A Primer on Commonly Prescribed HIV Drugs
Many people with HIV disease are being treated with a number of different medications, including drug "cocktails" that combine several medications that often come with serious side effects. The following list of the most commonly prescribed drugs for HIV disease is provided by the The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s HIV/AIDS Treatment Information Service, which can be contacted at (800) 448-0440.
In addition to providing occupational health providers a primer on the drugs and their side effects, this list gives some insight into the complexity of how the drugs must be taken:
4 Delavirdine mesylate
Other common names: DLV, Rescriptor.
Usual dosage: Four 100-mg tablets, three times a day, with or without food.
Side effects: Rash, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, headache, and fatigue.
4 Didanosine
Other common names: ddI, Dideoxyinosine, Videx.
Usual dosage: two 100-mg tablets or one 100-mg tablet and one 25-mg tablet (depending on weight), every 12 hours, on an empty stomach.
Side effects: Pancreatitis, neuropathy, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea & vomiting, chills & fever, rash, headache, pain, and weakness.
4 Indinavir sulfate
Other common names: Crixivan, IDV.
Usual dosage: Two 400-mg capsules every eight hours, on an empty stomach, either one hour before or two hours after a meal. The patient must drink at least 1.5 liters of water a day.
Side effects: Nausea, abdominal pain, and kidney stones.
4 Lamivudine
Other common names: Epivir, 3TC.
Usual dosage: One 150-mg tablet two times a day.
Side effects when combined with zidovudine: Neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia.
4 Lamivudine/zidovudine combination
Other common names: Combivir.
Usual dosage: One tablet twice a day.
Side effects: Neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia.
4 Nelfinavir mesylate
Other common names: NFV, Viracept.
Usual dosage: Three 250-mg tablets three times a day taken with food at meal times.
Side effects: Diarrhea, nausea, flatulence, abdominal pain, weakness, and rash.
4 Nevirapine
Other common names: NVP, Viramune.
Usual dosage: One 200-mg tablet once a day for 14 days, followed by one 200-mg tablet twice a day.
Side effects: Rash, fever, nausea, and headache.
4 Ritonavir
Other common names: Norvir, RTV.
Usual dosage: Three 100-mg capsules two times a day, taken with food, and then increase by 100 mg twice a day up to six 100-mg capsules twice a day taken with meals.
Side effects: Weakness, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, circumoral and peripheral paresthesia, and taste perversion.
4 Saquinavir and Saquinavir mesylate
Other common names: SGC, HGC, Fortovase, Invirase.
Usual dosage for saquinavir: Six 200-mg capsules three times a day taken with a meal or up to two hours after a full meal.
Usual dosage for saquinavir mesylate: Three 200-mg capsules tree times a day within two hours of a high-calorie, high fat meal.
Side effects: Diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, and nausea.
4 Stavudine
Other common names: d4T, Zerit.
Usual dosage: One 40-mg or 30-mg capsule twice a day.
Side effects: Peripheral neuropathy, headache, chills and fever, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, muscle pain, insomnia, anorexia, allergic reaction, pancreatitis, and anemia.
4 Zalcitabine
Other common names: ddC, Dideoxycytidine, HIVID.
Usual dosage: One 0.75 mg table three times a day.
Side effects: Neuropathy, rashes, oral ulcers, pharyngitis, coughing, shortness of breath, bluish or purplish skin color, fever, and flu-like symptoms.
4 Zidovudine
Other common names: Azidothymidine, AZT, Retrovir, ZDV.
Usual dosage: Either two 100-mg capsules three times a day or one 300-mg capsule two times a day.
Side effects: Anemia, neutropenia, granulocytopenia, abnormal platelet count, nausea, headache, insomnia, muscle pain, and weakness.
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