Treatment changes

Efficacy of treatments

How well the treatments work will depend on side effects and how you cope, how early you were diagnosed, the stage at which you went on treatment, how well you have taken the treatment, your age, how long you’ve been on treatment and other factors.

Their effectiveness might be affected if you catch other infections, especially hepatitis B or hepatitis C, or if you experience other health conditions like cancer.

• It doesn’t mean that the drugs stop working altogether or that there is no point in taking them any longer
• It does mean that the drug combination you take might have to change
• It also means that your doctor may need to refer you to other specialists to make sure you stay well

Even if you have taken a lot of anti-HIV drugs in the past, the aim of treatment is an undetectable viral load. It is easier than it used to be for people who are treatment experienced to find an anti-HIV drug combination that will work. Your doctor will use different tests to see what drugs work best for you.

Body changes

HIV changes in your body as it reacts to the drugs and how you take them. How you treat it must be kept up-to-date. Your body and your body shape might change in response to HIV and HIV treatment. Speak to your doctor if your body shape has changed, and ask for the treatment to be switched. It might be difficult to reverse some body fat changes. Raise it with your doctor and ask what’s available.

In recent years, it has become a lot easier to find the right combination of drugs to suit the individual. You must keep on top of HIV. Like holding a beach ball under the sea – as soon as you take the pressure off, it bounces right back up again above the surface. To keep HIV under the surface, you must keep on top with your treatment.