My doc wants me to add viramune to my first drug combo, Trizivir (AZT/3TC/abacavir), which i've taken for the past four years with my latest lab results pretty much like those of a healthy person: My viral load is undetectable and my CD4 count is 1,100. he says triziver alone could weaken faster if i don't add viramune, but i'm wary of messing with "what works." do you think i should add viramune? can you direct me to any triziver studies?

thanks, john

Wow, if you have had an undetectable viral load for four years I would tend to agree with you. It is true that the triple nucs don't work at this level for as many people as the dual class regimens. However, there are some folks (lucky, I guess) who do very well even on dual nucs. I have a couple of patients who have been on dual nucleoside treatment since the early nineties without viral breakthrough. In fact there were folks who controlled the virus with monotherapy, its just that we didn't want folks betting on that. Importantly, adherance (not missing doses) is probably even more important in your situation than for people on multi-class regimens.

Be well.