A friend of mine in London is being told she isn't able to take HIV meds do to her need to be on methadone from Bells Palsey (methadone is used in the UK as a pain reliever, apparantly). Her cd4 is 111 and vl is well over 700,000. Her list of other meds are: neurontin, tramadol hydrochloride, domperidone, cinarazine, nystatin, aspirine/c, lansoprazole pravastitindapsone, loperamideand itraconazole. She says she is in constant pain, I think part of her problem is advanced HIV and meds, if they work, and increase her cd4, reduce vl, she'd probably feel better. What are your thoughts on this? I'll forward your answer to her. I myself was diagnosed with AIDS in 1995, I had several oi's, I know my health improved do to meds, I hate to see anyone else suffer needlessly.

The use of methodone should not prevent the use of antiretroviral medications. There is significant potential for drug-drug interactions, but many of these are sufficiently well characterized to permit either the normal use, or dose-adjusted use of HAART.

With a CD4 count of 100 and high viral load, I'd venture that your friend would significantly benefit from HAART, particularly if she is treatment naive.

Good luck, BY