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Taking a treatments holiday?

From At home ... away • 1 July 2001

Going on holiday is also a time when many people consider taking a break from treatment — sometimes also called a drug holiday.

Sometimes it is easier for some people to stop taking their pills altogether rather than having to plan ahead with doctors’ certificates or sending the treatments beforehand for collection upon arrival. If you plan to stop taking your HIV medications while you travel, it is best to stop taking the whole combination of drugs all at once.

Drug holidays are not necessarily recommended for all people on treatments. You should consult your doctor or your AIDS Council Treatments Officer before you stop.

It is also best to keep your viral loadA measurement of the quantity of HIV RNA in the blood. Viral load blood test results are expressed as the number of copies (of HIV) per milliliter of blood plasma. and CD4 (T cell) count closely monitored after stopping treatments. Some doctors recommend taking extra blood tests at four weeks and then again at eight weeks after stopping treatments. After these extra tests it is recommended that you return to your usual three month cycle. You should keep this in mind if you are going to be travelling for an extended period of time.

At home ... away

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The article you are viewing is part of the larger (multi-page) resource At home ... away.

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This Resource was first published on 1 July 2001 — more than ten years ago.

While the content of this resource was checked for accuracy at the time of publication, NAPWA recommends checking to determine whether the information is the most up-to-date available, especially when making decisions which may affect your health.

This article may contain medical information. NAPWA makes every reasonable effort to ensure the information on this website is accurate, reliable and up-to-date, including obtaining technical reviews by medically-qualified reviewers, however the authors of information on this website are not qualified to give medical advice, except where explicitly stated.

The content of this website is intended to support, not replace, the relationship between people living with HIV/AIDS and their medical advisers, and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice.

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