Poz, Not on Meds

[hornyfather]

This is a question for all the Poz guys out there that are not on meds. I'm sure all of you have your own reasons for why you aren't taking meds, I'm just curious what they are. Definitely not judging at all, I am just trying to better understand the thought process for a poz guy that defiantly does not take any medication to increase the chances of living a longer and healthier life. Please chime in and tell me your story.

[HungLatinDom]

Not necessary yet, traveling a lot, I need stability in my life before committing to meds. I'd rather start a bit late than miss doses etc.

[NYCBlack34]

It goes both ways. There are also many poz men who died from meds long before ever getting full-blown AIDS. And there are other poz men have never gone on the meds and are still alive 20 years later. It depends on the situation and a guy would have to talk with his doctor to figure out what is best.

Just automatically taking the drugs if you find out that you are poz is a TERRIBLE idea! Just like you would not automatically take rounds of chemo if you are diagnosed with cancer. It would depend on the type of cancer and the situation.

[mike_thieriot]

But my understanding was that the drugs were not nearly as bad as they used to be, right?

[NYCBlack34]

Yes, but these meds are still serious business. It is not like taking half an aspirin each night for heart health. I was just talking about this with a guy i met last year who is poz and he was talking about all of the side effects and the constanting up-and-down adjusting of the drugs. Those commercials where they make meds once-a-day, manageable and still sexy are just that, commercials. A lot of people go through this same issue who DON'T have HIV but have some other chronic illness that requires daily medication that wreaks havoc on your liver and/or kidneys long-term. Guys who have herpes deal with the same thing when they have to decide whether to go on Valtrex full-time or not.

[HungLatinDom]

In my long experience with positive guys, these terrible side effects are a tiny minority of cases. Literature says the same. In any case, the mortality rate of untreated HIV is way higher.

[cam1972]

Yes, but these meds are still serious business. It is not like taking half an aspirin each night for heart health. I was just talking about this with a guy i met last year who is poz and he was talking about all of the side effects and the constanting up-and-down adjusting of the drugs. Those commercials where they make meds once-a-day, manageable and still sexy are just that, commercials. A lot of people go through this same issue who DON'T have HIV but have some other chronic illness that requires daily medication that wreaks havoc on your liver and/or kidneys long-term. Guys who have herpes deal with the same thing when they have to decide whether to go on Valtrex full-time or not.

They aren't just commercials. I've been on Atripla for four.. almost five years. One pill a day. Never have had the amount adjusted once. I've remained undetectable and have had no side effects. Side effects depend on each individual.

[JoshLandaleXXX]

Not necessary yet, traveling a lot, I need stability in my life before committing to meds. I'd rather start a bit late than miss doses etc.

I'm very similar to HungLatinDom here,

My CD4 is high, up around the 900 mark - here in the UK they only start you on meds when it falls to 350 or lower - although you can start meds earlier if you so wish.

I'm also not ready for them mentally - there are a lot of things going on in my life at the moment, and everything is very much fly by here... so there is no set routine day to day - i don't feel ready to adhere to a drug regimen which requires me to take life saving drugs at the same time every day. I need more stability and routine before I feel able to take this task on.

That said, if my CD4 falls below the level, and my consultant wants me on meds, then I'll buck up my idea's and try and get a more steady routine in my life in order to take them - but it would be VERY difficult what with work etc.

But the main reason I'm not on them is most definitely because as per my last results, i just don't need them yet.

[JoshLandaleXXX]

They aren't just commercials. I've been on Atripla for four.. almost five years. One pill a day. Never have had the amount adjusted once. I've remained undetectable and have had no side effects. Side effects depend on each individual.

Exactly.

All the guys i know who are on meds, are also on Atripla... some report no side effects whatsoever, others are having a nightmare on it - ranging from simple vivid dreams, to one guy who is suffering from severe shits from it... he's on medication to control his shits as best possible - they're reluctant to switch his meds, because Atripla is the most effective for him at the moment.

I also know guys who can take mono-therepy, and are on up to 10 pills a day... a couple of which can only be taken within a half hour, either side of the usual dosing time, each day - a proper head fuck if you don't work the standard 9-5 routine....

[bigdick4you]

It is not necessary to start on meds straight away when u r positive... I have been positive for at leastv12years and just started recently when my cd4 cells started to go down....I have now been on meds since few months and am undetectable...I'm on Attila. Which is a good drug but in the beginning can be a bit of a nightmare...I felt stoned after I had taken it...it also makes me horny as hell... It got much better after that first month of taking it and it really works for me...

[Hornyone]

I found out almost two years ago now and I am still not on meds. I get my levels checked every 4 months and my levels are still good. I figure if my levels are good and my viral load is still low why start the meds? I have an appointment with my doctor this week we shall see what my levels are.

[skinfur]

As mentioned earlier, side effects vary from person to person. The first meds i was on nearly killed me 2 weeks after starting on them. My kidneys were giving up, my body was in constant pain, I was covered in big red sores...was a nightmare. But the meds i'm on now (3 different pills) are fine. No side effects at all and my cd4 is fine and i'm undetectable. My ex is on Atripla, and he had a rough ride with the dreams and still gets diarrhoea daily often.

The routine really isn't as bad as people make it out to be. For me i take them in the evening. If I'm out somewhere they are in my bag or pocket and between 8.30 and 9.30 pm out they come and it's over and done with. Don't give it a second thought.

[hornyfather]

Thanks for all the postings, guys. I have a much better understanding of what it means to be on meds or not and it's obviously not a black and white choice.

[HungLatinDom]

Well, as soon as your CD4 start going south of 200, it IS a black and white, extremely obvious choice. Either you wanna live, even if it is a potentially lousy life, or you are fine dying. Sorry to be blunt, but those are the choices if you are not lucky to be a long term non progressor.

[JoshLandaleXXX]

As an addendum to this thread, i just picked up my latest blood results today.

Meds appear to be on the cards a lot sooner than I expected.

While my CD4 is slowly dropping as expected - down to 906 from 971 four months ago - My Viral load has increased almost 5 fold in the same period.

From 105,000 to 521,000...

So while I'm healthy, the clinic are now worried about the viral load. We talked briefly about meds today, but will continue to monitor the situation and see how we get on.