Need advice, just been taking off meds because of acute hepatitis...

[markaj]

I've just got back from my clinic. My liver function tests were abnormal last week and repeated this week and they're still bad.
ALT 540 then a week later 394 (should be less than 36 u/l).
ALP 196 then a week later 157 (should be 35-50 g/l) and bilirubin 113 then a week later 153 (should be 20 um/l).
Apparently this means I have hepatitis.  They're running more tests to check for other things.  I've had to stop meds immediately (Reyataz/Ritonavir/Truvada) before my liver goes into meltdown and am being referred to another hospital in London. I am in a right state.  Has anybody any experience of this?  Dr thinks Reyataz is to blame.  I don't drink, I don't have sex any more, I don't take paracetamol, there cannot be any other reason.  I really didn't want to hand my meds back.  Taking those things made me feel as if I was in control of the virus.  I wonder now when I go back on meds if the same thing will happen all over again - that my liver just can't cope with antiretrovirals and I'm destined to die a slow miserable death from AIDS.  Sorry to be so down but I just needed to vent this somewhere.

[Assurbanipal]

Hi

Hope you can find some answers from more knowledgeable folks, but wanted to point out that there is some information on hepatoxicity in the lessons part of the site:
https://www.poz.com/basics/hiv-basics/hiv-liver

Also in the descriptions of the individual drugs (https://www.poz.com/drug_charts/hiv-medications) it points out that the liver metabolizes different drug classes in different ways, so depending on what is causing the liver problems, there might be a different HAART combo that works for you, perhaps using some of the newer drug classes (e.g. integrase inhibitors).

Best wishes
A