I am a 50 yo man I have had hiv for 3-4 years my Tcells are aproching 350- They are actually 381 my doctor said i should start thinking about meds. I am resistant to Viramune,Resciptor and sustiva- so i can not take one pill like many others- Please tell me what u would recommend-I want to be able to take the least number of pills a day with little side effects- Please advise. I do not drink or smoke and have no other medical condtion Thank you Boston Man

Thanks for your post.

I agree that it's time to start HIV treatments; indeed, while not often appreciated, older persons with HIV have a higher risk of having AIDS complications than younger ones, hence, I'll recommend starting treatment sooner, or at least with stronger voice as counts decline.

It's good that your doctor recognized the presence of drug resistance, and as you point out you won't be taking any of the first-line NNRTIs.

As for what to do next; a boosted PI with a nuke combination is in your future. Current guidelines recommend using either atazanavir (Reyataz)+ ritonavir, fosamprenavir (Lexiva)+ritonavir or lopinavir (Kaletra). Our patients are largely electing to start on either Lexiva/Norvir or Reyataz/Norvir and have had very good results. We use either Truvada or Epzicom with the PIs. I'd talk to your doctor about the merits of these options. They are generally low pill count (2 or 3 PI pills with one NRTI combo) and can be taken once-daily.

I hope this helps. Best of luck, BY