Aids/HIV information, Symptoms, treatment

 
   Drug treatments used for HIV / AIDS may interact with drugs used to treat hemophilia. Some drugs may affect clotting time, and should not be used. Talk to your doctor or nearest hemophilia group to see if any drugs you are taking can harm your health. In particular, you should avoid Aspirin (ASA).

Many people with hemophilia, and some people who have had transfusions, may be infected with hepatitis C and should therefore consider the effect of any therapy on liver function. A hematologist and a hepatology specialist should be consulted.

   The treatments are now available that can both improve the quality of life of many children with HIV and increase their life span. Most of the same treatments used for adults are also used for children. AZT, ddI, AZT and 3TC with are the antivirals that have been approved for children, but studies are still ongoing.

Since normal T cell counts in children are different from those found in adults, different guidelines are used to decide when prophylaxis (preventive treatment) is necessary. Contact your local AIDS group to see if any pediatric (children’s) AIDS clinics are available in your area.

While you’re reading about treatments, keep in mind that these are only one part of your health care. Also, treatment information changes quickly, and new treatments become available. The information in this book is current as of the time of writing. Contact your nearest AIDS group or the Community AIDS Treatment Information Exchange’s HIV / AIDS Treatment Information Network to get updated information.

When your doctor (or any health professional) prescribes a treatment for you, it’s important to follow his or her prescribed dosage schedule as closely as possible. Make sure you understand how much of the treatment you’re supposed to take, and when. Ask if there are any side effects, and whether it can interact (react badly) with other treatments you’re taking.

Tell your doctor about any other medication (such as over-the-counter drugs) and any type of complementary therapy (such as herbs or supplements) you’re using. Street drugs can also interact with medications. It’s best to discuss this with your doctor.

    If you are asymptomatic, it seems that being pregnant will not cause you to develop AIDS faster. There’s no proof that pregnancy will cause you to develop symptoms. If you already have symptoms or have AIDS, pregnancy may cause health problems and lead to AIDS-related illnesses. While you are pregnant, your T4 cell count will drop. After your baby is delivered, your count may rise again slowly. Drugs may have an effect on how your fetus develops, especially during the first trimester (the first fourteen weeks) of pregnancy. Your doctor may advise you to avoid all drugs during this period. If you are pregnant and have a T4 count of less than 200, your doctor will suggest treatments to prevent PCP.

 It is advised by AIDS professionals that TMP / SMX, dapsone, and aerosolized pentamidine seem to be safe to use during pregnancy. Acyclovir may be used safely late in pregnancy (after your baby’s organs have formed completely). AZT can reduce the chance of passing on HIV to your baby. It seems to be safe to use after the first trimester.

   Not a lot is known about the effects of street drugs on HIV / AIDS or how those drugs will affect different treatments. A small amount of alcohol (one or two drinks a day) does not seem to increase damage to your immune system or cause you to get AIDS faster. However, drinking lots, or often, over a long period of time puts stress on your liver and other internal organs, which makes them less able to help your body use any medications you’re taking. Alcohol and drugs can make it harder for your body to absorb important vitamins and minerals, which can contribute to health problems.

Drug use increases the risk of getting bacterial infections such as bacterial pneumonia, sepsis (blood infection), and endocarditis (an inflammation of the heart). It might help to clean your skin with an alcohol swab before shooting up. Tuberculosis and hepatitis B are also major concerns for drug users. Also, it can be difficult to tell the difference between problems related to drug use and symptoms of some infections associated with AIDS. This may prevent the early diagnoses of some infections. Several important drug interactions (drugs reacting badly with each other) happen with methadone (a narcotic used to help people get off heroin). Rifampin and phenytoin (used for the treatment of seizures in patients with central nervous system infections) cause the elimination of methadone, which leads rapidly to withdrawal symptoms. This can be prevented by increasing your daily methadone doses. Because of the effects of some drugs and of alcohol on your body, you may want to think about the pros and cons of cutting down, switching drugs, or quitting. A worker at a detox centre or your nearest AIDS group may be able to help you choose which drugs are the most harmful and how to reduce or use them safely. Decisions about drug use are your own business.