Sunday, December 30, 2012

Email 179: ARV's and PTB

Hi Pozziepinoy

 I saw your post  sa HIV forum. Now if I may ask you. I was diagnosed last September of pleural effusion. Na undergo na din ako ng thorax and I'm on my third month of rehabilitation ng lung ko, cat 1 patient under DOTs program and I have read some of blogs online that the possible cause of TB is HIV. If maging possitive ako (wag naman sana) pwede ba pagsabayin ang gamot ko sa TB at HIV  kasi may mga complication as per last blog that I read. I still haven't had my HIV test and I hope you will enlighten me this time. A friend of mine is positive and somehow he gave me hope na if ever na positive ok lang. Also diba free ang gamot provided by the government?

Translation:

 I saw your post in the HIV forum. Now if I may ask you. I was diagnosed las september of pleural effusion. I underwent thoraco (hmm.. maybe a thorax procedure) and I'm on my third month of pulmonary rehabilitation. I am a Cat 1 patient under DOT's program. I have read other blogs online that the possible cause of TB is HIV. I turn out to be HIV positive (hope I won't), can I take the HIV meds with the TB meds because I read in other blogs that there are complications. I still haven't had my HIV test yet and I hope you will enlighten me. A friend of mine who is positive gave me hope and said that if I ever I am diagnosed to be positive that it is ok to take them at the same time. Also, are the HIV meds free as provided by the government?

 XXX

POZZIEPINOY’S RESPONSE

Hi XXX.

Thank you for your email. Thank you for reading my blog.

Let us answer your questions in the order in which you asked them.

First, let us establish the fact that HIV can cause the immune system to get weak and as a result of this, any kind of infection can affect the PLHIV. Because of this, even pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) can infect a PLHIV with an already weakened immune system brought about by HIV.

 Second, if you have PTB, it is possible that you can take the PTB medicines together with the ARV's especially if your CD4 is below 350. However, It is really a case to case basis on whether you will be given the ARV's while taking the PTB meds as only your HIV doctor will know if it is possible or not after studying your medical history.

 Third, stop worrying about the other things yet as you really don't know if you have HIV or not. Speculating about the symptoms won't do you any good because the only thing that will determine if you have HIV or not is by taking the test. Also, by delaying the test, you are also delaying all the procedures that follow after it, that is, the lab tests and the treatment. If you think you have been exposed to the virus, then take the test immediately and follow the advice of the counsellors or the doctors in the testing site. We all are a people who worry too much about things that we don't know yet instead of thinking straight on what is the right step to do first. Don't delay it anymore by thinking and researching. Just take the test first and from there you can plan for the next things to do.

 Fourth, only the ARV's (not the medicines for the opportunistic infections) are free in all the government hubs in the country. They are also free in the private hubs however, they have a handling fee for each bottle. However, we should not take advantage of this. We still have to do our part and start becoming a member of PhilHealth so that we can avail all the free services in the hubs under the OHAT package of PhilHealth, including the CD4 and the Viral Load. 

 I hope I was able to answer your concerns. Feel free to email me again if you have other questions.


Stay healthy,
Pozziepinoy





"WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
NO PLHIV is alone with his or her struggle with HIV!"

-Pozziepinoy-


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