Medications are the primary treatment for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Your health professional will usually prescribe a combination of several medications-this is sometimes called an anti-HIV cocktail-that keeps HIV from multiplying and helps keep the immune system healthy. The longer your immune system stays healthy, the more slowly HIV will progress to AIDS.
Medications used to treat HIV are called antiretrovirals, and several of these medications are combined for treatment called highly active antiretroviral therapy, or HAART. Using HAART reduces your risk of becoming drug-resistant. Drug resistance is more likely to develop in people who are treated with only one antiretroviral medication.
When choosing antiretroviral medications, your health professional will consider certain factors, such as whether your virus already had a drug resistance and whether you are able to tolerate medication side effects.
Medications also are used to prevent other illnesses that can occur with HIV as the result of a weakened immune system. Opportunistic infections, such as pneumonia, are types of illness that can develop when too many CD4+ cells are attacked and destroyed by HIV that the body can no longer fight off infection.
Medication Choices
Antiretroviral therapy
Medications that prevent HIV from multiplying are called antiretrovirals and include:
Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), also called nucleoside analogs, such as zidovudine (ZDV, formerly AZT) and stavudine (d4T). These medications are often combined for best results.
Nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), such as efavirenz, nevirapine, or delavirdine mesylate.
Nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors, such as tenofovir.
Protease inhibitors (PIs), such as saquinavir mesylate, ritonavir, indinavir sulfate, nelfinavir mesylate, amprenavir, or lopinavir/ritonavir.
Fusion inhibitors, such as enfuvirtide. This is a new class of drugs for treating HIV.
Other medications that may be used to treat HIV or AIDS-related conditions include:
Cytokines, such as interferon alfa-2a and interferon alfa-2b.
Hydroxyurea, which may interfere with HIV's ability to multiply.
Taking antiretroviral therapy for HIV
Treatment failure
If your viral load does not drop as expected, or your CD4+ cell count starts to fall, your health professional will try to determine why the treatment was not effective.
There are two main reasons for treatment failure:
The virus that causes HIV can become drug-resistant, which means the medication no longer effectively prevents the virus from multiplying or protects the immune system. Tests can determine whether drug resistance has occurred. Your health professional may need to change your antiretroviral medications.
The treatment plan was not followed precisely as prescribed. Taking several medications several times a day can be inconvenient. If you have difficulty following your medication schedule exactly as prescribed, let your health professional know. Some of the older medications (tenofovir, didanosine DC, efavirenz, lamivudine, and amprenavir when taken with ritonavir) and newer medications (atazanavir and emtricitabine) may be taken only once a day.
What To Think About
You will have frequent blood tests to monitor your CD4+ cell count and viral load while taking medications to treat HIV.
Should I start antiretroviral medications for asymptomatic HIV infection?
Following your medication regimen as prescribed can keep HIV from multiplying and will help prevent other infections. Taking your medications as prescribed also will help prevent drug resistance or problems that can limit future treatment options.
Your medication treatment plan may require you to take several doses of medications several times a day. The medications may have unpleasant side effects, which sometimes make you feel worse than you did before you started taking them.
Talk to your health professional if you decide you cannot or do not want to follow your medication treatment plan. Your health professional may be able to help you understand why the plan was specifically tailored for you or help you choose a different plan. Also, new medications have been approved that are taken only once a day. Your health professional can let you know whether one or more of these newer medications is right for you.
印度：数百万人携带HIV 鸣笛敲钟警惕艾滋
醋酸甲地孕酮与男性HIV感染者无菌性骨坏死有关
HIV & AIDS Overview
Protect the person with HIV from other infections
Home care for a person with HIV
HIV and pregnancy
Drug resistance and HIV
HIV Myths
HIV Risk Factors
HIV Infection