AIDS and HIV Information
 

Treatments Available for the
Patient with HIV or AIDS


When a person is diagnosed with the HIV virus or AIDS, the first question a medical doctor is asked is, “what is the treatment?”  Treatment has come a long way since the discovery of this disease in the early 80’s.  There are now new drugs that attack the HIV infection.  Several drugs can be combined in what is know as a drug cocktail that will attack the HIV virus at several different points. 

There is a problem with combining drugs, there is a danger of the HIV virus becoming drug resistant and the those drugs may no longer be effective.

People with high levels of virus in the blood will progress more rapidly to AIDS.  It is not possible to totally rid the body of the HIV virus; the goal is to suppress the virus so it cannot destroy more CD4 cells.  This allows the immune system to stay stronger and allow it to fight off infections that would otherwise not be life threatening. 

There are many antiretro drugs on the market today.  There are at least four that are used most often in fighting the HIV virus.

1. Fusion inhibitors, such as Fuzeon
2. Nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors
3. Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors
4. Protease inhibitors

Some of the brand names for these various drugs are:  Retrovir, AZT, Videx, Zerit, Viread and Invirase.  Others that are commonly used are Combivir, Crixivan, Viracept, and Sustiva.  These are the most recognized names in AIDS treatment.

Did You Know? 

The best and most certain way of not getting HIV or AIDS is to avoid contact with body fluids from an infected person. Contact can occur during homosexual or heterosexual activity. Body fluids find an opening in the body and the infection is passed to another person.

The virus can get into the vagina, anus, mouth, and eyes. A person with an open cut or wound can allow the virus into their body. If you are in the medical profession, it is urgent you take precautions while handling patients. Gloves, masks, and goggles are necessary to protect from accidental infection of the HIV virus.

Research on the HIV virus and the disease of AIDS has been continuing since the early 1980’s. The epidemic is growing and scientists and researchers are constantly working on vaccines and new therapies for AIDS and other HIV associated conditions.

There are over 30 HIV vaccines that are being tested on humans, and there are many other drugs for HIV or AIDS related infections that are still being developed and tested by major laboratories. Researchers are still trying to trace how the disease progresses and how it damages the immune system.


The United States Food and Drug Administration has approved over 22 drugs for treating patients with the HIV or AIDS virus.  Included in these drugs are medications that also treat secondary infections that attack the body because of its compromised immune system.  The most common treatment method is with the use of active antiretroviral therapy or HAART.  It is a combination of inhibitors but it does have some side effects that are uncomfortable.  Side effects include nausea, and diarrhea.  There is also a danger of drug interaction with other common medications.  Fusion inhibitors are saved for patients who are infected with a drug resistant strain of HIV.



There are many treatment scams that prey on the vulnerability of AIDS patients.  Unscrupulous companies are bilking AIDS patients out of billions of dollars a year in their search for a cure.  The Federal Drug Association has formed a Health Fraud Task Force to look into these companies that are advertising “miracle” cures.  Some of the unapproved treatments are energized water treatment, ozone therapy, and hydrogen-peroxide treatments.  Companies hoping to capitalize on their desperation promise the AIDS patient remission and even cures. 

 

AIDS Facts

Keeping your body in the best physical shape and not putting yourself at risk, will help keep you from getting infected and developing AIDS.

Remain healthy, eat a healthy diet, exercise and get plenty of rest. If you know you are at risk, watch for the earliest signs and see a doctor immediately.


In addition to the medications approved for use in treating AIDS, some people should be treated with other medications if their CD4 count drops lower than 200 per cubic milliliter of blood. 

Research for treatments for the HIV and AIDS virus is ongoing.  Soon we hope there will be a substantial gain in treatment methods for this disease that has no cure.  Then we must have the means to get the treatment to the poorer countries of the world where AIDS has reached epidemic proportions.

 

 

Better Your Health

HIV and AIDS Information and Resources
◦ World Health Organization’s AIDS Staging
◦ History of AIDS Looking Closer at the HIV Virus and AIDS
◦ Living With HIV and AIDS
◦ Know the Basics about AIDS
◦ What are the Causes of AIDS
◦ Homeopathic Ways of Treating the AIDS Patient
◦ AIDS and the Nervous System
◦ Options If You Are HIV Positive
◦ The AIDS Patient and Opportunistic Infections
◦ Advanced Signs of the HIV Virus
◦ Tests For the HIV Virus
◦ Other Health Concerns For The AIDS Patient
◦ Prayer And Spirituality Used In The Treatment Of AIDS
◦ How To Prepare For Your AIDS Medical Appointment
◦ Aids and Viral Complications
◦ Parasitic Infections Common to HIV Patients
◦ AIDS Related Lymphoma
◦ Treating AIDS Related Lymphoma
◦ Serious Complications Associated With The HIV Virus
◦ White Blood Cells And AIDS
◦ Neurological Complications Associated with AIDS
◦ What To Do If You Think You Might Have Aids
◦ New Developments In AIDS Research
◦ Coping With Your AIDS Diagnosis
◦ The Symptoms of HIV Infection
◦ Education Is The Key To Stopping the AIDS Epidemic
◦ The Emphasis Must Be On Prevention for HIV and AIDS
◦ AIDS Medical Terms
◦ Take An Active Role In Your AIDS Medical Treatment
◦ Reducing The HIV Risk Factors
◦ Keeping A Positive Outlook For AIDS Patients
◦ Acupuncture To Relieve The Side Effects Of AIDS Treatment
◦ A Healthy Lifestyle Can Help You Treat AIDS
◦ AIDS Patients Are In It For Life
◦ Basic AIDS Information
◦ Do You Need To Let Everyone Know That You Are HIV Positive
◦ Important Vitamins and Minerals for a Person with HIV
◦ Treatments Available for the Patient with HIV or AIDS
◦ Ways You Cannot Get The HIV Virus
◦ Treatments Available for the HIV Positive Woman
◦ Understanding the Basics of HIV
◦ The United States AIDS Policy
◦ Treatment Guidelines for the AIDS Patient
◦ Treating Serious Illnesses in The AIDS Patient
◦ HIV Transmission
◦ How The HIV Virus Progresses
◦ The Fear the AIDS Stigma Brings
◦ I Tested Positive For the HIV Virus: What Now
◦ How To Tell Other People You Are HIV Positive
◦ Facts And Myths Regarding HIV Transmission
◦ Some Recent Advances In The Fight Against AIDS
◦ Preventive Measures You Can Take Concerning HIV Infection
◦ Dates In AIDS History
◦ The Impact of AIDS On MSM, Men Who Have Sex With Men
◦ Dealing With Malnutrition For The HIV Infected Person
◦ Know Your Personal HIV Risk Factors
◦ Keeping Yourself AIDS Free
◦ Are Condoms Effective As Protection Against AIDS Transmission
◦ Juicings Possible Benefits To The Person With HIV
◦ What Are The Initial Signs and Symptoms of HIV Infections
◦ AIDS Faqs
◦ Five Classes of Antiretroviral Drugs for Treating AIDS
◦ Dietary Needs And The HIV Patient
◦ Misconceptions About AIDS
◦ Oh No I have AIDS
◦ The Staggering AIDS Statistics
◦ Exercise May Boost Your Imune System
◦ Aids And The Toll On Families
◦ Immunization Needs For Adult AIDS Patients
◦ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome: The Basic Facts
◦ Is There A Silver Lining in The Cloud of AIDS
Site Map

Click Here to add this page to your favorites

 Only Health Topics