Saturday 31 July 2010

A lot happening in my body

Taking the HIV pills is having a much more far reaching effect than I'd imagined. Yes, they are very specific and strong (for want of better words) and they are waging war against the HIV virus that has taken up residence in every part of my body.

Including my brain and nerves. The very strange effects that I have been going through can vary from person to person, but they are because the HIV virus is being attacked in those areas. It's quite amazing to me that science and research has reached the point where warfare can be waged at such a level. As the doctor said, there is indeed "a lot happening".

The effects will pass I'm told as the HIV levels decrease. Currently I'm going through the "induction" period of the drugs. To me it seems pretty much like it's reversing to an extent what happened during sero-conversion to HIV. 

I never thought the drugs would have such a huge effect. Either that or I never realised just how much of the way I was feeling and ill health was caused directly by the HIV virus. In fact I'm told now that as HIV goes into the brain it can have the effect of causing depression, and that as the HIV levels decrease I may even be able to come down a bit on the happy pills. All this is way beyond the scope of what I thought. 

I get a blood test next week to test the levels of things and more will be known then. 

This is all extremely interesting, if simply from a scientific standpoint. I signed a thing at the doctors that my experiences in starting treatment can go into a pool of knowledge anonymously. 

2 comments:

  1. phantomtexasrose1 August 2010 at 13:14

    Wow! That is awesome! Won't it be great if the drugs really do help with EVERYTHING!!! What a relief that will be! Why didn't they go ahead and put you on them earlier? Wishing you all the best!

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  2. It's a personal choice. Some people are happy I guess to go for years without meds as I assume they're quite unaffected by the HIV virus. It's not up to the doctor but up to the patient to decide.

    I chose to as, well, even with an immune system that looked good on paper, I was running into all kinds of other difficulties. I could have sad no, but given the last 3 months of crap health I decided to give it a go. Early days yet.

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