Charlie Sheen revealed to Dr. Oz during a two-part special that aired Monday and Tuesday that he discontinued his medication and tried experimental treatments in Mexico in a desperate effort to combat his HIV diagnosis.
Sheen told Dr. Oz he was drawn to a new option because he was concerned with the “host of side effects” of the cocktail of medicines prescribed by his doctors.
“I got curious what I might feel like off of this stuff,” Sheen said. “And then if, what was being professed, if any part of it was true then I thought it was worth exploring.”
Sheen’s Los Angeles physician, Dr. Robert Huizenga, said he did not agree with Sheen’s decision to go experimental, but was pleased that the actor decided ultimately to continue to take his prescribed medications.
“Charlie, like other HIV positive persons, is thankful an amazingly effective treatment is available,” Dr. Huzienga told BuzzFeed News. “However, he does have some side effects and understandably wishes his disease was curable. He recently became enamored with the 'cure claims' of a Mexico-based alternative HIV researcher. He elected to give that approach a chance.... But after Charlie saw it was not working, he opted to immediately resume his HIV cocktail medicine that was originally prescribed."
Dr. Huizenga added “Patients frequently go against the doctor’s advice (i.e. Eating large quantities of simple carbohydrates, smoking, remaining sedentary). A doctor is an educator and advisor - the patient is the ultimate decision maker.”
Sheen also told Dr. Oz on the program that he was not shocked by his HIV diagnosis because he had a premonition when he was 28 that he would get AIDS.
“I always knew,” he said.
Since the diagnosis, Sheen has adapted a new healthy lifestyle and has even given up drinking. He said he now wants to dedicate his life to finding a cure for HIV.
“It’s an incredible weight that has been lifted,” Sheen told Dr. Oz about the sense of relief he felt after announcing to the world that he has HIV. “I only wished it would have done it sooner. …I quit drinking the next day after the piece with [Matt] Lauer. It just didn’t fit in.”