my question is today i saw my doctor because i thought i had herpeys and he gave me a lecture on having safe sex but he also talk about stoping the meds because my viral load is at 300 and t cells are 750 is this normal that i can live with out meds for 10 or more years i have only ben hiv + for a litel over 6 months all advice and come welcomed

You know, there is controversy over stopping meds. Personally, your t-cells are high although it would be absolutely perfect if your viral load were less than 300. if you have absolute faith in your physician, then listen to him. If you need another opinion, then you may want to get when or look at other interactive web sites for opinions. chris

From what I know, stopping meds is the worst possible thing you can do to your body...as Chris said, listen to your physician...and remember, that you have all of us here as well to get you through any rough spots :)
-S-

well i forgot to mention that he would stop them once i got undicatable and i think the rasoon he is thinking of stoing them is if i get a secound strand only 2 or 3 meds would work but still i dont know if its the best idea i thought u had to be on meds for good not stop and go

How would you get a second strand? Sorry for my naivety but im not understanding that comment. Can a second strand of the virus grow inside of you or did you mean a new infection?

Dear KBlack: I've always been undetectible...I've never stopped my meds. I don;t know what he means by a second strand...seems a little confusing. And, how would you know when you got this 'second strand'? Nope, I would never stop taking my meds unless my physician could give me a significant reason to do so. Besides, from the data I have reviewed, the concept of 'drug holiday', while fashionable years ago, is not so now. I would give this real thought! chris

When a person that is hiv+ waorks with his doctor and they finaly decide to make the decision to start the meds then that means its steady treatment for life without stoping .
Hiv mutates very quickly and paople are put on 2 or 3 different medication because what one medication can't kill the other one has a chance to and the virus doesn't have a chance to mutate as rapidly as it would without medication .
When you start to take breaks from you're meds or get lazy with the doses , skip doses , not take them at the exact same times every day ....... Then you're giving the virus a chance to mutate and become resistant to the whole combination and you will need a total med change and start all over again with a new combo .
You need to stay on you're combo for as long as you possably can so you don't give the virus a chance to become immune to it .there are people that have become resistant to all the medications ( and that becomes a real problem ) and need to go on what's called ( rescue treatments ) and for some people even that can't help them .
When it comes to choosing a doctor you need to be very careful and if you're doctor doesn't seem like they don't know what their doing or you don't feel comfortable with their decisions then you need to find a better one .
The simple fact is .... A doctor that treats more people that are hiv+ is simply better at it .
.......... Lost Spirit ........

new infection secound strand same thing and u would get it buy have raw sex

KBLACK: What does that mean? "new infection second stand same thing" and how would you get it if you were practising 'safe sex'. (Do you actually mean that being HIV+ you would knowlingly engage in 'raw' or unprotected sex?) chris

I thought that he did openly admit to having unprotected sex as he said he went to the doctor for a new case of herpes.

Kblack, if this is true, are you aware of the potential to infect the partners that you are with? If you have unprotected sex and do not tell your partners that you are +, this is considered a criminal act and you could/will be prosecuted.
I don't know if that point has been brought to your attention, or, if I am way off base, I am sorry.

I am glad that you are working closely with a doctor, please take good care of your self and the people around you.

Hiv mutates very quickly and paople are put on 2 or 3 different medication because what one medication can't kill the other one has a chance to and the virus doesn't have a chance to mutate as rapidly as it would without medication .
I've never heard of HIV mutating...is that an accepted fact? Do you know how many different strains of HIV there are by any chance? and is one type less dangerous than another, like for instance how there are some well known celebrities who have been HIV for long periods of time without getting sick or it ever turning into aids when others get sick in just a couple of years? Does the prognosis depend on the medicine or the strain of hiv?
You need to stay on you're combo for as long as you possably can so you don't give the virus a chance to become immune to it
Just curious how it would become immune to the medication if he stops taking it?
Thanks for any info, i'm just curious.

HIV does mutate. Which is one of the reasons medication regimens changes so frequently and the reason that we haven't been able to get of the virus. Virus, by their very nature mutate. Do not even begin to think about a less dangerous strain of HIV versus another. This is wrong and faulty logic. Chris

Ok, I have been HIV pos for 5 years, I really know how confusing the first year can be I was on meds for the first 6 months and then changed my doctor as the one I had was very impersonable, he told me that in his conservitive veiw HIV pos people should not have kids and should adopt, anyway, it dawned on me there and then I need to get a new doctor and need to get as far away as possible from this conservitive creep!!! (Thank Goodness my Husband was waiting for me after that happy visit) so back to not taking meds, the new Doctor I found is brilliant and I have not been on meds since, I go for blood work every 3-4 months so far so good I eat healthy work out everyday, try not to be around negative people etc I think as long as you are not take meds and keep an eye on your CD4 / Viral load until it is abs necessary to to take meds it is best to wait, as there are only so many combos at present, hope this helps a little, :angel: