However, some types of vaccines may not be recommended. For example, live attenuated vaccines (LAV)—like the chickenpox vaccine —contain a weakened but live form of the germ that causes the disease. LAVs can potentially cause an infection for people with HIV.
Can I take other medicines if I have had HIV?
HIV medicine is recommended for all people with HIV, regardless of how long they’ve had the virus or how healthy they are. Talk to your health care provider about any medical conditions you may have or any other medicines you are taking.
What happens if you don’t take your HIV Medicine?
Taking your HIV medicines exactly the way your health care provider tells you to will help keep your viral load low and your CD4 cell count high. If you skip your medicines, even now and then, you are giving HIV the chance to multiply rapidly. This could weaken your immune system, and you could become sick.
What should I do if I want to stop taking HIV medication?
If you experience side effects that are severe or make you want to stop taking your HIV medication, talk to your health care provider or pharmacist before you miss any doses or stop taking the medication.
What are the treatment recommendations for HIV infection?
The following recommendations apply to managing persons with diagnosed HIV infection: Link persons with HIV infection to care and start them on ART as soon as possible. Report cases (in accordance with local requirements) to public health and initiate partner services. Provide prevention counseling to persons with diagnosed HIV infection.
Can you take antibiotics with HIV medication?
Anyone taking HIV treatment is right to ask about interactions with any other treatments. Antibiotics are usually pretty safe, but it is always worth checking.
Why can you not treat HIV with antibiotics?
HIV is treated with antiretroviral medicines, which work by stopping the virus replicating in the body. This allows the immune system to repair itself and prevent further damage. A combination of HIV drugs is used because HIV can quickly adapt and become resistant.
What medications should not be taken with HIV?
6 Prescription Drugs to Avoid If Taking HIV TherapyStatin Drugs.Arrhythmia Drugs.Hepatitis C Drugs.Anti-Epilepsy Drugs.Tuberculosis Drugs.Sedatives.
Which is not recommended as an initial treatment for HIV?
Ibalizumab-Containing Regimens At this time, because there is no experience with IBA in children, the Panel does not recommend its use as initial treatment for HIV‑1 infection.
Can hepatitis be treated with antibiotics?
There are no special medicines or antibiotics that can be used to treat a person that is acutely infected once the symptoms appear. Generally, bed rest is all that is needed. Interferon is the most effective treatment for chronic HBV infection and is successful in 25 to 50 percent of cases.
Can I take flu medication while on ARVs?
Tamiflu can be taken safely with most medications, including HIV medications and prophylactic medications such as trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (Septra, Bactrim). Zanamivir (Relenza) is an alternative influenza treatment that may be used if Tamiflu resistance becomes a problem.
What is the most important factor to consider when deciding to initiate ARV therapy?
[17,18] Regardless of CD4 cell count, the decision to initiate ART should always include consideration of any co-morbid conditions, the willingness and readiness of the patient to initiate therapy, and the availability of resources.
Can I take multivitamins with ARVs?
For patients who require ARVs, multivitamin supplementation may serve as an adjunctive therapy to potentially enhance quality of life. In addition, reducing the risk of depression and improving quality of life among HIV-positive patients may positively impact utilization of ARVs.
What drugs are protease inhibitors?
Protease inhibitor drugsatazanavir (Reyataz)darunavir (Prezista)fosamprenavir (Lexiva)indinavir (Crixivan)lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra)nelfinavir (Viracept)ritonavir (Norvir)saquinavir (Invirase)More items...
What is HIV treatment?
HIV treatment (antiretroviral therapy or ART) involves taking medicine as prescribed by a health care provider. HIV treatment reduces the amount of...
When should I start HIV treatment?
Start HIV treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis. All people with HIV should take HIV treatment, no matter how long they’ve had HIV or how h...
What if I delay HIV treatment?
If you delay treatment, HIV will continue to harm your immune system. Delaying treatment will put you at higher risk for transmitting HIV to your p...
Are there different types of HIV treatment?
There are two types of HIV treatment: pills and shots. Pills are recommended for people who are just starting HIV treatment. There are many FDA-app...
What are HIV treatment shots?
HIV treatment shots are long-acting injections used to treat people with HIV. The shots are given by your health care provider and require routine...
Can I switch my HIV treatment from pills to shots?
Talk to your health care provider about changing your HIV treatment plan. Shots may be right for you if you are an adult with HIV who has an undete...
What are the benefits of taking my HIV treatment as prescribed?
HIV treatment reduces the amount of HIV in the blood (viral load). Taking your HIV medicine as prescribed will help keep your viral load low. HIV t...
Does HIV treatment cause side effects?
HIV treatment can cause side effects in some people. However, not everyone experiences side effects. The most common side effects are Nausea and vo...
What should I do if I’m thinking about having a baby?
Let your health care provider know if you or your partner is pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant. They will determine the right type of HIV...
Can I take birth control while on HIV treatment?
You can use any method of birth control to prevent pregnancy. However, some HIV treatment may make hormone-based birth control less effective. Talk...
What is the treatment for HIV?
HIV treatment involves taking medicines that slow the progression of the virus in your body. HIV is a type of virus called a retrovirus, and the combination of drugs used to treat it is called antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART is recommended for all people living with HIV, regardless of how long they’ve had the virus or how healthy they are.
Why do you prescribe HIV?
Your health care provider may prescribe medicines to prevent certain infections. HIV treatment is most likely to be successful when you know what to expect and are committed to taking your medicines exactly as prescribed.
What happens if your CD4 is low?
If your CD4 cell count falls below a certain level, you are at risk of getting an opportunistic infection. These are infections that don’t normally affect people with healthy immune systems but that can infect people with immune systems weakened by HIV infection.
What is drug resistance in HIV?
What Is HIV Drug Resistance? Drug resistance can be a cause of treatment failure for people living with HIV. As HIV multiplies in the body, it sometimes mutates (changes form) and produces variations of itself. Variations of HIV that develop while a person is taking ART can lead to drug-resistant strains of HIV.
How long do HIV side effects last?
Some side effects can occur once you start a medicine and may only last a few days or weeks.
How soon can you start ART for HIV?
Treatment guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend that a person living with HIV begin ART as soon as possible after diagnosis. Starting ART slows the progression of HIV and can keep you healthy for many years.
Is HIV treatment a prevention?
There is also a major prevention benefit. People living with HIV who take HIV medication daily as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting HIV to their HIV-negative partners. This is called treatment as prevention.
How long does HIV treatment last?
In the uncommon situation in which HIV-infected patients do NOT receive antiretroviral therapy during TB treatment, prolonging treatment to 9 months (extend continuation phase to 7 months) is recommended. Prolonging treatment to 9 months (extend continuation phase to 7 months) for HIV-infected patients with delayed response to therapy (e.g., ...
When should antiretroviral therapy be initiated?
Anti-retroviral therapy should ideally be initiated within the first 2 weeks ...
How long does it take to take isonaizid and rifapentine?
Twelve weeks of once-weekly isonaizid and rifapentine (3HP), given by self-administered therapy or directly observed therapy, is the newest CDC-recommended treatment regimen for persons with latent TB infection and HIV and who are taking antiretroviral medications with acceptable drug-drug interactions with rifapentine.
What is the first step in HIV testing?
The first step is to ensure that people with HIV are tested for TB infection. If found to have TB infection, further tests are needed to rule out TB disease. The next step is to start treatment for latent TB infection or TB disease based on test results.
Can you take rifabutin with HIV?
Four months of daily rifampin is another treatment option. This regimen should not be used in people with HIV who are taking some combinations of antiretroviral therapy. In situations where rifampin cannot be used, sometimes another drug, rifabutin , may be substituted. For those taking antiretroviral medications with clinically significant drug ...
Is latent TB more likely to develop HIV?
Latent TB Infection and HIV. Someone with untreated latent TB infection and HIV infection is much more likely to develop TB disease during his or her lifetime than someone without HIV infection. There are several effective latent TB treatment regimens available for people with HIV.
Can rifamycin be used for HIV?
Rifamycins ( a category of drugs for TB disease and latent TB infection treatment) can interact with certain medicines (antiretrovirals) used to treat HIV. One concern is the interaction of rifampin (RIF) with certain antiretroviral agents (some protease inhibitors [PIs] and nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors [NRTIs]).
Why do people with HIV get co-infections?
Many people living with HIV acquire co-infections because of vulnerabilities in their immune systems and shared risk factors for HIV and other diseases, like illicit drug use or living in an area with a high prevalence of certain pathogens.
How much more likely is HIV to cause heart disease?
People living with HIV are 50 to 100 percent more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than people without HIV. This elevated risk is partially a result of chronic inflammation, which can harden blood vessels over time and increase one’s chances of experiencing heart attack and stroke.
Does antiretroviral therapy help with HIV?
Combination antiretroviral therapy directly targets HIV and can keep levels of the virus low in the blood, resulting in far better health outcomes for those who take these lifesaving medications. However, sometimes other conditions and complications associated with HIV infection can warrant further intervention.
Does HIV make TB more difficult to diagnose?
Additionally, having HIV can make TB more difficult to diagnose , and medications used to treat both infections may interact negatively. In addition to efforts to address the burden of TB disease acting alone, NIAID supports research to improve TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in the context of HIV infection.
What is the treatment for HIV called?
The treatment for HIV is called antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART involves taking a combination of HIV medicines (called an HIV treatment regimen) every day. ART is recommended for everyone who has HIV. People with HIV should start taking HIV medicines as soon as possible.
Why is it important to have less HIV?
Having less HIV in the body gives the immune system a chance to recover and produce more CD4 cells.
How does HIV treatment affect the body?
By reducing the amount of HIV in the body, HIV medicines also reduce the risk of HIV transmission. A main goal of HIV treatment is to reduce a person’s viral load to an undetectable level. An undetectable viral load means that the level of HIV in the blood is too low to be detected by a viral load test.
How many classes of HIV are there?
There are many HIV medicines available for HIV regimens. The HIV medicines are grouped into seven drug classes according to how they fight HIV. The choice of an HIV regimen depends on a person's individual needs.
How long after HIV infection can you start taking a drug?
(Early HIV infection is the period up to 6 months after infection with HIV.)
Can HIV be treated with ART?
People with HIV should start taking HIV medicines as soon as possible. ART can’t cure HIV, but HIV medicines help people with HIV live longer, healthier lives. ART also reduces the risk of HIV transmission. A main goal of HIV treatment is to reduce a person’s viral load to an undetectable level.
Can HIV medications interact with other HIV medications?
HIV medicines can interact with other HIV medicines in an HIV regimen or with other medicines a person is taking . Health care providers carefully consider potential drug interactions before recommending an HIV regimen.
Diagnostic Considerations
HIV infection can be diagnosed by HIV 1/2 Ag/Ab combination immunoassays. All FDA-cleared HIV tests are highly sensitive and specific. Available serologic tests can detect all known subtypes of HIV-1. The majority also detect HIV-2 and uncommon variants of HIV-1 (e.g., group O and group N).
Acute HIV Infection
Providers serving persons at risk for STIs are in a position to diagnose HIV infection during its acute phase.
Treatment
ART should be initiated as soon as possible for all persons with HIV infection regardless of CD4+ T-cell count, both for individual health and to prevent HIV transmission ( https://clinicalinfo.hiv.gov/en/guidelines/adult-and-adolescent-arv/whats-new-guidelines external icon ).
Other HIV Management Considerations
Behavioral and psychosocial services are integral to caring for persons with HIV infection. Providers should expect persons to be distressed when first informed that they have HIV.
STI Screening of Persons with HIV Infection in HIV Care Settings
At the initial HIV care visit, providers should screen all sexually active persons for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, and perform screening for these infections at least annually during the course of HIV care ( 425 ). Specific testing includes syphilis serology and NAAT for N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis at the anatomic site of exposure.
Partner Services and Reporting
Partner notification is a key component in the evaluation of persons with HIV infection. Early diagnosis and treatment of HIV among all potentially exposed sexual and injecting drug sharing partners can improve their health and reduce new infections.
Special Considerations
All pregnant women should be tested for HIV during the first prenatal visit.
Why is it important to take HIV medication?
Taking HIV Medication to Stay Healthy and Prevent Transmission. If you have HIV, it is important to start treatment with HIV medication (called antiretroviral therapy or ART) as soon as possible after your diagnosis. If taken every day, exactly as prescribed, HIV medication can reduce the amount of HIV in your blood (also called the viral load) ...
How long does it take for HIV to be undetectable?
Almost everyone who takes HIV medication daily as prescribed can achieve an undetectable viral load, usually within 6 months after starting treatment. There are important health benefits to getting the viral load as low as possible. People living with HIV who know their status, take HIV medication daily as prescribed, ...
Why is it called viral suppression?
It is called viral suppression because HIV medication prevents the virus from growing in your body and keeps the virus very low or “suppressed.”. Viral suppression helps keep you healthy and prevents illness.
Can HIV go back up?
So, you need to keep taking your HIV medication daily as prescribed. When your viral load stays undetectable, you have effectively no risk of transmitting HIV to an HIV-negative partner through sex. If you stop taking HIV medication, your viral load will quickly go back up.
Can HIV be transmitted to HIV-negative people?
People living with HIV who take HIV medication daily as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting HIV to their HIV-negative partners.
Does TasP work for HIV?
People living with HIV who take HIV medication daily as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting HIV to their HIV-negative partners. TasP works when a person living with HIV takes HIV medication exactly as prescribed and has regular follow-up care, ...
Can HIV be transmitted through breastfeeding?
Scientists don’t know if a woman living with HIV who has her HIV under control can transmit HIV to her baby through breastfeeding . While it isn’t known if or how much being undetectable or virally suppressed prevents some ways that HIV is transmitted, it is reasonable to assume that it provides some risk reduction.
