The Kaletra dose in the annual drug guide incorrectly stated that a once-daily dose cannot be taken with Lexiva or Viracept and that three tablets twice a day should be taken with those drugs. We apologize for the error.

The Kaletra dose also stated that three tablets twice a day should be taken with Sustiva or Viramune, and by people who are treatment experienced. The statement should say that this dose can be taken under these criteria. An Abbott Laboratories medical liaison, however, tells us that the three tablets twice a day dose “may be considered” for people who are both treatment experienced and taking Sustiva or Viramune.

On my recent trip to my healthcare provider, I was informed that it is time for me to start my antiviral regimen. How fortunate for me to find your 10th Annual HIV Drug Guide on this day. It has been very helpful so far. I never knew such a publication existed. I plan on being very proactive in my care, and make decisions with my provider that best suit me. I was also glad to see that previous issues have dealt with minority issues as well. Bravo and kudos to TPAN. I was glad when I found out that I could receive a subscription to this wonderful journal. Thank you for your help and advocacy.

Name withheld by request, Detroit.

I shall be leaving the bounds of imprisonment shortly. I wrote to TPAN in a letter published in July/August 1997, titled “Spitting Image.” The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania convicted me on the claim that I attempted to infect two police officers through saliva! These same police did not have a policy for handling HIV-positive prisoners, as required under the AIDS amendments of 1988.

My humor and the information I have so consistently received from TPAN (via Positively Aware), along with a very liberal dose of God’s infinite graces, have sustained me for the 10 years of imprisonment I have endured, due largely to my HIV-positive status (I have been positive for nearly 20 years), and I am in better shape, both physically and mentally, than a lot of the “young bucks” coming in.

My CD4 T-cell count is 407, my viral load is 103, and my weight is a solid 150 pounds. I’ve been on a drug regimen of [Videx and Retrovir] plus Sustiva now for eight months, after I had taken a “drug holiday” of two years from the substandard regimen of just [Videx and Retrovir] I was on for eight years. I laugh a lot, and am a voracious reader of HIV/AIDS information and law.

The future is scary sometimes, due to its inherent uncertainty, especially if one has been in a 6 by 12 foot prison cell for the past decade and has had to watch the world evolve through prison bars. I am hopeful that wherever I eventually do decide to call “home” will be a place where I will be intelligently capable of having meaningful dialogue on HIV/AIDS related issues, that advocacy and activism will ensure, and who knows, maybe we can all put our efforts together and find a cure for this hideous disease that has cost so much in terms of suffering and loss.

I sincerely thank you again for providing me with Positively Aware, which, along with other publications, allows me to proclaim that I am a “survivor extraordinaire.”

Mark Tull, Graterford, Pennsylvania

“Dating and Daring to Love Again” (March/April 2005) really saved my life. I was beginning to sink into the pit of despair after I lost my husband to AIDS in September 2005. I am still grieving for what I have lost—loss of my spouse, loss of a friend, loss of a partner on this road with HIV, and loss of life as I know it. This article let me know that there really is life after HIV when it comes to dating. I don’t know if I am ready to find someone else, but at least I know that when I am ready, I have the courage to try.

Name withheld, via the Internet

Dear Dr. Berger: Because of extremely uncomfortable side effects from the medications I was taking (Kaletra, Epivir, and Zerit), I have asked my doctor to change my medications (to Truvada and the new formulation of Kaletra). I am hoping that I will get some relief from the diarrhea, sleeplessness, and tiredness. Am I doing the right thing? My T-cells are around 200 and my viral load is undetectable with the ultrasensitive test. I have also heard of HIV-positive people living med free. Do you lend any credence to that?

Daniel S. Berger, M.D., responds: Thanks for writing us. Your situation is not that uncommon and I agree with your comments. First of all, Zerit is a medication that we believe has long-term side effects that may be irreversible. These include neuropathy, that can manifest as numbness in the feet that often progress to pain; lipoatrophy, loss of fat from the face, buttocks, legs and arms, altering one’s appearance; and lastly, elevated cholesterol and other blood fats that increase the risk of heart disease. In my practice it is unusual for me to prescribe this medication. Truvada has been shown in clinical trials to be superior to other combination pills and appears to be a much more patient-friendly option, instead of your current Zerit plus Epivir regimen.

In regards to diarrhea, although Kaletra has a new formulation, there are also other new protease inhibitors that appear to cause much less diarrhea than Kaletra. It is uncertain in my mind whether your diarrhea would improve with the new formulation of Kaletra, only that there will be less pills. Kaletra, by the way, can also elevate cholesterol and other blood fats, which taken together with Zerit, can be a cardiovascular risk combo. Other protease inhibitor options that are patient friendly include Lexiva, Reyataz, and TMC-114 (which is on expanded access and expected to be approved in June). These can all be discussed with your physician. If your physician is uncomfortable with making changes, he and you may consider seeking advice and guidance or suggestions from an HIV specialist.