Those of you not on meds how did your doctors react

[Guest CuriousCub90]

Just curious since a lot of guys not on meds still get regular checkups and viral load tests; what do docs tell you? Like do they know what’s up?

[Guest Porthos]

Good question...Now that it is universally recommended that those with HIV go on meds how does one deal with docs if you refuse to take meds?

[Guest CuriousDallas]

I’m not a doctor but it strikes me they can’t go testing you for HIV unless you ask them to. Maybe thats included on routine blood work, maybe not. Probably more of a question for doctors or nurses. 

[Guest CuriousCub90]

29 minutes ago, CuriousDallas said:

I’m not a doctor but it strikes me they can’t go testing you for HIV unless you ask them to. Maybe thats included on routine blood work, maybe not. Probably more of a question for doctors or nurses. 

It’s more like a lot of poz not on meds guys get their viral loads checked and stuff; so they got to deal with doctors visits. So curious as to how docs react to guys that refuse meds 

[Poz-Mcr]

I don't have a lot of experience on this and the little I do is from a UK perspective, but I stopped my meds in January with the agreement of my doc. Told him that I was going through a bad phase (partially true, although not completely) and that I hadn't been fully compliant with taken the meds daily. The doc's view was that, given the possibility of resistence building up, it would be better to stop meds completely until I knew I could be compliant again that to stop/start them and potentially build up resistance. The aim was to continue with the regular blood tests to keep an eye on my levels, although that plan fell to pieces with Covid coming on the scene. Not yet had any further appointments set up for bloods.

[SpectreAgent]

17 minutes ago, Poz-Mcr said:

I don't have a lot of experience on this and the little I do is from a UK perspective, but I stopped my meds in January with the agreement of my doc. Told him that I was going through a bad phase (partially true, although not completely) and that I hadn't been fully compliant with taken the meds daily. The doc's view was that, given the possibility of resistence building up, it would be better to stop meds completely until I knew I could be compliant again that to stop/start them and potentially build up resistance. The aim was to continue with the regular blood tests to keep an eye on my levels, although that plan fell to pieces with Covid coming on the scene. Not yet had any further appointments set up for bloods.

I’m on meds but have been chatting to guys who aren’t on meds with a view to hooking up, so I’m interested in their perspective on this. 

[bottombunny]

1 hour ago, Poz-Mcr said:

I don't have a lot of experience on this and the little I do is from a UK perspective, but I stopped my meds in January with the agreement of my doc. Told him that I was going through a bad phase (partially true, although not completely) and that I hadn't been fully compliant with taken the meds daily. The doc's view was that, given the possibility of resistence building up, it would be better to stop meds completely until I knew I could be compliant again that to stop/start them and potentially build up resistance. The aim was to continue with the regular blood tests to keep an eye on my levels, although that plan fell to pieces with Covid coming on the scene. Not yet had any further appointments set up for bloods.

while you are not on meds, it would be great to be fucked by you.

[BootmanLA]

2 hours ago, CuriousDallas said:

I’m not a doctor but it strikes me they can’t go testing you for HIV unless you ask them to. Maybe thats included on routine blood work, maybe not. Probably more of a question for doctors or nurses. 

You mean like the doctors that are asked about IN THE VERY QUESTION YOU'RE RESPONDING TO?

Sheesh.

In any event: if you are going in for a routine checkup with a doctor these days, and they know you are HIV+, it's almost a certainty you will be directed to have certain lab work done before the appointment and among those tests will be for viral level and for immune system levels. You could, presumably, direct the doctor not to order those tests, but I suspect most doctors would put up a  fight over that and argue they cannot ethically treat you as a patient unless they have the information needed.

There's a difference between refusing to take medications that your physician wants to prescribe, and refusing to have tests done to monitor a known condition while expecting the physician to continue to provide you health care.

[Guest carstenPOZ]

10 hours ago, RawPlug said:

I’m on meds but have been chatting to guys who aren’t on meds with a view to hooking up, so I’m interested in their perspective on this. 

Hi RawPlug: thanks for this very encouraging reply on this topic: can I ask: would you too consider meds pause?

[Guest JackEdJIZZ]

When I was in Asheville area, I used a very unique community based provider and a fairly liberal hiv organization.    When i tested POZ they both offered options, but understood my desire to experience being POZ.   Each doctor visit they offered but never pushed.   The hiv org also had a needle exchange and I did some stuff with them.  they knew i slammed when i got knocked up and that I was willing to slam others.   But nothing was ever negative about those conversations.   

When I returned to the Piedmnont, I returned to a doctor who I used for 15 years.  He, of course, knew I was gay and was  the one who prescribed PrEP.   He was NOT thrilled that I chased....and that I was not on meds.   He was very insistent that I do meds.   In fact he suggested he would not keep me as a client if I stayed off meds.   He kept me (he is a great doc otherwise and knows me quite well both in the practice and in outside life)....if I promised to agree to meds at a level approaching aids counts......still years off.   But, each office visit...even for minor things, he lets his opinion be known......and his PA does the same.   She was not part of the practice when i went there originally.....but her brother worked for me.  She has been vocal about my bad choices and threatened a mental health lock up/evaluation.   Needless to say, am looking for a better choice in Charlotte or Winston Salem.  If anyone has a suggestion, would love to hear from you.    

[Guest]

I've been off and on meds for the last 5 years....switching from one to another because my body heavily reacts to medication (any kind of meds) so is the case with hiv meds. Since January 2020 i've been off and i feel fine but the doctor of course would like to see me on meds.  The main difference is here in Holland i have the final say and not the doctor, she can only recommend me that it's better to take meds but i can refuse without telling her why.  She knows that i have many side effects so she understands even if she doesn't approve. If i let her she would write a prescription for every side effect i get and then my life would be pills pills pills....NO THANK YOU.

She did insist on me coming every 3-4 months to get bloodwork done so they can keep an eye on my viral load/cd4 count but with COVID-19 i only got the chance to do this last week with an appointment on October 08th. Interesting to see what numbers will roll out since my last visit was December 2019 !

[BootmanLA]

12 hours ago, JackEdJIZZ said:

But, each office visit...even for minor things, he lets his opinion be known......and his PA does the same.   She was not part of the practice when i went there originally.....but her brother worked for me.  She has been vocal about my bad choices and threatened a mental health lock up/evaluation.   Needless to say, am looking for a better choice in Charlotte or Winston Salem.  If anyone has a suggestion, would love to hear from you.    

To be fair to your doctor: he's doing what he should be doing, which is giving you the best advice his training suggests, while leaving the choice up to you. If, in his considered opinion, it's a bad idea for your health to not be on meds, then he needs to speak up, at least once per visit, to remind you that this is  your choice but you're going against medical advice.

It's no different than a doctor advising an overweight chain-smoking patient to exercise, diet, and quit smoking. To fail to give those suggestions would, frankly, border on malpractice.

Now, you're free to ignore that advice, as you have.

And you're free to seek another doctor, of course. I should add, though, that ethically speaking, a doctor can refuse to continue treating a patient if the patient evinces a clear intent to not follow the doctor's guidance. The doctor doesn't HAVE to terminate the relationship, but ethically (and legally) he can, under those circumstances.

[BootmanLA]

10 hours ago, Baresluttybottom said:

I've been off and on meds for the last 5 years....switching from one to another because my body heavily reacts to medication (any kind of meds) so is the case with hiv meds. Since January 2020 i've been off and i feel fine but the doctor of course would like to see me on meds.  The main difference is here in Holland i have the final say and not the doctor, she can only recommend me that it's better to take meds but i can refuse without telling her why.  She knows that i have many side effects so she understands even if she doesn't approve. If i let her she would write a prescription for every side effect i get and then my life would be pills pills pills....NO THANK YOU.

She did insist on me coming every 3-4 months to get bloodwork done so they can keep an eye on my viral load/cd4 count but with COVID-19 i only got the chance to do this last week with an appointment on October 08th. Interesting to see what numbers will roll out since my last visit was December 2019 !

Here in the U.S., a patient has the right to refuse medications as well (with some very narrow exceptions involving medications needed to preserve sanity for criminal proceedings). I'd imagine that's the general rule in most western democracies.

[Guest]

10 hours ago, BootmanLA said:

Here in the U.S., a patient has the right to refuse medications as well (with some very narrow exceptions involving medications needed to preserve sanity for criminal proceedings). I'd imagine that's the general rule in most western democracies.

yes that would be the general rule but my point is that doctors have an own agenda in which they are trying to get people to take meds....i've had one doctor who on the first visit was asking me about my sex life and when i told him i was doing barebacking with other guys he immediately said that that was a reason to start meds because he didn't want more patients (his own words) ! I told him that it is up to me to decide if i want to take meds and he was really not happy about it and started a discussion in which he tried to talk me down and to force me on meds. I walked away from him and asked for a new doctor because no doctor tells me what i should or shouldn't do. 

My point is yes you have the right to refuse treatment a doctor suggests but it doesn't mean that every doctor respects that....

[analverkehrt]

easy in berlin. check up all 6 months to control the cd4 count. vl measurement comes with it automatically. 

 

docs says it’s ok. and: I am doc as well. docs are pigs