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Author Topic: cocktail holidays?  (Read 8484 times)

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Offline snoofle

  • Member
  • Posts: 56
cocktail holidays?
« on: September 01, 2007, 01:46:13 am »
my boyfriend just got his recent labs in and was up in the 500s and VL undetectable..his doc told him that if his cd4s went higher like into the 700-1000s he could stop taking his meds..but that makes me kind of nervous bc i could understand if the meds were making him sick, it would be a good idea to take a break..but if they arent; is there really a reason to stop taking them? i would just figure that if you stop, the HIV infection would run rampant in your body without the meds to halt it. His doc also switched him from combivir and viramune to kaletra and truvada so hoopefully those meds wont cause a stir in his system since the combivir and viramune didnt.

Offline RapidRod

  • Member
  • Posts: 15,288
Re: cocktail holidays?
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2007, 11:09:34 am »
Is this an ID doctor or a GP. Why was he switched when he wasn't having any problems? I wouldn't suggest taking a holiday from the meds.

Offline megasept

  • Member
  • Posts: 478
  • Steven here...
Re: cocktail holidays?
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2007, 01:10:15 pm »
my boyfriend just got his recent labs in and was up in the 500s and VL undetectable..his doc told him that if his CD4s went higher like into the 700-1000s he could stop taking his meds..but that makes me kind of nervous bc i could understand if the meds were making him sick, it would be a good idea to take a break..but if they arent; is there really a reason to stop taking them? i would just figure that if you stop, the HIV infection would run rampant in your body without the meds to halt it. His doc also switched him from combivir and viramune to kaletra and truvada so hoopefully those meds wont cause a stir in his system since the combivir and viramune didnt.

It might be reasonable for him to stop taking the meds. You ask a good question, maybe two. I'll get to why it might be good NOT to take ARVs later. First, No, generally the virus would not "run rampant in your body without the meds to halt it." It's your immunosuppresion that makes the difference. If you had no immunity how many days or weeks do you think the meds could save you? Our systems are compromised, not destroyed. I have a VL and CD4s that do not (quite) warrant resumption of meds in my case -----after six years of a scheduled treatment interuption (STI). That's my experience, Nothing going "rampant". Each patient is different, but my experience is common, not rare. Since the meds work, the uncomfortable answer to the question "If the meds work and you can get them, why not take them right away, and for life?" The answer? Your organs might thank you. It is reasonable to expect decades of living with HIV, so side effects (not just the irritating ones people describe here) become a real medical issue.

 8)  -megasept




Offline J.R.E.

  • Member
  • Posts: 8,207
  • Positive since 1985, joined forums 12/03
Re: cocktail holidays?
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2007, 04:02:40 pm »


This following lesson( from this site ) can give you some further information :

http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/STIs_7663.shtml



Ray

Current Meds ; Viramune / Epzicom Eliquis, Diltiazem. Pravastatin 80mg, Ezetimibe. UPDATED 2/18/24
 Tested positive in 1985,.. In October of 2003, My t-cell count was 16, Viral load was over 500,000, Percentage at that time was 5%. I started on  HAART on October 24th, 2003.

 As of Oct 2nd, 2023, Viral load Undetectable.
CD 4 @676 /  CD4 % @ 18 %
Lymphocytes,absolute-3815 (within range)


72 YEARS YOUNG

Offline snoofle

  • Member
  • Posts: 56
Re: cocktail holidays?
« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2007, 05:59:51 pm »
Is this an ID doctor or a GP. Why was he switched when he wasn't having any problems? I wouldn't suggest taking a holiday from the meds.

it was an ID..and he never told me why she switched him..

Offline aztecan

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,530
  • 36 years positive, 64 years a pain in the butt
Re: cocktail holidays?
« Reply #5 on: September 03, 2007, 11:57:14 am »
I also am curious why she switched his meds if they weren't causing problems.

As far as taking a treatment break. It depends on the individual.

While I know a few people who are doing well after stopping meds, I know others whose immune systems crashed in short order after stopping.

It has to do in part with where the person was when they started and how their immune system responds to HIV.

Even then, it is the luck of the draw. I respectfully disagree with Megasept on this issue and personally wouldn't consider a treatment interruption.

HUGS,

Mark
"May your life preach more loudly than your lips."
~ William Ellery Channing (Unitarian Minister)

Offline snoofle

  • Member
  • Posts: 56
Re: cocktail holidays?
« Reply #6 on: September 03, 2007, 04:11:08 pm »
i finally asked my boyfriend why his doc switched him and he said bc the combivir and viramune wasnt working anymore..which scared me bc he was on those meds for maybe a year to year and a half and the virus was already becoming immune to it..is something like that normal? where the virus becomes immune that fast to meds?

Offline newt

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,900
  • the one and original newt
Re: cocktail holidays?
« Reply #7 on: September 04, 2007, 10:25:32 am »
If your boyf's viral load was undetectable before the switch then the meds were working, and the doc is fibbing (or some other reason is in play).

- matt
« Last Edit: September 04, 2007, 10:30:57 am by newt »
"The object is to be a well patient, not a good patient"

Offline megasept

  • Member
  • Posts: 478
  • Steven here...
Re: cocktail holidays vs. Long-Term STIs vs Lifelong Treatment
« Reply #8 on: September 04, 2007, 08:29:06 pm »
I also am curious why she switched his meds if they weren't causing problems.

As far as taking a treatment break. It depends on the individual.

While I know a few people who are doing well after stopping meds, I know others whose immune systems crashed in short order after stopping.

It has to do in part with where the person was when they started and how their immune system responds to HIV.

Even then, it is the luck of the draw. I respectfully disagree with Megasept on this issue and personally wouldn't consider a treatment interruption.

HUGS,

Mark


Well, it's impossible to disagree with "it depends on the individual" but it kind of begs the question. Mark, I just as respectfully suggest not treating most patients soon after sero-conversion and until either VL tops 100k and/or CD4s drop to 350. It's more than "luck of the draw." I have no idea whether you personally should ever have taken an STI. My MDs at UCLA are researchers. They reversed themselves when they starting asking a majority (they had criteria) of their patients on meds to stop treatments for indefinite duration STIs. I suppose that's got to be way over a 1000 patients, not to mention the subsequent "new" ones they had hold off for months or more likely years for first treatment. It's been nearly 7 years since they made the switch. They still stick to this game plan. They have no evidence yet that on the balance they were wrong, and they still believe the change was beneficial to most of their patients who were asked and agreed to drop treatment (We had the choice). My success with the 6+ year STI is above average but not so amazing that I stand out from the group. For those that think this is nuts (You're entitled) remember that "Hit it early and hit it hard" has been dumped! That was gospel for what, 3-5 years?   None of this means "one shoe fits all", but it does mean more than "everybody is different and you and your MD can decide," because that simply avoids the underlying medical issues.

The two approaches are different, and doubtful they can both be "best". BTW, Mark is well-informed and experienced as a patient (more than he'd like, I suspect), so absolutely no slight is intended! We'll continue to disagree on this, and stay friends.
 
8)  -megasept

 


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