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The participation of Dr. Ewald Horwath in this Forum is made possible by Boehringer Ingelheim.
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Refusing Treatment
May 9, 2008
I am an HIV+ female. I was Diagnosed 12 years ago. I have been on and off treatment throught the entire time. In the past year I had a mental break down. Since then I have decided to stop taking my HIV meds. My T Cells dropped to 250 in the first 6 months. I want to know how long I shouls expect to live, and the things I will go through.
Thank you
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Response from Dr. Horwath
You need to get back on treatment as soon as possible. The treatment will help you.
A "mental breakdown" or psychiatric illness can lead you to make poor decisions by impairing your judgment and your ability to think clearly. The best possible course is to return to treatment.
Also, make sure you're getting the right psychiatric treatment. If you were mentally healthy, I don't think you would decide to stop a treatment that was helping you.
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