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Published Sunday June 29, 2008
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados
By Body Health Resources Foundation
STEP 6: Choosing the Right HIV Treatment
Doctors have not yet discovered a single combination of HIV
medications that's best for everyone. Each combination has its
advantages and disadvantages. The government issues regularly updated
HIV treatment guidelines for health care professionals. The guidelines
made the following HIV treatment recommendations for people who are
starting on their first HIV treatment combination:
Sustiva plus either Combivir or Truvada
Atripla (this is a combination pill of Sustiva plus Truvada)
Reyataz and Norvir plus either Combivir or Truvada
Twice-daily Kaletra plus either Combivir or Truvada
Twice-daily Lexiva and Norvir plus either Combivir or Truvada
Each of these treatment combinations includes at least one drug from
two different types, or "classes" of HIV medications. Each class of
medication stops HIV from making copies of itself at a different
moment in its reproductive cycle. The following are the four classes
of HIV medications:
NRTIs (nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors)
NNRTIs (non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors)
PIs (protease inhibitors)
Fusion inhibitors
You and your provider will consider many issues before deciding on a
treatment combination, including:
Your lifestyle
Which treatment regimen preserves your future treatment options
How powerful a combination it is
What side effects it can cause
Other illnesses you may have (such as hepatitis C), as this can
affect which HIV medications are best for you.
STEP 7: Dealing With HIV Treatment
You've made the commitment to begin treatment and settled on your
first HIV medication regimen. To ensure that your meds keep working,
you'll need to take your doses on time, every time. But there may be
challenges waiting to trip you up, including:
Side effects
Pregnancy
Depression, drug addiction or other personal problems
Forgetting to refill your prescription
Illnesses or injuries
Family emergencies or travel
Getting tired of taking meds every day
Whatever the reason, and however hard it may be to talk about it, it's
extremely important to bring up the problem with your HIV specialist
or case manager before the problem interferes with your med schedule.
Take side effects, for instance. Keith Green's story is a perfect
example of what not to do when side effects strike. Keith started HIV
treatment at the age of 18, when his CD4 count was only 30.
He got better, but the meds left him feeling drained and exhausted, so
he stopped taking them -- without telling his doctor.
"I believed that somehow God would spare me," Keith says, "until I got
sick. Then I started to realize that this was serious and I had to do
something or I was going to die."
He talked to his doctor, who suggested a new treatment regimen with
fewer side effects. Keith has been on HIV treatment ever since; his
CD4 count is now a very healthy 646, and at the age of 30, he's back
in college getting a degree in social work.
STEP 8: Gathering Strength From Others
People say that HIV is color blind -- and they're right. But let's not
kid ourselves: HIV may be the same virus even if you're African
American, but having it doesn't always mean the same thing. Read how
HIV has transformed the lives of these brave people:
"For some people I've talked to, HIV changes their lifestyle -- now
they feel healthier and are not abusing themselves anymore. That's
what happened to me."
-- Precious Jackson, 33, diagnosed in 1998
"HIV gave me lemons, so I made lemonade. And it's damn good lemonade!"
-- Michelle Lopez, 38, diagnosed in 1991
"HIV has changed my life totally." "Keep your head up! HIV is not a
punishment. ... Don't let it monopolize your life! It's very important
that you learn to love yourself."
-- Regina Brandon, 42, diagnosed in 1990
"HIV makes me make every day count."
-- Bishop Kwabena Rainey Cheeks, 54, diagnosed in 1984
"The best response when I told someone I was HIV positive was from my
daughter, who looked up at me with those little brown eyes she has and
said, 'Well Daddy, no matter what happens to you, I will always love
you.' After that, it's like, you know, who cares? Everybody else can
take a number, because I'm all right now."
-- David Garner, 45, diagnosed in 1993
"All the friends that I told, they all got emotional and started
crying. But all of them, they said, 'No matter what, Raven, we will
still love you and you will always be our friend.'"
-- Raven Lopez, 16, diagnosed 1991
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