HIV drugs have improved over the years, and serious side effects are much less likely than they used to be. However, if you’re having any new or unusual side effect, call your doctor — even if you’ve been on the medicine for a long time. Sometimes it can take months or years for you to start reacting to a medicine.
For more serious side effects, your doctor might first check to make sure that your medicine, and not other factors, is causing your symptoms. If the medicine is to blame, the doctor might switch you to another antiretroviral drug. Yet this isn’t as easy as it sounds. Because HIV is such a serious infection, your doctor needs to be sure that the new treatment will still work to control the virus, and that it won’t cause even more severe side effects.
Milder side effects may go away as soon as your body gets used to the drug. If not, the doctor might suggest that you change the way you take the drug (for example, taking it with food instead of on an empty stomach, or at night instead of in the morning). Alternately, you might be able to treat the side effect to make it more manageable.
It might take some time to find just the right drug regimen. With some careful monitoring and follow-up, your doctor will eventually find the antiretroviral medicine that not only works but is also safe for you.
Routine:
Sticking to Your Medicine Routine
Side effects aren’t the only issue with HIV treatment. You also need to remember when and how to take your pills.
To help you take your medicine as directed, get a pill organizer. Arrange all of the pills by dose. Set reminders in your phone or computer so you’ll remember when it’s time to take your medicine.
Work with your doctor to find a dosing routine that works best for you. Review it at each visit and make adjustments as needed so you get the most benefit possible from your treatment.