Why Charlie Sheen Temporarily Went Off His HIV Medication, ''Amazed'' That He's Still Alive

Actor opens up about his sickness

By Kendall Fisher Jan 11, 2016 10:35 PMTags

Charlie Sheen made some eye-opening and very personal revelations during his interview with Dr. Oz on Monday.

The 50-year-old actor opened up about his HIV diagnosis and the struggles he's faced in battling the disease. For example, why he made the decision to go off his medication for a little while.

"There's a host of side-effects that are manageable," Sheen told Dr. Oz. "I was just curious, as I think a lot of people are. You know, you ingest something every day, and you feel a certain way. I just got curious about what I might feel like off this stuff. And then, if what was being professed, if any part of it was true, then I thought it was worth exploring."

Meanwhile, Sheen also admitted that he regrets taking so long to do something about his disease once he was diagnosed.

"I'm amazed that I'm actually alive. But I beat myself up from time to time about why it took me so long once I knew that I was HIV positive to really start embracing the whole physical package and the whole psychological package about bettering myself," he tells Dr. Oz.

However, now that he's come out to the public about his battle, Sheen says he's dedicating his life to finding a cure for it. "I hope in my abilities to do something really positive with this," he said.

News of Sheen's diagnosis went public in November, and the actor decided to open up about his personal battle in an interview with Matt Lauer shortly thereafter.

"I have a responsibility now to better myself and to help a lot of other people," he told the host at the time. "And hopefully with what we're doing today, others may come forward and say, 'Thanks, Charlie. Thanks for kicking the door open.'"