The approach that I take is always to be honest. So you don’t try to minimalize any kind of medication’s potential side effects but, of course, you’re always going to say potential.
Someone can take a medication and have this side effect, but someone else can take the same medication and be absolutely fine.
So when side effects are bothering you, don’t get to a point where you get so frustrated that you stop taking the medications, or take them every other day or just sporadically. That’s where resistance is going to happen. That’s where you’re going to run into trouble.
Communication is the key. Talk with your provider and make sure you have those open lines of communication.
Dr. David Malebranche, MD, MPH, a clinician-researcher specializing in HIV, gives the lowdown on all things HIV care and treatment in the latest installment of the #AskTheHIVDoc video series.
