during your reading, please come back here to the forum and ask away.

Hang in there!

Ann