AIDS or HIV has no cure. If you are doubtful of your exposure to HIV, take post-exposure prophylaxis within 72 hours to stop infection. Doctors prescribe HIV drugs in different combinations to control the virus. This is HAART or highly active antiretroviral therapy.
Treatments and Medications for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
New York (USA), June 20, 2013
Treatments Options for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
If you are doubtful of your exposure to HIV, take PEP or post-exposure prophylaxis within seventy-two hours to stop infection. This treatment spread over four weeks causes serious side-effects like diarrhea, weakness, nausea, and fatigue.
Medications for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
HIV/AIDS has no cure. Doctors prescribe various HIV drugs in different combinations to control the virus. This is HAART or highly active antiretroviral therapy. Medications include:
NRTIs or nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors: These include combination drugs of lamivudine and zidovudine (Combivir) and emtricitabine and tenofovir (Truvada). These are flawed versions of specific proteins HIV requires to remain active.
NNRTI or Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors: These include etravirine (Intelence), efavirenz (Sustiva), and nevirapine (Viramune). These medicines disable specific protein HIV requires in order to multiply.
PIs or Protease inhibitors: HIV requires protease, another protein, to multiply in your blood. Protease inhibitors include darunavir (Prezista), atazanavir (Reyataz), ritonavir (Norvir) and fosamprenavir (Lexiva).
Integrase inhibitors: HIV requires a protein, integrase, to insert its genetic material into CD4 cells. Integrase inhibitors like Raltegravir (Isentress) disable integrase.
Entry or fusion inhibitors: These drugs disallow HIV from entering into CD4 cells. These include maraviroc (Selzentry) and enfuvirtide (Fuzeon).
HIV/AIDS Drug Specifications
Each class of HIV-drug blocks virus differently. Combining three drugs from two different classes is ideal to restrict HIV from creating strains that are immune to single drugs.
Dosage of HIV drugs is very rigid and strict. You should take specific pills at specific times of the day for the rest of your life. Certain metabolic and cardiovascular medications, contraceptives, medications for hepatitis C and tuberculosis may not work if you are on HIV drugs.
Common side effects include:
– Diarrhea
– Nausea or vomiting
– Breathlessness
– Skin rashes
– Abnormal heartbeats
– Weak bones
– Complete bone loss in hip joints
US Food and Drug Administration have very recently approved Fulyzaq (crofelemer 125 mg delayed-release tablets) as an anti-diarrheal medication to combat side effects of HIV/AIDS medications.
HIV Treatment and Pregnancy
All pregnant women with HIV should be treated with HAART irrespective of their CD4 cell count. Some medications are given intravenously during labor. If HIV viral load is high, caesarean delivery is better than vaginal delivery. Baby requires specific medications for six weeks after birth depending on mother’s medications and drug resistance.
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