Isentress+Truvada, Complera or Atripla?

[walkingpoz]

Hey guys, I am 21 and have been diagnosed with HIV in October 2011 and my CD4 count was 554 (27%) and viral load was 20,000. Now, about 2 1/2 months later, my CD4 is 481 (23%) and viral load is 100,000. I want to start ARV as soon as possible, but I am planning to go on a trip in February and would like to start medication when I come back, which is in the end of February.

Does this mean I am a fast progressor? Do you think I should start medication right away or is it ok to wait until the end of February?

Since my virus has no resistancy to any medication I think the best first line regimens for me would be Isentress+Truvada, Complera or Atripla. I read a lot about side effects and about when and how to take these pills but I want to make sure that there's nothing a forgot to consider.

Is there a regimen you would recommend or do you have any advice for me about what else to keep in mind?

Thank you

[newt]

Your CD4 count is unchanged really +/- 100 is easy to see on two consecutive tests. Your viral load also could be level, since the range of the test is quite wide. You need at least one more set of results to see a trend, and it's the trend that counts.

If you do want to start treatment, and if it looks like your viral load is more than 100,000, personally I would not go with Complera to begin with. Some studies showed people starting on Complera with higher viral loads did not do as well getting the virus undetectable. You could always switch to it later perhaps.

- matt

[Ann]

If yours is a very new infection (meaning you were infected not long before your diagnosis), it is possible that your body is still getting to grips with hiv and your numbers are still bouncing around.

Having a VL of 100,000 is par for the course in the early months of infection. This happens to most people in the first months of infection, although not everyone is aware of that fact due to not being diagnosed until several years into infection. Most people's bodies will eventually get the VL under a degree of control, resulting in a VL more like your initial one. As I alluded to before, it can take some time for the body to bring this into a more stable state, hence the numbers bouncing around.

Also, your CD4s are not that low - certainly not in dangerous territory.

Your results do not necessarily mean you are a fast progressor. The only way to know which it is would be to wait and see what happens with two or three more sets of results spanning a six or nine month time period.

I can understand if you don't wish to wait that long, but I did want you to know that your results do not necessarily mean you are a fast progressor.

[walkingpoz]

thank you matt & ann,
its been about a year since i got infected and i know someone who had very similar numbers at that time and viral load then went down a bit without meds. that might also be the case with me but if my cd4s are still under 500 next time i am gonna start arv, probably isentress. i hope i can switch to a one pill regimen like quad later.