my partner is taking aviranz and tenolam because his liver is damaged and our doctor thinks he is in stage 3,his last cd4 count was 390 in february this year.Are those the meds that he is supposed to be taking?It is almost a month since he started but there is hardly any changes

Avirenz is a form of efavirenz (Sustiva, Stocrin), which is an excellent HIV medication. It is metabolized in the liver so liver function should be monitored while taking it. It is generally well tolerated even in people with liver problems.

Tenolam is a form of alprazolam (xanax, niravam), which is not a medicine used to treat HIV. It is a medicine used for anxiety or stress. Oversedation can be a problem for people with a poorly functioning liver.

Using aviranz alone for HIV would not be an appropriate treatment. As a single drug the virus would fairly quickly deveop resiatnce to the treatment. Check to make sure that you have the correct information and that there is not another medication, such as truvada or combivir that he is also taking. If that is not the case then you should contact his doctor as soon as possible to discuss what he is actually taking and what needs to be done next. A drug resistance test may need to be sent and changes to a more potent combination of medications started.

Best, Joe