Could I have been healed?
Feb 15, 2009
WHEN people take their ARVs adherently as prescribed, their viral load can be maximally suppressed and the CD4 count can rise and remain high.
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti
Dear Doctor,
I have been on ARVs for six years now and my health is very good. My CD4 count checked every six months is always over 700 cells/ml and recently when they checked my viral load, it was very high. When I started taking ARVs, there was no virus detected in my blood. Isn’t mine a case of being healed? Can I stop taking ARVs at least for a some time?
Steven
Dear Steven,
WHEN people take their ARVs adherently as prescribed, their viral load can be maximally suppressed and the CD4 count can rise and remain high.
When this is achieved, the person can enjoy a good quality of life, both physically and psychologically for long and this is one of the main goals of antiretroviral therapy (ART).
This does not mean the person is healed of HIV and they must continue swallowing ARVs.
Secondly, though the viral load test shows the virus is not detectable in the blood, HIV is still present in places like lymph nodes etc, from where it can get reactivated once the drug levels in the blood fall below recommended concentrations.
So it is not advisable for you to stop taking ARVs even when you feel fine and you have a high CD4 count.
Your immune system has been repaired and healed so that it cannot more or less work normally but this does not mean you are cured of HIV. ART is treatment for life.
Dear Doctor,
I have been on ARVs for six years now and my health is very good. My CD4 count checked every six months is always over 700 cells/ml and recently when they checked my viral load, it was very high. When I started taking ARVs, there was no virus detected in my blood. Isn’t mine a case of being healed? Can I stop taking ARVs at least for a some time?
Steven
Dear Steven,
WHEN people take their ARVs adherently as prescribed, their viral load can be maximally suppressed and the CD4 count can rise and remain high.
When this is achieved, the person can enjoy a good quality of life, both physically and psychologically for long and this is one of the main goals of antiretroviral therapy (ART).
This does not mean the person is healed of HIV and they must continue swallowing ARVs.
Secondly, though the viral load test shows the virus is not detectable in the blood, HIV is still present in places like lymph nodes etc, from where it can get reactivated once the drug levels in the blood fall below recommended concentrations.
So it is not advisable for you to stop taking ARVs even when you feel fine and you have a high CD4 count.
Your immune system has been repaired and healed so that it cannot more or less work normally but this does not mean you are cured of HIV. ART is treatment for life.