In between your regular clinic appointments, you may want to seek medical advice if you notice changes in your health or new symptoms.

HIV clinics vary slightly in what action they advise if you are concerned about your health. You should be told what to do in this situation at your first clinic appointment; otherwise, ask your doctor or another member of your healthcare team.

Some clinics advise people to contact their HIV clinic if they think the symptoms may be HIV-related. Staff will help you decide whether you can wait until your next scheduled appointment, need an appointment sooner, or need emergency treatment. Others recommend contacting a GP first (see Health monitoring and care from your GP).

For non-HIV-related health problems, you should contact your GP. It’s not always easy to tell if a new symptom is related to HIV. If you are not sure, contact your GP first to discuss the best action to take.

Generally, these symptoms or health changes will not be signs of a serious medical condition, but there are certain symptoms to look out for and contact your GP or clinic. These include:

• prolonged fevers and sweats
• swollen glands
• significant, unintentional weight loss
• changes in your vision
• prolonged vomiting or diarrhoea
• significant amounts of blood in your faeces or vomit
• severe headaches.

In some situations, you should take immediate action (by going to your nearest Accident & Emergency department), including if:

• you have very severe stomach or chest pain
• you are having difficulty breathing
• you are feeling anxious or depressed, and thinking of harming or killing yourself.

Rarely, some anti-HIV drugs can cause severe allergic reactions. If you have recently started a new HIV treatment regimen, and you develop certain symptoms, you should contact your HIV clinic immediately, or A&E if out of hours. Your clinic will explain what to look out for, and you can find out more in NAM’s booklet Anti-HIV drugs.

If you don’t need an emergency appointment at your clinic, it’s a good idea to keep a record of the symptoms or side-effects you’ve experienced, so you can talk to your doctor about them at your next regular appointment.