Need help! here are my FIRST test results...

[mecch]

http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/WhenToStart_7512.shtml

Have you read through different lessons on this site?

Is your doctor an "infectious disease" specialist? How much time are you allowed talking to her?  Can you ask for rationales for her treatment recommendations, or not?

Are there no organisations for HIV+ people in your country? Are there no informal networks?

You can learn a lot on this site, anyway.

Also, this forum has a search mechanism so can search for other discussions about early treatment, etc.

You started off by saying "do I have to start" and its clear you don't.

At the end of the day, there is probably nobody who can tell you definitively if it is better for you to start or wait for awhile...  But on the other hand, you are in fine shape, either decision...  Its not that big a deal.

[buginme2]

I would just like to make one point

It is incredibly foolish to ask a question and take a poll no less on an internet forum on whether YOU should start medication to treat a potentially fatal illness.  What if 9 out of 10 people vote that you should not start treatment? Are you going to go by what they say and ignore the advise of your own doctor? 

Its one thing to ask general questions regarding the risks and benefits about the appropriate time to begin treatment or what different classes of medications there are.  Its another to ask specific medical questions regarding your own health.

[ITHAPPENED]

A simple comparison for me and others like me, can be helpful to decide :


Early therapy:
Treatment with antiretroviral medicines before CD4+ cell count drops below 500
Benefits:    
Increases ability to achieve and maintain control of viral replication
Delays or prevents immune system compromise
Slows or prevents progression of HIV to AIDS
Lowers risk of resistance to the medicines, if viral suppression is complete
Reduces risk of HIV transmission. (Even with early therapy, the risk of HIV transmission still exists. Antiretroviral therapy cannot substitute for primary HIV prevention measures, such as condom use and safe sex practices.)
Reduces inflammation caused by HIV. This may reduce problems linked to HIV infection such as kidney or liver damage.

Risks    

Medicine-related side effects that may reduce your quality of life
Earlier development of resistance to the medicines if viral suppression is not complete
Limitation of future antiretroviral treatment options
Possible risks of starting antiretroviral therapy before HIV-related symptoms develop


U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents (2011). Guidelines for the use of antiretroviral agents in HIV-1-infected adults and adolescents. Available online: http://www.aidsinfo.nih.gov/ContentFiles/AdultandAdolescentGL.pdf.

[ITHAPPENED]

Delayed therapy:
Treatment with antiretroviral medicines after CD4+ cell count drops below 500

Benefits
Avoids negative effects on quality of life, such as the cost of the medicine
Avoids serious problems related to the medicines
Delays development of resistance to the medicines
Preserves the maximum number of medicine options when HIV disease risk is highest

Risks
Irreversible damage to the immune system, which might have been avoided by earlier treatment
Greater chance of getting sick
Greater difficulty in preventing the virus from multiplying
Possible increase in the risk of HIV transmission
Increase in the risk of death from an AIDS-related illness

[ITHAPPENED]

Dear M
Yes I am reading a lot not only here on the site but also on the net and learning a lot.
And yes my doctor an "infectious disease" specialist.
Every visit takes 45min/1hour. I can ask her anything  but to ask a question I should now something about the subject and I am still learning and the numbers of the questions are getting larger when I learn more about the subject.
There are 2 organization for poz people but I have doubts about them, even their web sites are old  ( last entries was 2011). May be I will contact  with them in the future. I really am not sure if they can be helpful as much as this site!
thanks again!

[ITHAPPENED]

I would just like to make one point

It is incredibly foolish to ask a question and take a poll no less on an internet forum on whether YOU should start medication to treat a potentially fatal illness.  What if 9 out of 10 people vote that you should not start treatment? Are you going to go by what they say and ignore the advise of your own doctor? 

Its one thing to ask general questions regarding the risks and benefits about the appropriate time to begin treatment or what different classes of medications there are.  Its another to ask specific medical questions regarding your own health.

buginme2
I dont know if you are a little bit nervous or what?
Surely I will not take the votes as the guide instead of my doctors advice, can anyone be such an idiot?  there is an answer option on the poll, I was hoping people will write their experiences... anyway thanks for your answer