Switching medicines

HIV medicines are not created equal

Learn about
the different types

	Question: How long have you been taking HIV medicines?   <1 year 1 - 2 years 3 - 5 years 6 - 10 years >10 years I am not taking HIV medicines I do not have HIV

 

Why you might have to switch medicines

Sometimes, during HIV treatment, it becomes necessary to change the medications that a person with HIV is taking. At some point you may need to change medicines if:

• Your viral load increases or becomes detectable on a medication after being undetectable
• Your viral load remains detectable after 4 to 6 months of treatment
• Your CD4 cell count goes down
• You begin to have signs or symptoms of HIV
• Side effects are bothering you too much
• Your medicine schedule (when and how you take your medicine) is too hard to follow. For example, you may have to take pills too many times each day, or you may have to take them on an empty stomach

Why switching medicines may be important

A new combination of medicines may lower your viral load and keep you healthier. It may also cause fewer side effects. This can make it easier for you to stick with your medicine plan. Working together, your healthcare provider and you will decide if safely switching medicines is the best decision.

If a healthcare provider suggests switching therapy, it is important to do so for several reasons:

• Viral load —viral load can continue to increase, and this can make a person with HIV become very sick
• Drug resistance —continuing to take medications that are not working can cause changes in HIV, which will make other drugs less effective in the future
• Side effects—unpleasant side effects may keep someone from taking their medicines correctly. Switching can sometimes make these side effects go away

While there can be several good reasons to make changes in an anti-HIV medication regimen, it is important not to switch medication too soon. People with HIV should give their bodies time to adjust to their medication. Some side effects may decrease over time. Switching too soon can also promote resistance, possibly making certain drugs less effective at controlling HIV in the future.

DO NOT make any changes to your medicine plan without talking with your healthcare provider first.

Before you talk to your doctor, it's important to understand the difference in HIV medicines. Here are the five types of treatment:

• Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs)
• Integrase inhibitors
• Protease inhibitors (PIs)
• CCR5 inhibitors
• Fusion inhibitors (FIs)

Treatment is unique for each patient. Learn how these HIV medicines work

Next >> Paying for treatment