mikey_101 saidHow long is a piece of string, I know.I know people who have been on all the drugs since they were prescribed.. going on 30 yrs! And yet, old age afflictions are the same as anyone else. Hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, cancer or none of the above. At 70 and having been on those drugs that long with really no issues except 'normal' 70 yr old issues, that in itself should answer your question.
I cant get a straight answer from the GU clinic or any specialists.
If someone has been on Sustiva and Kivexa to sucessfully make them undetectable, diagnosed almost 10 years ago, and no real health issues...... whats the likely longterm prognosis?
mikey_101 saidHow long is a piece of string, I know.
I cant get a straight answer from the GU clinic or any specialists.
If someone has been on Sustiva and Kivexa to sucessfully make them undetectable, diagnosed almost 10 years ago, and no real health issues...... whats the likely longterm prognosis?
Art_Deco saidmikey_101 saidHow long is a piece of string, I know.
I cant get a straight answer from the GU clinic or any specialists.
If someone has been on Sustiva and Kivexa to sucessfully make them undetectable, diagnosed almost 10 years ago, and no real health issues...... whats the likely longterm prognosis?
I personally know guys who are approaching 30 years with HIV, and they look & act great. That was before the first cocktail was devised, and certainly before today's drugs.
But, I have to be honest and throw in a caveat. Fatal opportunistic diseases are unpredictable and can still strike at any point without warning or clear cause. My own late partner was doing great at 12 years poz, undetectable viral counts, good T-cells. Then out of nowhere he contracted PML in 2003.
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a 100% fatal brain disease caused by the JC virus, which 70% of us carry harmlessly. A weakened immune system allows it to enter the brain, where it cannot be cured or stopped. Many mysterious early AIDS deaths were caused by it before it was identified.
That's just one of the diseases that can strike without warning, even today. So that a poz person is always walking a tightrope. Not missing meds, avoiding exposure to disease risks, and a healthy lifestyle can all improve the odds of surviving for decades.
Yet the specialists can't give you a firm answer because nobody knows for sure. You have the 30-year survivors, and you have the guys who still die very soon after initially contracting HIV.
When I "married" my late partner, knowing he was poz, I knew I'd have him for as long as I had him, short or long. It turned out to be short, but I don't regret it. Guys drop dead unexpectedly of heart attacks, they have accidents, all manner of things can kill them. If this is about deciding whether you should commit yourself to a poz guy, I can tell you I'd do it myself if I faced that choice again regarding a man I loved.
NoCityGuy saidThat's a great question that I think many of us wish we knew the answer too. I have been POZ for 16 years, and undetectable for most of the 16 years (I had a viral load the first month only), but I am extremely protective about my body (careful about what I eat, only socially drink a few times a month and I don't smoke or use drugs). I also make sure I get enough sleep and keep my body extremely active (probably why I became a fitness trainer later in life). Most of the drugs were fast-tracked since HIV was a 100% fatal disease. These days its a manageable one... if we manage it. Most people skip doses and that can fuck things up. I have rarely ever missed a dose in my 16 years. I am still on the same class of drugs since the very beginning. We have only changed them as they became more manageable (from 3x a day, to 1x a day and multiple pills to a single pill). My doctor told me at this rate, I will probably die in a plane crash before I succumb to HIV. And the chances of me giving someone HIV is nearly impossible. But someone can give me a new strain. So its still very important to remain protected...better safe than dead.
mikey_101 saidHow long is a piece of string, I know.Some excellent answers here already. My thoughts, six years in as an HIV+ person ... Take care of your body, comply religiously with the drug regimen, and stay active. Beyond those three tips, have fun and go live a full, engaged, happy life. Odds are if you do the above three, you'll be just fine for a long, long time.
I cant get a straight answer from the GU clinic or any specialists.
If someone has been on Sustiva and Kivexa to sucessfully make them undetectable, diagnosed almost 10 years ago, and no real health issues...... whats the likely longterm prognosis?
NoCityGuy saidThat's a great question that I think many of us wish we knew the answer too. I have been POZ for 16 years, and undetectable for most of the 16 years (I had a viral load the first month only), but I am extremely protective about my body (careful about what I eat, only socially drink a few times a month and I don't smoke or use drugs). I also make sure I get enough sleep and keep my body extremely active (probably why I became a fitness trainer later in life). Most of the drugs were fast-tracked since HIV was a 100% fatal disease. These days its a manageable one... if we manage it. Most people skip doses and that can fuck things up. I have rarely ever missed a dose in my 16 years. I am still on the same class of drugs since the very beginning. We have only changed them as they became more manageable (from 3x a day, to 1x a day and multiple pills to a single pill). My doctor told me at this rate, I will probably die in a plane crash before I succumb to HIV. And the chances of me giving someone HIV is nearly impossible. But someone can give me a new strain. So its still very important to remain protected...better safe than dead.It will NOT be a plane that I maintain!
mikey_101 saidI have accepted that I will probably outlive my partner, will likley have to nurse his ill health, and I know this will tear me apart.
I took this all on knowingly and love him from the bottom of my heart.
Why can life be so cruel.
Durbdoc saidDiscussed this in a recent seminar I attended, a well- known specialist in the field, who admits to being more conservative about this says 45 years is a reasonable expectation, provided the individual is really disciplined etc
! The_Guerrilla_Sodomite saidI know I'm not going to die of HIV related causes because the old gypsy lady said I'd die by sliding off an over lubed twink I'll be fucking over the rail on an Atlantis cruise. I don't drown because we're still in port and I land head first on a mooring bollard.She told me that I'd fall in love and marry a voluptuous brunette.. I told her to get a 'real job'!
GAMRican saidI've survived 27 years (going on 28 in August).Bleck! nasty! yuck!
Just switched from "Epivir, Zerit, and Viramune" to "Truvada and Viramune".
ashtare said...
Don't mourn something that hasn't happened yet and probably won't happen. You will lose the present to your fears.
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