About

Human Immunodeficiency Virus attacks the CD4 immune cells, which are the immune system cells. CD4 cells trigger the immune system to create antibodies in order to fight off infection. As HIV destroys the CD4 cells, the function of immune system is suppressed and the affected person is not able to defend infection. As HIV reduces the CD4 cells, in your body, the person is unable to defend from infection. The immunosuppressed patient develops illness, infection and ultimately, AIDS.

Treatment for AIDS

Treatment strategy for AIDS virus involves the following principles:

To have an effective drug that kills the HIV virus once it enters the body.
To create a vaccine that would prevent the disease.
To educate people worldwide about the dangers of AIDS and how to prevent the HIV infection.

On these principles current treatment against AIDS aims at:

Anti-HIV (also called antiretroviral) medications are used to control the reproduction of the virus and to slow the progression of HIV-related disease.
Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) is the recommended treatment for HIV infection.
HAART combines three or more anti-HIV medications in a daily regimen.
Anti-HIV medications do not cure HIV infection and individuals taking these medications can still transmit HIV to others.

Currently Approved Drugs for HIV

Protease Inhibitors (PIs)
Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs)
Non-nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs)
Fusion Inhibitors

Protease Inhibitors (PIs)

PIs disable protease, a protein that HIV needs to make more copies of itself.

Long term side effects of protease inhibitors: Change in blood sugar levels

Increase in blood fat levels
Deposition of fat in the abdomen and on the back of the shoulders.

Drug	Dosage	Side Effects
Invirase	Five 200 mg capsules of Invirase + one 100 mg of Norvir, twice a day.	Nausea, diarrhea, stomach discomfort, insominia, headache, increased liver enzyme levels. Invirase and Norvir should be taken with food, or within 2 hours after a meal.
Fortovase	Six 200 mg capsules, three times a day plus one 100 mg Norvir, twice daily.	Nausea, diarrhea, stomach discomfort, insominia, headache, increased liver enzyme levels.
Norvir/Ritonavir	Six 100mg capsules, twice a day.	Nausea, diarrhea, stomach discomfort, insominia, headache, increased liver enzyme levels, loss of appetite, oral tingling and numbness. Capsules should be stored in refrigerator, Used at lower doses to enhance other protease inhibitors.
Crixivan / Indinavir	Two 400 mg capsules, every 8 hours.	Kidney stones, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach discomfort, headache, insomnia, rash, back pain. Take on an empty stomach, drink atleast 8 glasses of water daily to prevent kidney stone formation.
Viracept / Nelfinavir	Five 250 mg tablets, twice a day.	Diarrhea, nausea, stomach discomfort, gas, rash, increased liver enzyme levels. Drug to be taken with meal.
Agenerase / Amprenavir	Eight 150 mg capsules, twice a day.	Rash, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, oral tingling and numbness. Drug can be taken with or without food, but avoid taking high-fat meals.
Kaletra / Lopinavir + Ritonavir	Three capsules, twice a day.	Diarrhea, nausea, feeling tired, headache, Pancreatitis.
Reyataz / Atazanavir	Two 200mg capsules, once a day.	Increased levels of bilirubin, headaches, pain in the arms and legs, nausea, diarrhea, rash. Should be taken with a light meal.
Lexiva / Fosamprenavir	Two 700 mg tablets, twice a day.	Rash, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting.

Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs)

NRTIs are faulty versions of building blocks that HIV needs to make more copies of itself. When HIV uses an NRTI instead of a normal building block, reproduction of the virus is stalled.

Long term side effects of NRTIs have been associated with damage to the mitochondria (the cell parts that provide energy to the cell). This damage may cause low red and white blood cell counts, muscle pain and wasting (particularly in the arms and legs), fatigue, peripheral neuropathy, and more rarely, serious liver (lactic acidosis) or pancreas problems.

Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs)

Drug	Dosage	Side Effects
Retrovir / AZT	One 300 mg tablet daily.	Nausea, stomach discomfort, headache, insomnia, muscle wasting, anemia, neutropenia (low white blood cell count). Medicine should be taken with food to reduce the stomach discomfort.
Epivir / 3TC	One 300 mg tablet daily.	Nausea Epivir is also taken for treatment of Hepatitis B virus, but with a different dosage.
Combivir / AZT + 3TC	One tablet (300 mg AZT + 150 mg 3TC).	Nausea, vomiting, headache, loss of appetite, fatigue, stomach discomfort, Muscle wasting, anemia (low blood cell count), neutropenia (low white blood cell count).
Trizivir / AZT + 3TC + Abacavir	One tablet (300 mg AZT + 150 mg 3TC + 300 mg Abacavir) twice daily.	Nausea, stomach discomfort, headache, insomnia, muscle wasting, anemia, neutropenia (low white blood cell count).
Ziagen / Abacavir	One 300 mg tablet twice daily.	Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, insomnia, serious allergic reactions in 3-5% of patients with one death. The signs include - fever, mailaise, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath, and rash.
Videx / ddl		Numbness, lingling, or pain in the hands or feet, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache and rash, Pancreatitis (inflammation of pancreas)
Zeritt / d4T	One 40 mg capsule, every 12 hours.	Numbness, tingling, or pain in the hands or feet, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, headache, rash, Pancreatitis, lactic acidosis.
HIVid / ddC	0.75 mg tablet, every 8 hours.	Numbness, tingling, or pain in the hands or feet, nausea, vomiting, mouth ulcers. Drug is to be taken in empty stomach.
Viread / tenofovir	One 300 mg tablet once a day.	Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, intestinal gas.
Emtriva / Emtricitabine	One 200 mg tablet daily.	Headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rash.

Fusion Inhibitors prevent HIV entry into cells.

Drug	Dosage	Side Effects
Fuzeon / T-20	Two 90 mg subcutaneous injections per day.	Skin reactions at the site of injection - itching, swelling, redness, pain or tenderness, hardened skin or bumps.

Non-nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs)

NNRTIs bind to and disable reverse transcriptase, a protein that HIV needs to make more copies of itself.

Drug	Dosage	Side Effects
Viramune / Nevirapine	One 200 mg tablet per day.	Rash, stomach upset, headaches, increased liver enzymes, rarely hepatitis.
Rescriptor/ Delaviridine	Two 200 mg tablet thrice a day.	Rash, hedache, fatigue, stomach upset, elevated liver enzymes.
Sustiva / Efavirinez	One 600 mg tablet per day.	Rash, drowsiness, insomnia, confusion, inability to concentrate, dizziness, vivid dreams, nausea, stomach discomfort, fever, elevated liver enzymes.