What Is Antiretroviral Therapy?
These drugs, when taken in a daily combination, suppress the virus by interfering with its ability to replicate in the body, and thereby significantly lower the amount of virus in your blood and body fluids.
- Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, which reduces your risk of becominginfected with HIVwhen taken every day
- Post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, which reduces your risk of becoming infected if you take it within 72 hours of being exposed to HIV
Different Types of Antiretroviral Drugs
- Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), such asRetrovir (zidovudine),Ziagen (abacavir), andEmtriva (emtricitabine), which block reverse transcriptase, an enzyme that the virus needs to copy itself
- Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), such asSustiva (efavirenz),Intelence (etravirine), andViramune (nevirapine), which bind to and alter reverse transcriptase
- CCR5 antagonists (also called entry inhibitors), such asSelzentry (maraviroc), which blocks CCR5, a receptor protein on the surface of CD4 cells (immune system cells) to which the virus binds in order to enter the cell
- Fusion inhibitors, such asFuzeon (enfuvirtide), which also block HIV's ability to enter CD4 cells
- Protease inhibitors, such asReyataz (atazanavir),Norvir (ritonavir), andAptivus (tipranavir), which block protease, an enzyme HIV needs in order to mature, replicate, and infect new CD4 cells
- Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs), such asTivicay (dolutegravir)andIsentress (raltegravir), which block integrase, an enzyme the virus uses to integrate its genetic material into its host cell's DNA
- Attachment inhibitors, such asRukobia (fostemsavir), which prevent HIV from entering CD4 cells
- Post-attachment inhibitors, such asTrogarzo (ibalizumab),which belong to the larger groups of drugs known as entry inhibitors
- Atripla (efavirenz, emtricitabine, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate)
- Biktarvy (bictegravir, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide)
- Cimduo (lamivudine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate)
- Complera (emtricitabine, rilpivirine, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate
- Descovy (emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide)
- Delstrigo (doravirine, lamivudine, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate)
- Evotaz (atazanavir sulfate and cobicistat)
- Genvoya (elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide)
- Juluca (dolutegravir and rilpivirine)
- Odefsey (emtricitabine, rilpivirine, and tenofovir alafenamide)
- Prezcobix (cobicistat and darunavir ethanolate)
- Stribild (elvitegravir cobicistat,恩曲他滨and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate
- Symfi (efavirenz, lamivudine, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate)
- Symfi Lo (efavirenz, lamivudine, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate)
- Triumeq (abacavir, dolutegravir, and lamivudine)
- Trizivir (abacavir, lamivudine, and zidovudine)
- Truvada (emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate)
Potential Side Effects of HIV Medication
They include:
- Headache and dizziness
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pain
- Nerve problems
- Rash
- Unusual fat loss or fat buildup (lipodystrophy)
- Insulin resistance
- Bone loss (osteoporosis)
- Lactic acidosis, a buildup of lactic acid in the bloodstream
- Swelling of the mouth or tongue
- Liver inflammation or damage
While some side effects may last just a few days, others can extend over a longer term. But it varies from person to person.
How to Avoid Possible Drug Interactions on ART
Be sure to discuss all the drugs and supplements you're taking with your doctor, because antiretroviral drugs can interact with a wide range of other medicines.
Certain drugs or supplements may compromise the efficacy of HIV medication. These include, but are not limited to:
- Acid-reducing agents andacid refluxmedication, includingantacids,proton pump inhibitors, and H2 antagonists
- Drugs and supplements that affect p-glycoprotein or the enzyme CYP3A4, such asSt. John's wort.
COVID-19 and HIV
艾滋病毒感染者应确保接种nd boosted againstCOVID-19, says the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, because of the increased risk of severe disease should they become infected.
RELATED:Everything You Need to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines
Additional reporting byDeborah Shapiro.
Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking
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- HIV Treatment.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). May 20, 2021.
- Newly Diagnosed With HIV.疾病预防控制中心. April 7, 2021.
- Protecting Others.疾病预防控制中心. May 20, 2021.
- FDA-Approved HIV Medicines.HIVInfo.NIH.gov. August 24, 2021.
- FDA Approves First Two-Drug Complete Regimen for HIV-infected Patients Who Have Never Received Antiretroviral Treatment.U.S. Food and Drug Administration. April 8, 2019.
- FDA Approves Cabenuva and Vocabria for the Treatment of HIV-1 Infection.U.S. Food and Drug Administration. January 27, 2021.
- Side Effects of HIV Medicines.HIVInfo.NIH.gov. August 23, 2021.
- Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Adults and Adolescents Living With HIV: Drug-Drug Interactions.ClinicalInfo.HIV.gov. June 3, 2021.
- Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Adults and Adolescents Living With HIV: Transgender People With HIV.ClinicalInfo.HIV.gov. December 18, 2019.
- HIV Testing, Prevention, and Care for Transgender.疾病预防控制中心. March 23, 2021.
- COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots.疾病预防控制中心. January 21, 2022.
- COVID-19 Vaccines for Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised People.疾病预防控制中心. January 7, 2022.
- What to Know About HIV and COVID-19.疾病预防控制中心. August 27, 2021.
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