We hope that the information you have found here may mean that you won't have to experience the rather staggering list of side effects you see in the table of contents -- and that for any side effects you may one day experience, you'll have a host of options for eliminating or at least lessening them. We view this guide as a tool-kit to help prepare you to obtain the best quality care through more informed consultations with your doctor. Just remember that information in this field changes daily, so always check for the latest treatment news.

CATIE's various publications and services are here to help. Look for "What's New" at www.catie.ca, call 1.800.263.1638 [if you're in Canada] to speak with a treatment information service representative, sign-up for subscriptions according to your interests, and/or become a CATIE member to be kept in the treatment loop. If you thought yesterday that you couldn't switch drugs to get away from a problematic one, today there may be a new choice that will allow you to do just that. If nobody could offer a solution for a troubling symptom you had last month, today a better understanding of the problem may provide one.

Always tell your doctor what you're experiencing, reach out for help and knowledge, talk to other PHAs about how they handle side effects, and do the work to create the best possible total treatment plan -- including not only the best available medications but all the things that can make them easier to take and far less likely to cause you problems. That's the way to give yourself the best possible chance to live both long and well with HIV.