My Doc suggested I try a drug holiday several years ago. As
background- I have been poz since at least 1986 and am very
treatment-experienced, beginning with monotherapy years ago. I've
always had T-cells in the 600 range, and usually a viral load of about
50,000. The lowest viral load was about 1000 while I was tearing my
guts out with full-dose Norvir back in 1996.

We decided to try a one-month interruption then check back. At the
time I was on Viracept, DDI, and something else that I can't remember.
Maybe 3TC. One day off meds, the Viracept-related diarreah stopped
immediately. A month later, my T-cells had dropped from about 650 to
450, and my viral load went from 80,000 to 300,000. That was enough
for me. I got back on meds after a month.

Maybe I've missed it, but no matter how many studies I've read about
examining STI's, I've never seen one concluding it was a good idea. I
think everyone would like to believe it works so we keep studying it,
looking for the answer we want to get.


--- In PozHealth@yahoogroups.com, "presario114113"
<presario114113@y...> wrote:
> Hi All,
> Just wanted to get some feedback regarding drug holiday from anyone
> out there who has done it.