Medication

If you’re diagnosed positive, it might be years before you need medication to help manage the HIV. Your doctor will monitor your progress closely and you will be able to discuss all your options with them before deciding on treatment.

Once you have started treatment, dealing with the side effects of HIV medications can be difficult. Many side effects show up in the first weeks of treatment and eventually lessen in severity or go away. Other side effects may be more serious such as diarrhoea, nausea , fatigue and muscle wastage.

Whether the side effects are mild, moderate or severe, it is crucial that you know how to handle them. Side effects are one of the main reasons people stop taking their medication—or take less than prescribed. This is dangerous as the HIV virus can become resistant to the medication and may result in it not working anymore.

Drugs that people use recreationally can also affect the way HIV medication works. It is a good idea to check with your doctor or pharmacist if it is safe to drink alcohol with any new medicines you are prescribed and find out more about drug interactions. And remember to be honest – your health team is not there to judge you or report you to the police, they’re there to help you get the most from your medication.