Your treatment depends on if it is known when you became infected with HIV and whether you have symptoms. Your treatment may include:

• antiretroviral medicines, such as zidovudine (also called ZDV or AZT), didanosine (ddI), and lamivudine (3TC), and protease inhibitors, such as indinavir (Crixivan), lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra), ritonavir (Norvir), saquinavir (Fortovase), and nelfinavir (Viracept)
• lab tests every few weeks to see how well your immune system is working, to measure the amount of HIV in your blood, and to screen for infections or other medical problems
• regular dental exams because people who are HIV positive often have mouth problems, including gum disease
• preventive treatment for such diseases as:
• Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP)
• tuberculosis
• toxoplasmosis (be sure to avoid raw meat and cat litter boxes)
• tetanus
• hepatitis B
• pneumococcal infections
• influenza
• treatment for infections and tumors as they develop.

Your doctor will probably recommend starting treatment with antiretroviral drugs and antipneumonia drugs if you are having symptoms of HIV infection. Even if you are not having symptoms, your provider may recommend starting treatment if:

• Your CD4 cell count is below 350 cells per cubic millimeter, or
• Your viral load is over 30,000 copies per milliliter (mL) as measured by the branched DNA test, or more than 55,000 copies/mL as measured by the RT-PCR test.

The CD4 cell count is a good way to know how well the immune system is working. (CD4 cells are a type of white blood cell.) You should have this lab test every 4 to 6 months. When the count begins to decrease, you will need to have the test more often. The viral load test measures the amount of HIV in your blood.

Antiretroviral medicines can slow the progress of the disease, but they are not a cure. Many new drug treatments and combinations are being prescribed or studied.

Vision problems are often an early sign of opportunistic infection in HIV-positive individuals. Tell your healthcare provider promptly about any eye symptoms, especially if you keep having blurry vision or a loss of vision.

Getting care in an office or clinic that uses the case management concept of care is perhaps the most important aspect of your treatment. This approach emphasizes team care coordinated by a case manager. The case manager helps you communicate with all who are caring for you. Other advantages include:

• Up-to-date medical care will be available to you.
• Treatment of the medical and social aspects of your illness will be brought together.
• You will have help in finding resources (medical, social, financial).