| There are many new HIV medications available | | | | treatment may not be suitable for everyone since |
| today. If you recall in the early 80's, the medical | | | | once the program is started you must continue with |
| world knew much less about AIDS then it does now. | | | | the treatment indefinitely. |
| To be an AIDS patient at that time in our history | | | | There are various types of prescription drugs which |
| was similar to receiving a death sentence. | | | | are presently used for this treatment. Usually the key |
| In those days Medical professionals literally had no | | | | to the drugs effectiveness is their ability to prevent |
| idea how as to how they should deal with the | | | | the HIV virus from replicating itself. This type of |
| disease. Today things have changed and our medical | | | | approach is known as anti-retroviral therapy. It only |
| arsenal is large and consists of many different | | | | stands to reason that different drugs will naturally |
| successful medications which have been proven to | | | | interrupt the HIV virus copying process in diverse |
| work effectively against the HIV virus which is the | | | | manners. |
| primary cause of AIDS. | | | | It is not unusual for many HIV positive patients to |
| If you are infected with the HIV virus but currently | | | | take a multiple combination of at least three different |
| do not have an all out AIDS problem then some of | | | | drugs. When taken in this manner the dose is known |
| the anti-viral medications may keep this disease from | | | | as a drug cocktail. These cocktails tend to fight off |
| advancing further. In the event that you do have the | | | | infections on several fronts at one time. A few of |
| active AIDS virus then it is likely that the medications | | | | the major drugs used at this point in time are listed |
| may prolong your life by improving your immune | | | | below. |
| system. | | | | The first of the drugs we will review are the fusion |
| Keep in mind that not anyone infected with HIV will | | | | inhibitors. When a person first contacts HIV, the HIV |
| need to take these medications as the drugs are | | | | will start to target the body's immune cells known as |
| usually accompanied with some significant side | | | | T lymphocyte. At this point the virus will bind with |
| effects. Doctors generally try not to prescribe these | | | | the CD4. Once this binding has been completed the |
| drugs unless they are absolutely necessary for the | | | | virus will next fuse with the cell's membrane |
| patient's welfare. | | | | ultimately releasing its genetic information. The fusion |
| Specific guidelines recommend that physicians only | | | | inhibitors attempt to block this fusion process. |
| consider prescribing medications to patients that have | | | | The second major drug type is the reverse |
| what is known as a CD4 count. This is a means of | | | | transcriptase inhibitors. Since the HIV virus is a |
| measuring specific immune cells. | | | | retrovirus its specific genetic material is a single |
| There is current evidence that shows that by | | | | stranded RNA and not a normal DNA. In order for it |
| starting the treatment earlier then what is currently | | | | to remain in our cells the virus will need to convert |
| recommended one can create a 70 percent increase | | | | the RNA into a useable DNA. For it to do this it uses |
| in long term survival status. Of course this early | | | | the reverse transcriptase enzyme. |