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My `Resistant Virus`
#247681 - 09/23/09 05:21 PM
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Hello Everyone,
I was diagnosed in March (still feel quite new to this) and looking for some advice.
My initial blood tests were not just for CD4 cells and VL, but more indepth to get specific details about my virus!
The day after , my doctor told me that he had contacted the `Lab` and that my results were very good!
The paperwork took some time, and i finally spoke with my doctor today! My Cd4 well over 1,000 and VL 13,000.
However something unusual showed up... apparently my virus is resistant to practically all medications!!
i was really worried to hear this, i`ve spent months accepting all this and beginning to believe that it is a very treatable condition (with meds), but if my virus is resistant to most drugs, then , where does that leave me?
The Doctor said that if i had to start on meds now , this may be a problem, but given how good my Cd4 and VL are, i should n`t be concerned too much for the moment! I may not need meds for years!
I`m trying not to worry about this, but just tough dealing with an extra concern! Has anybody had a similar experience! Is there anyone with a "resistant virus" on meds? what are the alternatives.. if any??
Any feedback would be really appreciated!
Regards,
Dreamer
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AIDS2HIV
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Reged: 12/19/05
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HIV/AIDS meds resistence is due to progression of the disease and the disease against med induction..... Either you or your doc is a crackpot, you decide...
with a Tcell count like that, you wont have any resistence, unless you have been on meds for awhile to get ya that kind of Tcell count, you lucky to see a VL...
Resitence wont allow that kind of Tcell count my friend, take it from someone who is there, and doing that*
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BeerMe30
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Reged: 06/09/09
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I found out that I am resistant or slightly resistant to many meds. It was tough to hear, but luckily my combination of meds(4) are working. There are stil a few meds i can take.
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A2H
You need to keep up. It’s common knowledge that people with new infections are being infected with resistant strains. It’s not so hard to understand. As more people become resistant due to long term use of medications they are passing those resistant strains on. And yes, a person can have a resistant strain and if newly infected a high CD4 level.
Neither Dreamer nor his doctor are crackpots.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5529a1.htm
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20030201/tips/13.html
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no02/05-0321.htm
I’m resistant to many medications and it is a challenge to find a combination. A challenge, but not impossible. As your doctor said, you may not need to be on meds for a while and this is just more time that drugs that are currently being tested will be approved.
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Its true that you can be infected with resistant strains of the virus. I was diagnosed in January of this year and I obtained a strain resistant to sustivia which means I cannot take atripila either since sustivia is in atriplia. However there are many other medications out there and combinations that you can do. Everyone is different too. I never had the flu like illness but my cd4 count was 300 but my viral load was only 7,000 which was good when i first found out. Doctor made a good point that nobody knows their intial cd4 count when they were negative. in june of last year I was negative and could have had a cd4 count of 300 for all anyone knows. You have a high cd4 count so doc will just keep an eye on it before medicating you. Who knows you maybe a non progressor. if not there are plenty of medications they can put you on. if I am not mistaken the one medication that is injection no form of the virus is resistant becuase it prevents the virus from entering the cd4 cells.
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lildmg05
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Reged: 09/24/09
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Hi,
My name is Dawn and my girlfriend has been HIV+ now for about 20 years. She has been up and down and has taken so many different meds, she's lost count. She, too, has an issue with becoming resistant, or allergic to every medicine, after taking it for a bit. Over the course of these years, she has had doctors tell her she would only live 3 years, along with other really bad/sad things. She decided on her own, to take what she calls 'drug holidays' and does just that, takes time off (holiday) from taking meds, until she feels as though she should start up again with a new regimen. I am here to tell you that the doctors don't always know what they are talking about. Only you know your body, as Karen knows hers so well. The doctors always told her to stay on meds or she would die. Remember please, that she has been 'living' with this for 20 years. She takes good care of herself, vitamins, eating, exercise etc. The person she got it from, which he got it from a surgery which had tainted blood in it. the '80's didn't test as they do now. Anyhow, he is no longer with us because he listened to the doctors and was taking what they call 'coctail', which, I'm pretty sure had AZT in it, which was killing all who took it. So please, get different opinions, practice safe sex, take care of yourself and stay on top of your bloodwork. It is possible to live for a long time. Stay positive and don't EVER give up!!!
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Yeah, I'm a firm believer it the drug holidays. I've been on one for the last couple of months but will go back on meds next month.
As far as AZT....yeah it has problems but it is one of the only drugs that cross the blood/brain barrier to fight HIV in the brain. As with the general population more dementia/Alzheimer's is being reported and in people with HIV the rate is higher because of what HIV can do to the brain. People with HIV are being kept alive longer, but it is at a cost. Anything that I can take that will slow the progression of damage from HIV in my brain is a good thing. AZT is one of the few drugs I'm not resistant to and I will keep taking it because it is one of the few drugs that might help me not lose my mind.
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iam1
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Dreamer, Let me try to make some sense out of this for you.
DON'T PANIC!!! (Believe me, that has to be said more often than you think)
You have a drug resistant form of HIV. The key word here is "resistant". Some meds may still work, but to a lesser degree. Luckily, with lab numbers like you're showing you don't have to worry about starting meds today or tomorrow or next week. Possibly not for years.
HIV progresses differently in each person. This is one reason why each of us has to go in for lab work so often. If it were the same from one person to the next your doctor would be able to pull a chart out and say "You'll need to start meds on July 23, 2017." It ain't so!
AZT is a wonderful drug. Yes, in the beginning there were big mistakes made. "A little works some, so a lot should work more." was the thinking. It ain't so. Turns out "a lot" burned out the liver. But, current treatment with AZT has changed, and it is prescribed safely and effectively.
Let's get back to "resistant". For you (and only for you) it means most meds won't work in fighting the virus in your body. Either "as well" or "at all".
When your doctor decides to start you on meds at some point in the future (the "FUTURE" not now) he or she may decide to start you on a med they know the virus in your body tested resistant to. DON'T PANIC!!! Your doctor is not an idiot. Tests show one thing. Putting the results into actual pratice are another thing. The meds you show resistance to may work to a lesser degree.
HIV has been around in the mainstream for about 28 years now. Treatments have been around for much less time. We're still on the upswing of the learning curve. If your doctor decides to follow the above paragraph it's becuase they're trying to get every bit of efficacy out of currently available treatments.
Doctors and scientists have known for years that HIV developes resistance to meds. This may mean stopping or not even bothering to start a med. This may mean taking a med that is known to be less effective. This is because the current lines of meds are limited. Albeit today's limits are much greater than in years past but still limited. They have to work with what they have.
DON'T PANIC!!!!
New treatments are always in the works. When you need to start meds at some point in the FUTURE there will be newer meds for you to take. Meds the current version of HIV that now infects you has never seen or been able to build up a resistance.
I think worth noting here is the fact that this month was also reported that the first maturation inhibitor shows great promise. Against all strains of HIV INCLUDING drug resistant strains. What a maturation inhibitor is isn't important to you. What is important is it shows that there are new treatments coming through that will work when you need them. In the FUTURE.
DON'T PANIC!!!!
Most importantly - be sure you're being treated by an experienced HIV care provider. And - follow his or her orders and directions. Go to a support group. I think it would do you well to see others who are living with this disease.
Have is said it lately - DON'T PANIC!!!!
Just to give you a glimpse into me - I'm celebrating being HIV+ this month. Yes, celebrating. I'm still here and doing more than just kicking. I've watched far too many friends die over the years. When there was no treatment. When what few treatments became ineffective. When they just decided they were tired of living with this disease. I first tested HIV+ in Sept. 1988. Last night I told friends that I want to be the last person alive with this disease. I want an effective innoculation to be developed, so noone else could ever become HIV+ again. For everyone who is currently HIV+ to be cured. It won't happen, but I can have my dreams....
DON'T PANIC!!!!
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Do not know how good or bad to have VL existence I believe there are some other kind of HIV meds to try or at least one other thing you may try to increase your CD 4 counts KPAK immune support Formula that I have been using for the past 5 months , help me within the first 3 months taking 4 pills a day( you may take upto 8 a day) increased my cd4 counts from 500's to 700's this is amazing result for me I would highly recommend until you get the right medication at least to work on your CD4 , good luck and nice day.
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I`d like to thank you all for taking the time to respond. As for the person who suggested that either my doctor or myslelf is a `crackpot`, well my doctor is going by what my blood tests from the lab have shown.... .. Like i said i`m fairly new to this so i`m seeking USEFUL information and advice! ... and i`m certainly not a `crackpot`!!!!!
Once again to the others who took the time to share your advice and experience, Thank You!
Regards,
Dreamer
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DAB
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Hi one thing that occurs in people who go w/o HAART treatment for an extended period of time is that the drug resistant virus will die out in favor of a wild type of hiv virus as the drug mutatyed on is less fit over the longterm than the wilder type. this is not an option for people who have had HIV for a longwhile and are alrerady low on T cells(cd4). As your Tcells r high and you are in good health the best chance you have isto allow your virus to return to the wild type w/o taking drugs for the present. it may take 1-2 yrs 4 this to occur, but it will occur, then at thattime the wild type of virus will have replaced the drug resistant virus, and you can begin treatment wilth a very large choice of drug options. The secretet to this working is to stop drinkingand taking street drugs eat well rest well excercise and stay as healthy as possible while you wait for this to occur. you should be monitored closely by an hiv specailist familiar w this stradegy from here on out. you have little hope of long term HAART treatment working w a virus experienced w the exixtingmeds and much hope of successful viral suppression after your virus reverts to the wilder form. I did a same thing w my virus and after 20 months off meds the virus had reverted to the wild form and then resumed standard (hiv drug niave ) treatment . this afforded me many more years of life and effective combo therapy. now after 10 yrs i still have many more drug regimes available to use when the one im on now stops being effective. Best of life love and luck to you. DAB
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Bear
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Hey there ask your doc about whether or not your resistance to insentress. Iam resistant to sustiva (non-nuke category). My doc is shying away from all meds in the non-nuke category. Good luck and please let me know. Bear.
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AIDS2HIV
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while it is true one can be infected with a resistent strain....once infected that "highly resistent strain" will go to work & show damage twice the normal rate.
Resistence will tear your Tcells down rapidly, and will hike your VL up in a heartbeat. Resistence is the mutation that allows the virus to "adapt" to the meds and work as if the meds arent even there, often with side affects because of the meds.
I do NOT believe info posted ANYWHERE on the net, I beleieve in info so crucial my daily life depends on it. I started out ina coma for 3 months due to resistent strain, now i am 5 yrs past my expiration date....if i believe everything i was told or read, i'd be dead now...
just because a lab test may point that you MAY have some possible resistence to meds, doesnt mean you actually do/will, it's a trial & error thing. Believe me or not... tell me to catch up, LOL.....if you expect to ergue a internet posting of info....i can post many that are internet info that you WONT agree with, that mean its true or not????
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AIDS2HIV
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Legend
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the cdc were one of the first to post this was a gay & IV drug user disease, also that kissing was a mode of infection, blah blah blah...they only post what the government will allow without taking away thier funding, just like anyone else reliant of gov funds..
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Thank you for standing up for me!!!
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