About having HIV for a long time/?

Been taking same anti-virals for 12 yrs. & I'm concerned with organ failure or cancer. Combavir & viramune 200mgs. twice a day. Before that cocktail Douglas Labratories had a holistic regimen w/in first 12 years but T's got close to 200 & changed to anti-viral cocktail. HIV 25 years & don't feel good anymore.

Without more information it is hard to give you advice. You say you don't feel good anymore. Why is that? Has your CD4 count dropping/viral load increasing? Do you have another infection/illness? Are you just tired of the daily regimen? Are you suffering from depression?

If you have been taking the same ARVs for the past 12 years, the regimen was obviously working. If you have seen an increase in your viral load or a decrease in CD4 count then you may have become resistant to one or more of your meds. As the earlier poster has mentioned, there are other options and a med switch will most likely result in viral suppression again. Easy fix.

You mention you are concerned with organ failure and cancer. Yes, some of the ARVs can be tough on the body. Physicians are aware of this and should be monitoring your condition.

Cancer is a bit of a trick bag. HIV and immune dysfuntion can result in many types of cancer that are not drug related. The ARVs we have have reduced many of the types of cancer that were once killing people with HIV/AIDS because it is keeping their immune systems functioning. Some of the drugs, in some people, can result in long term toxicities/cancers. That is a reality. We are seeing it as people have been on ARVs (and combination therapy) for a lot longer......

Another factor we have to take into account is the fact that ARVS are keeping people alive much longer -- normal lifespans in a lot of cases -- and cancer risk in all people increases with age. We are seeing a lot of our HIV+ clients coming down with age-related cancers. So, ARVs reduce the likelihood of some cancers and mildly increase the risk of others. The benefits outweigh the risks in almost all situations.

I would talk with your HIV nurse/doctor about your "not feeling good". Have them take a look at your most recent labs and figure out what's going on. If your viral load is still undetectable, then I would suggest speaking to someone --- after so many years of living with a chronic illness can lead to depressed feelings. With many of the clients I work with who are long term survivors, they need to reground themselves. Reconnect with other long term survivors. We have a "Survive and Thrive" program to help with jsut that. Maybe you could find something similar in your area.


Good luck and keep strong. You've lived with HIV for 25 years and that is an accomplishment. Take pride. After that, you can handle just about anything

Unfortunately I am not very well read in HIV/AIDS cocktails, but I do want to wish you well!!

I'm not sure what your question is, but I hope you live long enough that they will find a cure for HIV.

I assume that your HIV specialist has resistance information in your case so could make a recommendation based on your tolerance of meds, history of HIV treatment, and resistance information. Usually 1-2 boosted protease inhibitors and T-20 would be the foundation for treatment in many cases such as yours. Often the liver does OK with those meds (T-20 causes no liver problems). New meds are being developed (including from new classes such as chemokine inhibitors) so you may want to see if any studies are open in your area for people with some resistance virus.There is no proof that HIV medications increase the risk of getting any type of cancer. A "risk factor" means anything that increases your chances of getting cancer. For example, smoking is a major risk factor for lung cancer. You can protect yourself from a lot of that risk by not smoking or by quitting smoking. Other risk factors are out of your control, like having a family history or genetic history of cancer. For example, if a parent or grandparent had cancer, your risk of getting that type of cancer will be greater.HIV itself plays a role in how cancer grows in people who are HIV-positive. HIV attacks the immune system, which protects the body from infections and disease. A weaker immune system is less able to fight off diseases, like cancer. People with HIV often have weakened immune systems, which means they will have a greater chance of getting cancer.

Here are some reasons why cancer seems to be more common among people with HIV:

People with HIV and AIDS are living longer. HIV medications are helping people with HIV live longer, healthier lives. But their immune systems do not get fully healthy. As people with HIV live longer, their chances of having other health problems, like cancer, increase.
HIV and other viruses work together. Having HIV and a weakened immune system makes is easier for other viruses to stay alive in your body. HIV and these other viruses work together to help cancer cells start growing. Once cancer starts in people with weakened immune systems, it grows faster than in healthy people. Some of these viruses are:
Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C
Herpes
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)
Most people with HIV smoke cigarettes. About 60% to 70% of people with HIV smoke. Smoking is a risk factor for many different types of cancer. As people with HIV live longer and continue to smoke, they increase their risk of developing smoking-related cancers.


Take action on some of the risk factors that you have some control over. If you have a family history of cancer ask your doctor or healthcare worker about ways to prevent that cancer and test for it.

In the past, people with HIV often got three types of cancer: Kaposi's Sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and cervical cancer (in women). These are called AIDS-related cancers because they occur more often in people whose immune systems have been weakened by HIV/AIDS. Here are some facts about these cancers:

Kaposi's Sarcoma This cancer grows into reddish-purple patches on your skin that cannot kill you. It can be deadly if it gets in your throat or lungs. A herpes virus causes Kaposi's Sarcoma.
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma This cancer usually starts in the lymph glands, which are part of your immune system and help fight off disease. Lymph glands are mainly in the neck, under the arms, in the groin, and inside the belly. Epstein-Barr Virus is a risk factor for this cancer.
Invasive cervical cancer This affects the cervix, the entrance from the vagina to the uterus. Almost all women who get cervical cancer also have HPV. Having HIV and HPV makes cervical cancer grow faster.
take care and God bless