What Treatments Are There For Hiv Aids

Rash Related To Medication

While rash can be caused by HIV co-infections, it can also be caused by medication. Some drugs used to treat HIV or other conditions can cause a rash.

This type of rash usually appears within a week or 2 weeks of starting a new medication. Sometimes the rash will clear up on its own. If it doesnt, a change in medications may be needed.

Rash due to an allergic reaction to medication can be serious.

Other symptoms of an allergic reaction include:

• trouble breathing or swallowing
• dizziness
• fever

Stevens-Johnson syndrome is a rare allergic reaction to HIV medication. Symptoms include fever and swelling of the face and tongue. A blistering rash, which can involve the skin and mucous membranes, appears and spreads quickly.

When 30 percent of the skin is affected, its called toxic epidermal necrolysis, which is a life threatening condition. If this develops, emergency medical care is needed.

While rash can be linked with HIV or HIV medications, its important to keep in mind that rashes are common and can have many other causes.

What It Cannot Do

• Antiretroviral therapy does not cure HIV/AIDS. If an HIV-positive person stops taking their antiretriviral therapy, the virus will start reproducing in the body again and levels of the virus will rebound.
• Antiretroviral therapy can reduce the risk, but is not known to completely eliminate the risk of transmitting HIV to others.
• In some cases, antiretroviral therapy for HIV will not make a person feel better. An HIV-infected person who feels well and does not have symptoms of HIV might feel worse on antiretroviral therapy because of side effects, such as nausea or headaches. Nevertheless, it is important to keep in mind that antiretroviral therapy has many long term benefits for the health of an HIV-positive person, even if they are not yet experiencing symptoms or infections from HIV.

Start Treatment As Soon As Possible After Diagnosis

• HIV medicine is recommended for all people with HIV, regardless of how long theyve had the virus or how healthy they are.
• Talk to your health care provider about any medical conditions you may have or any other medicines you are taking.
• Let your health care provider know if you or your partner is pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant. They will determine the right type of HIV medicine that can help prevent transmitting HIV to your baby.

What if I delay treatment?

• HIV will continue to harm your immune system.
• This will put you at higher risk for developing AIDS. Learn more about AIDS and opportunistic infections.
• This will put you at higher risk for transmitting HIV to your sexual and injection partners.

What are the benefits of taking my HIV medicine every day as prescribed?

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When To Start Hiv Treatment

Its now recommended that everyone diagnosed with HIV starts treatment straight away after being diagnosed.

In the UK, national guidelines set out standards for HIV treatment. They currently recommend that anyone with HIV who is ready to commit to treatment should start it regardless of their CD4 count .

A Timeline Of Hiv And Aids

The HIV.gov Timeline reflects the history of the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic from the first reported cases in 1981 to the presentwhere advances in HIV prevention, care, and treatment offer hope for a long, healthy life to people who are living with, or at risk for, HIV and AIDS.

View a timeline of the current Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative. Please visit HIVHistory.org for a timeline of the global and domestic response to the HIV epidemic.

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Important Questions To Ask Your Doctor

Ask your doctor to tell you what you should know about your HIV medicines.

• What medicines am I taking to treat HIV?
• When should I take each medicine?
• Should I take my medicines with food?
• Which prescription medicines, herbs , over-the-counter medicines , or vitamins can affect my HIV medicines? Can my HIV medicines affect any of the other medicines I take?
• How should I store my HIV medicines? What about when I am away from home or go out of town?
• What are the side effects of the medicines I am taking?
• What should I do if I start having bad side effects?

New Types Of Hiv Medications

Delstrigo and Pifeltro are new HIV oral drugs that are suitable for individuals that have not been on antiretroviral treatment before. The drug will soon be available for consumers who are new to ARV therapy. It is not recommendable to use HIV drugs interchangeably since they can negatively impact on the health of the user.

The other issue is that no drug is perfect for each. Therefore, it is essential to provide both the patients and the physicians with options that allow them to suit their own needs. The new drugs were tested on over 700 patients, and they showed definite signs of reduced cholesterol levels.

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Can Tranquilize Reliance Be Dealt With

Indeed, drug reliance is treatable. Investigation into existing medication treatment programs and clinical practice has yielded an assortment of ways to deal with drug treatment. The U.S. Public Institute on Drug Abuse distinguished the accompanying standards of viable treatment:

No single treatment is proper for all people.

Treatment should be promptly accessible.

Effective treatment takes care of various requirements of the individual and not simply his/her chronic drug usage.

A singular’s treatment should be surveyed occasionally and changed to oblige his/her evolving needs.

Continuing with the treatment for a satisfactory timeframe is basic for the viability of treatment.

Dependent/Addicted or drug utilizing people with mental problems ought to be treated for both the issues in a coordinated way.

Medical detoxification is just one phase of therapy and without anyone else does pretty much nothing to change the drawn out drug use.

Drug treatment need not be intentional to be viable .

About The Michigan Medicine Hiv

In 1995, in response to the AIDS epidemic, Michigan Medicine established the HIV-AIDS Treatment Program . The HIV-AIDS Treatment Program offers both primary and specialized care to HIV-positive individuals. Investigational treatments are also available for interested and qualifying patients.

We provide complete care for the whole person through a multi-focused team approach that incorporates physical health care, mental health care, and psychosocial support. Our HATP team is made up of specialists who are solely dedicated to providing care for people living with HIV and AIDS including infectious diseases physicians, a psychiatrist, social workers, medical case managers, a nurse, medical assistants, and a dietician.

See What to Expect below to learn more about our approach.

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What You Can Do To Reduce Stigma

You can help reduce stigma by being respectful, compassionate and non-judgemental. Model this behaviour for others when you witness stigmatizing behaviours.

When talking about HIV, certain terms can be stigmatizing. Be thoughtful about the words you use when discussing the topic.

Learn more about the facts of HIV. Treatment can lower the amount of virus in a person’s blood to a level that’s too low to be measured on a standard blood test. This means it’s undetectable.

People living with HIV on treatment who maintain an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of transmitting HIV to their sexual partners.

Knowing and sharing these facts widely can help to reduce stigma. Share our Undetectable = Untransmittable infographic to help us raise awareness.

In addition, HIV is not transmitted through:

• healthy, unbroken skin

What Is An Undetectable Viral Load

The aim of HIV treatment is to make you undetectable. This means that your viral load is so low that it cant be detected by the tests used to measure it.

Different laboratories may have different cut off points when classifying an undetectable viral load. However, most clinics in the UK classify undetectable as being below 20 copies/ml.

When you’re on effective treatment and have an undetectable viral load, you cannot pass on the virus and HIV is not able to damage your immune system.

A large study called PARTNER looked at 888 gay and straight couples where one partner was HIV positive and one was HIV negative. Results found that where the HIV positive partner was on treatment and had an undetectable viral load, there were no cases of HIV transmission whether they had anal or vaginal sex without a condom.

A follow-up study PARTNER 2 also reported zero transmissions after almost 800 gay couples had sex more than 77,000 without condoms.

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If Treatment Does Not Work

Recovery from cancer is not always possible. If the cancer cannot be cured or controlled, the disease may be called advanced or terminal.

This diagnosis is stressful, and for many people, advanced cancer is difficult to discuss. However, it is important to have open and honest conversations with your health care team to express your feelings, preferences, and concerns. The health care team has special skills, experience, and knowledge to support patients and their families and is there to help. Making sure a person is physically comfortable, free from pain, and emotionally supported is extremely important.

People who have advanced cancer and who are expected to live less than 6 months may want to consider hospice care. Hospice care is designed to provide the best possible quality of life for people who are near the end of life. You and your family are encouraged to talk with the health care team about hospice care options, which include hospice care at home, a special hospice center, or other health care locations. Nursing care and special equipment can make staying at home a workable option for many families. Learn more about advanced cancer care planning.

After the death of a loved one, many people need support to help them cope with the loss. Learn more about grief and loss.

Risks And Side Effects

HIV medicines can sometimes cause side effects. Some side effects happen for a short time. Other side effects can cause long term health problems. Tell your healthcare provider about any side effects you are having. Do not stop taking your medicine without first talking to your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider may tell you tips to help you cope with the side effects. Your healthcare provider may also tell you to take different medicines.

• This page does not give the specific side effects and warnings for each HIV medicine.
• Talk to your healthcare provider about the side effects and warnings for the medicines you take.
• Check the FDA Web site to find more HIV medicine information.

My Regimen

It is important that you take your HIV medicines just as your healthcare provider tells you. Your medicines may not work if you skip a dose or do not stick to your schedule. Over time, you can get sick if you do not take your medicines as directed. Your HIV may become resistant to your medicines. This means your medicines could stop working and more HIV could build up in your body.

Here are some tips to help you remember when to take your HIV medicines.

• Use a schedule or planner.
• Set the alarm on your watch or phone.
• Use a pillbox to help you organize your pills.
• Ask a friend or family member to help you.

Chart to help you remember when to take your HIV medicine

IMPORTANT TIP

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Remission And The Chance Of Recurrence

A remission is when cancer cannot be detected in the body and there are no symptoms. This may also be called having no evidence of disease or NED.

A remission may be temporary or permanent. This uncertainty causes many people to worry that the cancer will come back. While many remissions are permanent, it is important to talk with your doctor about the possibility of the cancer returning. Understanding your risk of recurrence and the treatment options may help you feel more prepared if the cancer does return. Learn more about coping with the fear of recurrence.

If the cancer returns after the original treatment, it is called recurrent cancer. It may come back in the same place , nearby , or in another place .

When this occurs, a new cycle of testing will begin again to learn as much as possible about the recurrence. After this testing is done, you and your doctor will talk about the treatment options. Often the treatment plan will include the treatments described above, but they may be used in a different combination or given at a different pace. Your doctor may suggest clinical trials that are studying new ways to treat the specific type of recurrent cancer. Whichever treatment plan you choose, palliative care will be important for relieving symptoms and side effects.

Hiv And Aids Natural Treatments

According to research estimates, 35.3 million people were living with aids in the year 2012 alone. While that number has likely changed, the reality is that HIV is a worldwide health problem that requires pervasive treatment. While we dont have a newfangled herbal cure-all for you, we do have a few remedy suggestions, including apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, and bloodroot, that just may help you treat your infection and all but eliminate it naturally.

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Types Of Hiv Treatment

Over 25 anti-HIV drugs are now available, divided into six classes of drugs. Each class works against HIV in a particular way. The vast majority of people with HIV are put on a fixed dose combination pill.

Guidelines recommend several combinations, each best suited to specific health needs and lifestyle. The most important part of treatment is to take all your drugs in the right way at the right time, which is known as adherence.

The classes of anti-HIV drugs are:

• Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors .
• Nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors .
• Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors .
• Protease inhibitors .

Whats The Treatment For Hiv

Theres no cure for HIV, but there are treatments that help people with HIV live long, healthy lives. Antiretroviral therapy is a combination of medicines that slows down the effects of HIV in your body and can help you stay healthy for many years. It can also lower or even stop your chances of giving HIV to anyone else.

ART lowers the amount of HIV in your body sometimes to the point where HIV wont show up on standard blood tests. If your HIV viral load is so low that certain tests cant see it, its called undetectable. When someone has an undetectable viral load, they cant spread HIV to others during sex.

Its important to remember that even with an undetectable viral load, HIV is still present in your body. If you stop treatment your viral load can go up, making it possible to pass HIV to others you have sex with. Your doctor or nurse can help you find the treatment thats best for you to help keep your viral load low, so you can stay healthy.

Paying attention to your lifestyle can help you stay healthy too. This means eating well, getting enough sleep, exercising, learning how to deal with stress, and avoiding alcohol, smoking, and drugs.

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Who Is At Risk For Hiv

HIV can infect any person, no matter their age or gender or sexual preference. It is spread sexually, and by contact with infected blood, from mother to child during pregnancy, during childbirth, or through breast-feeding.

People have a higher risk of contracting HIV if they:

• Have sex. Even condoms dont provide 100% protection against HIV and the virus can enter your body through mouth sores following oral sex.
• Have a blood transfusion, especially in certain countries overseas. The risk in America is very small as hospitals and blood banks now screen the blood supply for HIV antibodies.
• Are pregnant and are HIV positive. Treatment for HIV during pregnancy significantly lowers the risk of passing on the infection to their babies
• Have a sexually transmitted infection . STIs act as a gateway to HIV infection because they compromise tissues or break the skin barrier in your genital area
• Are an uncircumcised man. Research has shown this increases the transmission of HIV.

HIV cannot be spread through hugging, kissing, dancing or shaking hands with someone who has the infection. It is also not spread through insect bites, air, or water.

What Causes Hiv/aids

As already mentioned, AIDS is caused by HIV virus and the transmission occurs through blood, semen, vaginal secretions, anal fluids and breast milk. The risk of transmission increases if you have unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse with an infected person or share needles with a person who is HIV positive and touch his or her open wounds. Transfusion of contaminated blood can also lead to this fatal condition while an infected mother can pass it on to the child at birth.

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How Is Hiv Treated

Basics

There are many treatments that can help people with HIV, and current treatments are very effective and safe. As a result, most people with HIV are living long and healthy lives. Treatment is recommended for everyone with HIV infection, and generally should be started as early as possible.

Medicines slow the growth of the virus or stop it from making copies of itself. Although these drugs don’t eliminate the virus from the body, they keep the amount of virus in the blood low. This protects the health of the person with HIV and also can prevent HIV from passing to sex partners.

The amount of virus in the blood is called the viral load, and it can be measured by a test.

There are several types of anti-HIV drugs. Each type attacks the virus in a specific way.

Pop question: True or false. HIV medicines eliminate virus from the body.

TrueFalse

Pop question: True or false. HIV medicines eliminate virus from the body.

Answer: FALSE. HIV drugs cannot eliminate HIV virus from the body, but they can reduce it to very, very low levels. The main goal of HIV drugs is to reduce viral load as much as possible for as long as possible.