Hi, Doctor:

I was Dx'd in 1987 and have survived PCP, MAC and various other 'stuff.' I am very experienced in the treatment arena. My VL has been undetectable only once and has jumped up and down throughout the years. My baseline was 330,000/mL and is currently in the mid-range (64,000). Although my T-4 count is now a whopping 430, the T-4/T-8 ratio has remained constant at .2 over the years.

Recently, after being on a 2-PI/NNRTI/NRTI regimen I stopped the PI's because I just couldn't stand the all the side effects any longer (lipodystrophy syndrome, et al).

[By the way, I read the Body's 'What's New' regularly.]

I feel better (which comes as no surprise!) but am worried about risk. And, at the same time, I'm committed to (somehow) improving my quality of life...I have no 'life.'

[I did the T-20 trials at Hopkins in 1998 and it worked great for me in terms of VL...but it is not available yet.

I couldn't stand IL2.]

Impressions? Where do I go from here? I'm just really exasperated...

Frustrated in D.C.

Sorry for not answering this one sooner. Your case is a good one where resistance testing would help me know what I could no longer use, and what I might be able to recycle or turn to.

MH