Latest CD4 Count

The peak of my CD4 count since I started my ARV treatment back in June 2007 was 521 per ml of blood. After almost a year, it went down to 378 and then last November it plummeted to 294.


Honestly, I was a bit worried because it could be an indication that my drug regimen is not working anymore. But then I realized, I did not get sick for quite a long time and feel always healthy so probably my frequent travel and stress which are all work related might be the cause of this. I tried to get some good rest and my travel was lessened so I took the test again and I got the result last week.


Prayer really works and God has proven once again His faithfulness in me. My CD4 count has increased up to 457 which are very close to normal count of 500 and up! It's more than what I have expected. Also I took the other laboratory test I need to monitor regularly such as CBC, blood chemistry, FBS, uric acid, cholesterol, SGPT, SGOT, triglyceride and etc. and virtually all the result are within normal level!


It only means that I am now at the prime of my health praise the Lord and thank you God! Enough hours of sleep, good eating habits, regular work out and exercise, and nurturing spiritual needs while incessantly seeking God's presence truly works at its best!


Work-ministry-wise, not the answer I have expected from God but an opportunity to trust Him more! My contract will end this month and I was hoping and praying that it will be renewed after four or five months so I can study full time this semester. But last week, I was just informed that my contract is extended until September and another new contract will come after that. Not the way I planned it but it seems God has better plans for me than I do and all I can do is to trust Him even more. 


I can't help but be forever grateful and feel blessed to God Almighty!

Benefits of ARV

Drug cocktails prevent further damage to the immune system and in some cases, allow the body to repair the immune system.

Because of this, ARV prevents opportunistic infections and death. People with AIDS who were terminal and had nothing to live for, recover and go back to work and start to dream again and plan their futures like me. ARV is also very effective in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

There is no doubt that these drugs are working and that HIV is becoming a manageable disease similar to, for example, diabetes. Again, it's not a cure but a treatment only and you can still infect others if you do not practice safer sex.

Developments such as the initiation of the Global Fund is currently helping Filipinos living with HIV to avail the ARV free of charge. I just hope and pray that it will last for a lifetime.

Source: "Channels of Hope" workshop manual.

Drawbacks of ARV

There are clear drawbacks or disadvantages and benefits to the use of antiretroviral therapy, but let's focus first on the former.

ARV is very expensive and cannot be afforded by the majority. The estimate cost for one type of drug is around 25,000 PHP per month. Therefore, if the person is taking three combinations of drugs it will cost around 75,000 PHP in a month. Praise God that there is global fund for the Philippines for ARV that all people living with HIV can take the medication for free.

A limited number of patients like around 5-7% can have very bad side effects such as making too little blood and becoming anemic, damage to the liver, kidney stones, changes in appearance and high cholesterol, skin rashes, etc. Quite a few people experience milder and less serious side effects which often disappear after the first month or so of treatment. Thank God that the only side effect that occurred to me was feeling nauseated.

People have to be very compliant in taking the medicine exactly as prescribed. This is to constantly keep the levels of the drug in the blood high enough to block the virus' growth, remember that ARV does not kill the virus. Missing a dose results in the level of the drug in the blood dropping, thereby giving the virus a chance to build up resistance against these drugs. Once the virus is resistant, there is no turning back. It is therefore very important that a person taking ARV does not skip any drugs at any time, even if they make the person feel ill.

People need to be closely monitored for side effects and resistance. As soon as resistance starts to appear, the person needs to move on to another regimen which is usually more complicated and expensive. As for me, I praise the Lord that my body has tolerated the combination I am taking and I am feeling normal.

Source: "Channels of Hope" workshop manual.

What Is ARV?

I have been talking about ARV previously but let's take a deeper look on what ARV is.

ARV or antiretroviral is the drug used to strengthen the immune system of people living with HIV & AIDS. The aim of this drug is to reduce the rate at which the virus multiplies in the CD4 cell or T-helper cell. It is imperative to realize that ARV DOES NOT KILL HIV. What they do is block the virus' growth. If a person stops taking ARV, the virus immediately starts multiplying again. The HIV can quickly build up resistance against one or even two drugs; therefore these drugs are normally used in combinations of three - one non-nuke with two nukes, or one protease with two nukes. This is often referred to as triple therapy, combination therapy or a drug cocktail.

Non-nuke is the short term for Non-nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors. It interrupts the reverse transcriptase process but do so in a different way to the "nukes". Examples of this drug are delaviridine, efavirenz or sustiva and of the three drugs I am taking which is nevirapine.

Nukes are also known as Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors. These drugs interrupt the reverse transcriptase process. They block or disable the "translator or intrepreter virus". Example of these drugs are d4T or stavudine, ddl or didanosine, ddc or zalcitabine, abacavir and the other two drugs I am taking which are AZT or zidovudine and 3TC or lamivudine.

Protease inhibitors are drugs that foil replication by neutralising the protease enzyme that puts new HIV together. Some of the examples of these drugs are saquinavir, indinavir, nelfinavir, amprenavir and ritonavir.

Entry inhibitors are the newest class of drugs against HIV. They stop the virus from getting into the CD4 cell. While the first three classes of drugs are relatively cheap and widely available, these are very expensive and not easily available. Enfuvirtide or T20 is an example of protease inhibitors.

I'll talk about the drawbacks and then the benefits of taking ARV on my next posts.

Source: "Channels of Hope" workshop manual.

HIV Treatment Options Part 2

Treatment Options

In the same manner it is also important to know that HIV can also be managed. Remember this virus weakens the immune system which is responsible for the body's defense against other diseases and infections. With a proactive approach to treatment we need to aim at reducing the negative impact of the virus as far as possible. How can this be done? First is strengthening the immune system, treating all opportunistic infections and lastly, the use of ARV or antiretroviral treatment or therapy.

Strengthening the immune system, since HIV weakens it we need to look at healthy habits that can strengthen the immune system. Eating properly and healthy foods, getting enough rest and exercise, reducing stress levels in our lives and avoiding unhealthy habits such as smoking and alcohol consumption amongst others do indeed have a positive impact on our general health. The body can further be strengthened by specific multivitamins and immune boosters which should be taken in consultation with a health practitioner or doctor. These general healthy habits do in fact apply to all people who wish to take proper care of their bodies regardless if you are HIV positive or negative. The best time to implement these habits in your life is today!

Treat all opportunistic infections. Although there is no cure for HIV infections the majority of minor opportunistic infections can be healed. Therefore it is very important to treat the symptoms of all opportunistic infections as soon as it appears. This is to limit the damage it can cause to your body and to relieve you from the symptoms. A simple cold and sore throat could lead to meningitis. Untreated flu could lead to bronchitis or pneumonia. These are chances an HIV positive person should not take.

Antiretroviral treatment or ARV or ART, despite our attempts to strengthen the immune system and to keep the body generally healthy, there does come a time when the immune system is not strong enough to provide sufficient protection to the body and then it is advised that people should start taking ARVs. It's a strong medication that directly attacks the virus in the body and suppresses the multiplication of the virus in the body. With fewer viruses (lower viral load) the attack on the CD4 cells is reduced and this gives the CD4 cells the opportunity to recover and multiply again. A higher CD4 count implies a stronger immune system.

I will discuss more about ARV in the future for there's lot to talk about this.

Note: Information was excerpt from the "Channels of Hope" manual.

A Year After ARV

The topic I am writing about is very timely coz on the 8th of this month; I'll be celebrating my one year of taking the antiretroviral or ARV. The sad thing about that is until now; I have not done my CD4 count test yet. The last time I had my CD4 test was in February 2007 where I found out that I need to take ARV coz my count is below 350, its only 331.

I remember when I had my trial period for 14 days at the H4 ward in San Lazaro Hospital. Nothing happened with regards to the side effects of the drugs until the 20th day of my trial period and I was already back at home. I started to throw up every morning and evening after my meal for the next ten consecutive days. It's like I was in the early stage of pregnancy. I got over it after ten days then my skin on my fingers and feet started to peel off gradually. It was like a skin allergy that stopped me from doing the laundry that I need to keep my hands and feet dry all the time. Another side effect that I am still feeling right now from time to time is I feel nauseated after taking my meal and when I am really hungry; that's why I started to eat in a small amount but more frequently. Somehow, it lessened the nauseous feeling.

So far, those are the only side effects I have experienced after a year and I am perfectly fine right now. I hope time will come that I won't feel any of these nor any side effects of ARV and my skin may continue to heal and gets back to normal.

Hopefully my CD4 will be very high when I had my test and I am praying that time will come when the virus in my blood will be undetected when I have the money for viral load test. Also I am praying that God will continue to bless me with good health physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually so that I will be able to serve my purpose He had designed for me in this world.

Next post is the second part of treatment.

HIV Treatment Options Part 1

The Difference Between Cure and Treatment

One very common misconception that we find amongst people is that since there is no cure for HIV there is nothing we can do once we discover that we are HIV positive. What do we mean when we refer to the term "cure"? We refer to type of medicine that will completely heal us or take away a specific disease. Is there a cure for HIV? Sadly at this point, we must say no for there is no medicine that can remove HIV from one's body once you are HIV positive.

When we use the term "treatment" we use it in the context of medication and general health guidelines that help a person to manage a disease or illness. The purpose of this treatment is not to remove the disease, but to help the person to manage and limit the effect of the disease on his body. In the absence of a cure, this approach allows people to actively contribute to their own health and in the process to prolong it and add value to it.

One example of an illness without any cure but with sufficient treatment available is that of diabetics who with the right medication and diet can manage the effect of diabetes albeit it can not be cured.

Note: Information was excerpt from the "Channels of Hope" manual.