Home › Practical Guides › A Practical Guide to HIV Drug Treatment for People Living with HIV ›

4. Once You’ve Started

A Practical Guide to HIV Drug Treatment for People Living with HIV

4. Once You’ve Started

In this part of the guide we talk about some of the things to keep track of to make sure your treatment is working—and what you may need to do if it isn’t.

  • 4.1 How to Tell if Your Treatment Is Working
    • If your treatment is successful:
      • your viral load should drop to an undetectable level and stay there;
      • your CD4 count should increase, although you may not see dramatic increases immediately;
      • the side effects should be manageable; and
      • you should be able to follow your pill-taking schedule.
    • If your viral load does not drop, your CD4 count does not increase, the side effects you experience are unmanageable or you cannot stick to your pill-taking schedule, you and your doctor will need to assess why your combination is not working.
  • 4.2 Making Your Treatment Work Long-Term
    • Taking all your pills as prescribed (adherence) is crucial to the long-term success of your treatment.
    • While adhering to your medication schedule can sometimes be challenging, there are many tips and tricks you can try to make it easier.
    • Being aware of possible interactions between all the drugs you’re taking—including antiretroviral drugs, other medications, over-the-counter products, herbs and supplements, street drugs and even some foods—will help ensure that your drugs work well together.
    • Evidence has shown that stopping and starting HIV treatment is harmful; for now, HIV treatment is a lifelong commitment.
  • 4.3 Changing Treatment
    • You may have to change your drug combination if it does not keep your viral load undetectable.
    • You may have to change your combination if you can’t tolerate its side effects or adhere to the prescribed pill-taking schedule.
    • In either case, the new combination must be chosen carefully.
  • 4.4 Resources