SIDE EFFECTS OF ARVS
This is a drug taken by an HIV positive person in order to reduce the amount of virus in the body. This can keep the virus from destroying the immune system it does not cure HIV/AIDS .Always taken according to the adherence of healthcare provider in order to avoid misuse of the drug.
Antiretroviral drug can cause side effects that can be severe or mild this can make some people to stop using them.
The effects include:
a) loss of appetite
This can be caused by drugs such as:
*Abacavir(Ziagen)
*Zidovudine
How to Manage:
-Eating several small meals per day instead of three large meals.
-Taking nutritional supplements to make sure the body gets enough vitamins and minerals
-Asking healthcare provider about taking an appetite stimulant.
b) Lipodystrophy
-It is a condition that causes people using antiretroviral drug to lose or gain fat in certain parts of the body. Drugs causing these include:
*The combinations of drugs from the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIS) and protease inhibitor class(PIC).
NRTIS
*Abacavir
*Stavadine
*Didamosine
*Tenofovir
PIC
*Atazanavir
*Indinavir
*Ritonavir
How to Manage lipodystrophy:
-Doing exercise which help reduce fat from whole body.
-Using an injectable drug called tesamoreline(Egrifta)which help reduce excess belly fat.
-Liposuction can remove fat in areas where it has collected.
c) Causes Diarrhea
-Drug causing this include:
*Protease inhibitors
*Nucleoside/Nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors
*Antibiotics
How to manage diarrhea:
-Eating fewer greasy,fatty,spicy and dairy foods including fried food and products that contain milk.
-Eating fewer foods that are higher in insoluble fiber such as raw vegetables, whole grain, cereals and nuts.
d) Causes fatigue
It is a side effect of HIV drug treatment, but it is a symptom HIV/AIDS.
Drugs that causes fatigue:
*Zidovudine
*Efarnenze
How to manage fatigue:
-Eating nutritious food to increase energy.
-Doing exercise often.
-Avoiding smoking and drinking alcohol
e) Causes higher than normal levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.
Drugs causing this:
*Stavudine
*Didanosine
*Efavirenz
*Indinavir
How to manage this:
-Avoiding smoking
-Get more exercise
-Reducing the amount of fat in the diet
-Eating fish and other foods that are higher in omega3fatty acids.
f) Causes Nausea and vomiting.
Almost all antiretroviral drug causes nausea and vomiting.
How to manage this:
-Eating bland food such as plain rice and crackers.
-Avoiding fatty spicy food.
-Eating meals when cold.
g) Causes skin rashes
Caused by drugs such as:
*Protease inhibitors
*Emtricitabine
*Rultegravir
*Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors,entravirine,ritpivirine,etavirenz.
How to manage rashes:
-Moisturizing the skin with lotion each day
-Using cool or lukewarm water rather than hot water in showers and baths.
-Wearing fabrics that breathe such as cotton.
h) Causes Hypersensitivity or allergic reactions such as fever, nausea and vomiting.
In conclusion various side effects, a healthcare provider might make sure that it is the medication and not another factor causing the symptoms. If the drug is to blame they might switch treatment to another antiretroviral drug. The milder side effects may go away as soon as the body get used to it. If it does not the healthcare provider may suggest changing the way the drug is taken for instance, they may recommend taking it after eating food instead of taking it with an empty stomach or at night instead of taking it in the morning.
Erick Komen Rotich
Antiretroviral drug can cause side effects that can be severe or mild this can make some people to stop using them.
The effects include:
a) loss of appetite
This can be caused by drugs such as:
*Abacavir(Ziagen)
*Zidovudine
How to Manage:
-Eating several small meals per day instead of three large meals.
-Taking nutritional supplements to make sure the body gets enough vitamins and minerals
-Asking healthcare provider about taking an appetite stimulant.
b) Lipodystrophy
-It is a condition that causes people using antiretroviral drug to lose or gain fat in certain parts of the body. Drugs causing these include:
*The combinations of drugs from the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIS) and protease inhibitor class(PIC).
NRTIS
*Abacavir
*Stavadine
*Didamosine
*Tenofovir
PIC
*Atazanavir
*Indinavir
*Ritonavir
How to Manage lipodystrophy:
-Doing exercise which help reduce fat from whole body.
-Using an injectable drug called tesamoreline(Egrifta)which help reduce excess belly fat.
-Liposuction can remove fat in areas where it has collected.
c) Causes Diarrhea
-Drug causing this include:
*Protease inhibitors
*Nucleoside/Nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors
*Antibiotics
How to manage diarrhea:
-Eating fewer greasy,fatty,spicy and dairy foods including fried food and products that contain milk.
-Eating fewer foods that are higher in insoluble fiber such as raw vegetables, whole grain, cereals and nuts.
d) Causes fatigue
It is a side effect of HIV drug treatment, but it is a symptom HIV/AIDS.
Drugs that causes fatigue:
*Zidovudine
*Efarnenze
How to manage fatigue:
-Eating nutritious food to increase energy.
-Doing exercise often.
-Avoiding smoking and drinking alcohol
e) Causes higher than normal levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.
Drugs causing this:
*Stavudine
*Didanosine
*Efavirenz
*Indinavir
How to manage this:
-Avoiding smoking
-Get more exercise
-Reducing the amount of fat in the diet
-Eating fish and other foods that are higher in omega3fatty acids.
f) Causes Nausea and vomiting.
Almost all antiretroviral drug causes nausea and vomiting.
How to manage this:
-Eating bland food such as plain rice and crackers.
-Avoiding fatty spicy food.
-Eating meals when cold.
g) Causes skin rashes
Caused by drugs such as:
*Protease inhibitors
*Emtricitabine
*Rultegravir
*Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors,entravirine,ritpivirine,etavirenz.
How to manage rashes:
-Moisturizing the skin with lotion each day
-Using cool or lukewarm water rather than hot water in showers and baths.
-Wearing fabrics that breathe such as cotton.
h) Causes Hypersensitivity or allergic reactions such as fever, nausea and vomiting.
In conclusion various side effects, a healthcare provider might make sure that it is the medication and not another factor causing the symptoms. If the drug is to blame they might switch treatment to another antiretroviral drug. The milder side effects may go away as soon as the body get used to it. If it does not the healthcare provider may suggest changing the way the drug is taken for instance, they may recommend taking it after eating food instead of taking it with an empty stomach or at night instead of taking it in the morning.
Erick Komen Rotich
Comments
Post a Comment