The ARVs have made her weak
ARVs, like any other drugs, have side-effects, but the present situation may not necessarily be attributed to them because none of the commonly used first line ARVs are known to cause one-sided body weakness.
Face HIV with Dr Watiti
Dear Doctor,
My HIV-positive teenage daughter was started on ARVs three weeks ago because her CD4 count had dropped to 120 cells/ml. She recently developed weakness on the left side of her body and has a staggering gait. We are scared of continuing the ARVs because before she started taking them, she was not that weak. Could ARVs be responsible for her present state?
Mohammed
Dear Mohammed
ARVs, like any other drugs, have side-effects, but the present situation may not necessarily be attributed to them because none of the commonly used first line ARVs are known to cause one-sided body weakness.
Weakness on one side of the body suggests there is something affecting her brain. The most likely cause of such symptoms in HIV-positive people is Toxoplasmosis or brain abscess.
Toxoplasmosis, which is caused by a parasite known as Toxoplasma gondii, can cause one-sided body weakness if it affects the brain.
This can be confirmed through blood tests and if possible, do a brain scan to rule out other causes such a brain tumour or even brain haemorrhage.
You should not stop giving her ARVs and if Toxoplasmosis is confirmed, treatment with specific drugs will help her improve. Later she will need to be helped by a physiotherapist so that she can regain use of her paralysed parts of the body.
Lastly, Toxoplasmosis can be prevented by observing strict hyiegine, especially washing hands thoroughly after handling things like raw meat, soil, cat and poultry faeces, which might contain cysts of Toxoplasma gondii.
Meat should be thoroughly cooked to destroy any toxoplasma cysts present in it before consumption and all HIV-positive people should be on Septrin prophylaxis, especially if their CD4 count is low.
Dear Doctor,
My HIV-positive teenage daughter was started on ARVs three weeks ago because her CD4 count had dropped to 120 cells/ml. She recently developed weakness on the left side of her body and has a staggering gait. We are scared of continuing the ARVs because before she started taking them, she was not that weak. Could ARVs be responsible for her present state?
Mohammed
Dear Mohammed
ARVs, like any other drugs, have side-effects, but the present situation may not necessarily be attributed to them because none of the commonly used first line ARVs are known to cause one-sided body weakness.
Weakness on one side of the body suggests there is something affecting her brain. The most likely cause of such symptoms in HIV-positive people is Toxoplasmosis or brain abscess.
Toxoplasmosis, which is caused by a parasite known as Toxoplasma gondii, can cause one-sided body weakness if it affects the brain.
This can be confirmed through blood tests and if possible, do a brain scan to rule out other causes such a brain tumour or even brain haemorrhage.
You should not stop giving her ARVs and if Toxoplasmosis is confirmed, treatment with specific drugs will help her improve. Later she will need to be helped by a physiotherapist so that she can regain use of her paralysed parts of the body.
Lastly, Toxoplasmosis can be prevented by observing strict hyiegine, especially washing hands thoroughly after handling things like raw meat, soil, cat and poultry faeces, which might contain cysts of Toxoplasma gondii.
Meat should be thoroughly cooked to destroy any toxoplasma cysts present in it before consumption and all HIV-positive people should be on Septrin prophylaxis, especially if their CD4 count is low.