Can I take medication while fasting?
Yes, you may drink small amounts of water. Should I take my medication? Yes, you should take any medication which has been prescribed to you by your doctor unless your doctor tells you not to.
When do you start ARV treatment?
3-1 When should antiretroviral treatment be started? Antiretroviral treatment (ART) is best started when a patient’s immune function is still good. Ideally a patient should start ART soon when they are diagnosed with HIV, regardless of the CD4 count.
How long can I breastfeed my baby if I’m HIV positive?
After six months, the baby should start on complementary foods. Mothers who are not infected with HIV should breastfeed until the infant is two years or older.
How long does ARVs side effects last?
People sometimes experience headaches, nausea, muscle pain, diarrhea or dizziness while their bodies adjust to a new medication. These side effects may disappear in two to six weeks.
What should an HIV positive mother do in order to give birth to a healthy baby?
They include the following:
- Take a combination of anti-HIV drugs during your pregnancy as prescribed.
- Have your baby by cesarean delivery if lab tests show that your level of HIV is high.
- Take anti-HIV drugs during labor and delivery as needed.
- Give anti-HIV drugs to your baby after birth.
- Do not breastfeed.
Do ARVs make you tired?
Even though anti-HIV drugs may improve energy levels, some may also cause fatigue. Tiredness, fatigue, insomnia and sleep disturbances are possible side-effects of several anti-HIV drugs. Side-effects are most common in the first few weeks after starting HIV treatment.
What causes low CD4 count?
In adults, HIV is certainly the most common cause of CD4 lymphocytopenia, but other causes, such as infections, autoimmune diseases, immunosuppressive therapy, lymphoma and idiopathic forms need to be considered.
Can I take ARVs on an empty stomach?
Take on an empty stomach (preferably at bedtime), to reduce the incidence of side-effects (particularly avoid taking it soon after a high-fat meal as this increases the risk of side-effects).
How can I protect my unborn baby from HIV?
If you have HIV, you can reduce the risk of passing it to your baby by:
- taking antiretroviral drugs during pregnancy, even if you don’t need HIV treatment for your own health.
- considering the choice between a caesarean or vaginal delivery with your doctor.
- bottle feeding your baby, rather than breastfeeding.
What happens when you take ARVs for the first time?
Many people experience some mild side-effects, particularly in the first few days and weeks of starting treatment. For example, you might feel sick or have a headache. Although unpleasant, most side-effects should improve and go away altogether as your body gets used to taking the drug.
How long do ARVs take to work?
When a person first begins treatment, it usually takes three to six months for the viral load to become undetectable. Most people will eventually have an undetectable viral load if they have a drug combination that is effective against their strain of HIV and take it as prescribed by their doctor.
What is the difference between ARVs and art?
HIV drugs are called antiretrovirals (ARVs) because HIV is a type of virus called a retrovirus. ART generally includes three active drugs but a few new options only use two drugs. Some pills contain more than one drug and some pills contain a complete combination (of 2, 3 or 4 drugs).
Can I fast while on ARVs?
This condition can lead to impaired performance status and weight loss. In particular, they found insufficient calcium intake in fasting individuals, and as decreased bone density has been found in patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy, fasting has the potential to aggravate this condition.