| What are "cocktails" in the context of treating HIV | | | | Intelence, caused simple disorders like rashes, nausea, |
| AIDS and how are they used? What are their side | | | | and abdominal pain, but still, it was only one of the |
| effects? If you know of someone with HIV/AIDS | | | | milder drugs in the make-up of the "cocktails." |
| and want to know more about the side effects of | | | | Even as a "one-two punch", the combination |
| using "cocktails" to treat HIV/AIDS, read on to learn | | | | "HAART'" (Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy) |
| more. | | | | treatment is not a cure for AIDS. There are reverse |
| When people started dying from AZT treatments, | | | | transcriptase inhibitors that most of the time make |
| many shied away from being treated at all. Then the | | | | up two drugs in the HAART treatment, and that |
| "cocktails" appeared, with some positive results. But | | | | restrain one of the enzymes that plays a crucial role |
| the results were only positive in as much as the | | | | in the early duplication process, in early stages of HIV |
| T-cell count rose, and the viral load lowered. But the | | | | infection. The drugs AZT, Virumune (nevirapine), and |
| patients, who didn't feel so bad before the | | | | protease inhibitors, pack a powerful punch, but don't |
| treatments, felt terrible while taking them. | | | | clear the infection. The "cocktail" DOES NOT cure |
| Some decided that the side effects of the "cocktails" | | | | AIDS. |
| weren't worth it, and after they stopped taking | | | | Doctors are concerned now that the protein inhibitors |
| them, began to feel much better. The side effects | | | | may actually cause permanent alteration of the fat |
| of the treatment soon became known as the | | | | metabolism. The weight re-distribution factor is |
| "Cocktail Hangover." | | | | already seen, as patients experience a thinning in the |
| The weight loss was another thing that caused some | | | | face and limbs. Then as those areas thin out, the |
| to discontinue the cocktails. The fusion inhibitors | | | | stomach, breasts, and neck swell up. Some of the |
| made many people take on a starved look, while the | | | | fat gets placed into the back of their shoulders, |
| body fat just melted away. This is called "fat | | | | causing what's known as a "buffalo hump". When |
| dystrophy". Once they quit the treatments, they | | | | these deposits appear in the belly, they call it "Crix |
| found they regained weight. It's like saying - it's not | | | | Belly." Named after "Crixivan," another drug used in |
| your condition that will kill you, but the cure. | | | | the war on AIDS. |
| Doctors always try to balance the relationship | | | | Many patients today, after all the confusing |
| between the benefits and the side effects of | | | | information and experience have just decided to do |
| treatment. But it seems that down through the | | | | their own research. They want to make up their own |
| years, many wrong diagnoses have been made. | | | | minds about whether or not to risk treatment. The |
| The cocktails contained a powerful combination of | | | | side effects of the cocktail may be worse than |
| drugs that were supposed to knock the AIDS virus | | | | where you are now. It's a hard decision that is totally |
| out. But the drugs contained in the "cocktails", | | | | in the hands of the individual. |
| wreaked havoc on people's bodies. One of the drugs, | | | | |