Though there are many medications available on the market, talking to your doctor to find out what's right for you. Listed below are some of the new and latest drugs out that are especially designed for the treatment of HIV/Aids.
Taking your medications at the right time of day is very important! Never stop taking your medication unless directed to do so by your doctor. There is no such thing as a "Drug Holiday," so called because some people feel like "What difference would stopping for a few days make." Well it makes a big difference! Discontinuing your medications may at first seem to work, but over time your body's T-cells start to loose their ability to fight. I think you will agree that IS a big difference.
HIV-AIDS Treatment Medications
1. Ziagen (abacavir sulfate)-which comes in a tablet or strawberry-banana flavored liquid. Ziagen only works when taken with a combination of other anti-HIV medications. Ziagen helps lower the amount of the HIV found in the blood. This helps to keep your immune system as healthy as possible so that it can fight infection. Ziagen can have some side effects including fever, Nausea, Tiredness, and Sore throat. To learn more about this drug and its side effects, you can go to www.ziagen.com.
2. Viracept (nelfinavir mesylate) - is a powerful HIV medicine known as a protease inhibitor, which is a type of drug that stops HIV from being able to reproduce in your body. When you take Viracept with other types of HIV meds, they work as a team to control the virus. Before you add this medication to your drug regiment consult your physician. Side effects include diarrhea (usually mild), abdominal pain, flatulence, and rashes. You can find more information on Viracept at www.viracept.com.
3. Sustiva (efavirenz) - Sustiva is taken once a day, in combination with other medications that your doctor has prescribed. Sustiva starts to work in two days. First, it helps to lower the amount of HIV in your blood. Then it helps to raise the number of CD4 cells in your body. By increasing your CD4 cell count, your immune system may work better to protect you from other infections. For more information on Sustiva you can go to www.sustiva.com.
4. Kaletra (lopinavir / ritonavir) - Kaletra is a combination of two medications, lopinavir and ritonavir. Kaletra is used in combination with other anti-HIV medications. HIV destroys CD4 (T-cells) which are important to the immune system. Kaletra reduces the amount of HIV in your blood and increases the number of T-cell. Reducing the amount of HIV in the blood reduces the chance of death or infection that happen when your immune system is weak .Kaletra does not cure HIV nor the AIDS virus!! Side effects include, skin rashes, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and possible headache. You can find more information on this drug at www.kaletra.com. .
5. Trizivir (abacavir sulfate + lamivudine + zidovudine) Trizivir contains three HIV medications in 1 tablet. Trizivir is taken twice daily once in the morning and again at night. The three medications that are in Trizivir work together to lower the amount of HIV in your body (viral load) and raise the number of CD4 cells (also know as T-cells). CD4 cells are white blood cells that help fight infection. Some known side effects are, fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tiredness, sore throat, and shortness of breath. For more information on this drug you can go to www.TRIZIVIR.com.
6. Combivir (lamivudine + zidovudine) Combivir contains two medications proven to help people with HIV live longer, healthier lives. Combivir is one tablet, taken twice a day, with or without food. Combivir is used in more patients and more major combination studies than any other HIV therapy. Combivir works by slowing down the replication of the HIV virus. This can reduce the virus' ability to infect to infect new cells. It may help lower the amount of the viral load in your body while increasing the amount of T-cell count. Side effects include diarrhea, nausea, headache, vomiting, rash, and pancreatitis. For more information about Combivir you can go to www.treatHIV.com.
Though this is a list of some of the latest drugs on the market, talk to your doctor about what treatment is right for you. If you have any questions about these and other drugs available or if you need information about a doctor please feel free to email us at chaps@rescueteam.com we will be more than happy to help anyway we can. Our goal at CHAPS is to replace myths with knowledge
