Treatment of HIV/AIDS
There is no cure for HIV infection. However, treatment with anti-HIV medicines can reduce the amount of the virus in your body, slow down the effects of the virus and reduce your chances of developing a later, life-threatening infection. When used appropriately and taken properly, anti-HIV medicines can help you to stay well and live a full life.
HIV treatment is managed at specialist out-patient clinics and it's important to attend all your appointments. Your health professional will check how well your immune system is working and ask you about your general health at these appointments.
Usually, once the number of CD4 white blood cells has fallen to a low level, or if you become pregnant, your doctor will recommend starting treatment with medicines. You may also start treatment if you develop a serious infection or a condition linked to advanced HIV infection.
Medicines
Medicines used to treat HIV work in a number of different ways. For this reason, you will be asked to take a combination of different medicines together.
These medicines prevent the virus from reproducing in your body, which reduces the amount of virus in your blood. This allows your immune system to recover. Medicines also stop the virus from changing (mutating) when it reproduces. The aim of treatment is to reduce the amount of virus in your blood to very low levels.
You will probably take three medicines together, which are often combined into one or two pills taken once or twice daily. This is known as antiretroviral therapy, combination therapy, or HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy). Taking your medicines on time, every time is very important with medicines used to treat HIV infection. This is the best way of slowing down the virus and helping you to stay well.
There are several types of medicine. Combination therapies usually contain medicines from at least two different classes of drugs. Your doctor will work with you to choose the medicines that suit you best.
Always ask your doctor or specialist nurse for advice and read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine.
Side-effects
Side-effects are the unwanted effects of taking a medicine. If you have side-effects it's important to talk to your doctor, or the healthcare professional who prescribed your medicine, before you stop taking it.
You may develop side-effects in the first few months after you start your treatment. These usually get better after a few weeks. You may:
- feel sick or be sick
- have diarrhoea or wind (flatulence)
- feel tired and have aching muscles
- have a rash
- have trouble sleeping or bad dreams
- feel dizzy
These side-effects at the start of therapy may be very mild, and usually improve as your body gets used to the medicine.
Medicines can increase the amount of fat in your blood, which can increase your risk of heart disease. Certain medicines affect the kidneys or liver in some people.
If you have any side-effects during your treatment, your doctor or nurse will discuss the options for treatment or change to a new combination of HIV medicines.
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