To Tenofovir or Not To Tenofovir?
I just had my quarterly consultation with my doctor and I asked about the "new" Tenofovir that recently made some news about being better and less toxic. Sure, advancement in medicine has made the "new" Tenofovir less toxic compared to Combivir, however, it is not without consequences, cost being one of it. In Malaysia, newly on ARV are now given Tenofovir + a NNRTI. Both are once a day pill (anyone on Tenofovir care to share more? I know some people who previously dropped me emails have begun on Tenofovir, any thing you noticed?) So I asked my doctor, what if I switched? The answer is this: Yes there is a possibility of switching to Tenofovir, however, the government will not be paying as this will be considered a second-line as opposed to first-line med currently being fully paid for by the government. The cost of Tenofovir is roughly MYR200+ a month. Those who are newly on ARV on Tenofovir can switch to Combivir if it is found to be not suitable. However, ...