All About AIDS Treatment

The treatment of AIDS is done with a combination of antiretroviral drugs that are normally offered free of charge by the public health system. These drugs fight the virus preventing the disease from progressing, but are not able to eliminate the virus from the body. In this way, it is still not possible to say that AIDS has a cure.

Despite this, it is important to carry out the treatment to reduce the viral load, increasing the time and improving the quality of life of the individual, since it reduces the risk of developing AIDS-related diseases, such as tuberculosis and pneumonia.

When Should Treatment Begin?

The treatment for AIDS should be initiated immediately in pregnant patients, or when the individual present in the blood tests the following values a viral load greater than 100,000 / ml or a rate of CD4 T lymphocytes less than 500 / mm³ of blood. In this way, it is possible to control the rate of viral replication and reduce the symptoms and complications of the disease.

If the antiretroviral treatment is started when the patient is at a more advanced stage of the disease, it is possible that it may cause an inflammation called Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (SIR). However, even if this situation occurs, therapy should be maintained and the doctor will evaluate whether to include the use of prednisone for one or two weeks to control inflammation.

How the Treatment is Performed

The treatment of AIDS is carried out with the use of antiretroviral drugs, which are usually offered by the health system. These medications are responsible for preventing the multiplication of the HIV virus, preventing the body from weakening. In addition to this, when the treatment is done correctly, it helps to improve the quality of life of the individual and decreases the probability of developing some AIDS-related diseases such as tuberculosis, skin, and heart diseases.

The public health system usually has a free HIV test to verify, at least 3 times a year, how the viral load is in the body. In this way, the doctor can know if the individual is responding well to the treatment or if it is necessary to adjust the dose.

Medicines used in the treatment of AIDS act in different ways that include preventing: virus replication; the entry of the virus into the cell; the integration of the genetic material of the virus with that of the person and; the production of new copies of the virus. The medications that are usually indicated are:

• Zidovudine;
• Didanosine;
• Zalcitabine;
• Lamivudine
• Tenofovir;
• Emtricitabine;
• Efavirenz
• Nevirapine
• Enfuvirtide;
• Raltegravir.

The drugs Stavudine and Indinavir used to be indicated to treat AIDS, however, their marketing was suspended due to a large number of adverse and toxic effects on the body.

Treatment is usually done with at least three medications, but it can vary according to the patient's general health and viral load. During the treatment of AIDS, it is possible that some individuals have renal, hepatic, or bone involvement, so the doctor may also indicate the use of other medications to control these diseases.

The treatment of AIDS in pregnancy can vary because some medications can cause malformations in the baby.

Food is also very important in the treatment of AIDS because it prevents chronic diseases, strengthens the immune system, and helps fight the side effects of antiretroviral therapy. See what you should eat to help treat AIDS.

Main Side Effects

Due to a large number of medications, treatment for AIDS can cause some side effects such as dizziness, vomiting, malaise, diarrhea, loss of appetite, headache, skin changes, and loss of fat throughout the body, for example.

These symptoms are more common at the beginning of the treatment and usually disappear with the passage of time, and whenever they arise you should notify your treating physician because it is possible to decrease the intensity by changing the medication for another or adjusting your dose.

Medications should be taken at the dose indicated by the doctor and at the same time every day, this in order to prevent the virus from strengthening and other associated diseases.

When Should you go to the Doctor Again?

After the first week of treatment, the patient should go to the doctor again to verify the reactions to the medications, and after this visit, he should return to the doctor once a month. When the disease stabilizes, the patient must return to the doctor every 6 months, performing semiannually or annually exams, which will depend on his state of health.