I found out I am HIV+ 2 years ago. Funny thing is I was never sick. I just noticed the hearing in one ear fading until I was deaf in that ear. That's when I suspected it might have to do with HIV. Subsequent tests showed my CD4 count was 280 (even though my viral load was 6,900). My hearing came back and the next year I went on Truvada and Sustiva. I became undetecable after 6 weeks of treatment though my CD4 had not rebounded. Here's my question: my doctor is away on an extended vacation and my hearing has started vanishing again. Is my treatment failing afterall? Is that why my hearing is going?

Loss of hearing in an ear where you had hearing problems before would usually not be a sign that you are failing therapy (if you have had a good virologic response and are not missing doses then generally the virus will remain suppressed). In my experience occasional patients may have hearing loss as a side effect of one of the HIV meds. Other inner/middle/external ear problems can impact hearing so a good evaluation is recommended. KH