What is anti-retroviral treatment?
Anti-retroviral
treatment (ART) is a
combination of medicines
that are given to someone
who is sick with Aids.
They fight HIV in the
body.
ART is not a cure for
AIDS. It helps make
your immune system stronger
so that you can be healthier.
It also helps your body
to fight off and prevent
illnesses such as pneumonia,
tuberculosis (TB) and
diarrhoea.
How
does ART help?
Only
some health centers
will offer the treatment.
Health workers need
to be properly trained
to be able to know
have to help people
who need ART.
What anti-retroviral
medicines (ARTs) will
I need to take?
-
There
are many different
ARVs, but none work
well on their own
-
They
work best when you
take three ARTs
together. This is
called a combination
-
The combination
you are given will
control the amount
of HIV in your body
by stopping it from
increasing in number
-
We
are learning more
about ARTs all the
time. This is a
good thing. New
information will
help scientists
to develop new medicines,
new and better
combinations
ARTs can have different
names
Here
are some examples of
names you may hear:
* ART medicines or Arts
* HAART or Highly Active
Anti-Retroviral Treatment
* Cocktail
* Triple therapy
* Combination therapy
Why
do ARTs have different
names?
Sometimes ARTs are called
by their generic name
(this starts with a
small letter)
Sometimes they are called
by the label name on
the box (this starts
with a big letter)
At other times they
are called by a short
name or abbreviation
Think of an example
like washing powder.
The name may be Omo,
Surf or Skip on the
outside (label name).
But on the inside, it
is the same thing -
washing powder (generic
name).
Combination
medicines (combination
therapy)
At
the moment there are
two possible combinations
available in Ethiopia
hospitals and clinics.
A doctor will decide
which combination will
be best for you.
1st line treatment
The first combination
of medicines you take
is called 1st line treatment.
For example, stavudine
(d4T) + lamivudine (3TC)
+ efavirenz (EFV) or
nevirapine (NVP)
Most people start with
this combination
If this combination
gives you bad side-effects,
or if it stops working
well, your doctor may
decide to change your
medicines
2nd line treatment
If the 1st line treatment
is not working, your
doctor may try a different
combination
This is called 2nd line
treatment. For example,
ziduvudine (AZT) + didanosine
(ddI) + lopinovir (LPV)
or ritonavir (r)
How
often will I have to
take ARTs?
You will have to take
these medicines once
or twice a day, every
day, for the rest of
your life. If you take
every pill at the right
time, it should stop
the virus from multiplying
or growing.
How
will I know if the ARVs
are working for me?
A health worker will
check whether the ARV
medicines are working
well for you by doing:
A CD4 count. This
test checks the number
of your CD4 cells. If
the ARV medicines are
working well, you will
have more CD4
cells to fight infection
in your body. This is
a sign that your immune
system is getting stronger.
If your CD4 count was
less than 50, it may
not go up very much
in the beginning, but
you will still feel
better
A viral load test. This
test checks if your
viral load is going
down until there is
so little HIV in the
blood that the test
can't find any virus.
If the ARV medicines
are working well, this
can happen in about
12 weeks. Remember,
ARVs cannot cure or
remove HIV from the
body completely even
if the blood test shows
that there is no virus.
If you stop taking ARVs,
the virus will start
to increase again in
the blood
An examination. A health
worker will examine
you to check your weight
and to see if there
are any changes in your
body and your health
If the ARV medicines
are working well, you
will see it in the following
ways:
1. You feel better and
will live a healthier
and longer life
2. You will be stronger
and have more energy
3. Your immune system
will be stronger
4. The HIV in your body
will stop multiplying
and growing
5. Your viral load will
drop
6. Your CD4 count will
go up
7. You won't get sick
as often as you did
before you went onto
ARVs
8. You will recover
from any problems you
have. These may be a
cough, thrush, a rash
or diarrhoea
9. If you lost weight,
you will put some weight
back on
10. If your appetite
was poor, it will improve,
and you will want to
eat more
Side-effects of ART
What do side-effects
mean?
All medicines are chemicals.
Sometimes they make
you feel unwell. This
is called the side-effects
of the medicines. Some
people complain of side-effects
when they start ART.
Will I have side-effects
from ARVs?
Most people have side-effects.
* Many side-effects
begin quite soon after
starting ART
* Many will go away
on their own after 2
or 3 months
* Most of the ones you
may get early on will
be mild and will settle
after a while or can
be easily controlled
* Some may get worse
and then the doctor
may have to change your
ARV medicines
DO NOT STOP TAKING YOUR MEDICINES. Talk to your health worker if you
find it hard to cope
with side-effects.
Learn about side-effects
If
you do have side-effects,
they can be very difficult
to get used to and to
cope with. You may worry
about what is happening
to your body when you
have side-effects
People
will have side-effects
in different ways. If
you have a low CV4 count
and weak immune system,
you will probably have
more side-effects than
someone who is healthy
One way to prepare yourself
to cope with side-effects,
is to learn more about
them
Join or form a support
group with other people
on ART and discuss ways
to deal with your side-effects
Questions to ask health
workers
What
are the possible side-effects
of the medicines I am
taking?
When will the side-effects
start?
How long will they last?
Will they go away by
themselves?
What should I do if
I have a side-effect?
How will I know if the
side-effect is serious?
What can I do to reduce
the impact of the side-effects?
What are some common
side-effects?
*
Dizziness
* Rash
* Headache
* Nausea and vomiting
* Not sleeping properly
* Bad dreams
* Feeling tired all
the time
* Sleepiness
* Confusion
If you experience side-effects
like these, make sure
you tell the health
worker.
It is important to find
out how serious the
side-effect is and to
do something about it
What SERIOUS side-effects
should I watch out for?
Some side-effects may be serious. They may be a sign that the ARV
medicines are not working
or are causing serious
damage to the body.
The health worker should
tell you what to watch
out for and what to
do.
Examples of these side-effects:
* A reddish skin rash
all over the body (arms,
legs, hands, feet)
* Bad pain in the middle
of the stomach
* Vomiting that doesn't
stop
* No appetite and weight
loss
* pain, burning or numbness
in the hands and feet
If you have any of these
side-effects, speak
to a health worker straight
away.
The
Right way to take ARV
It is important to take
ARV medicines in the
right way to prevent
resistance.
What is resistance?
Resistance
is when the ARV medicines
stop having an effect
on the amount of HIV
in your body. Your CD4
count will then drop,
and your viral load
will get higher.
Your body can develop
resistance because:
*
You haven't taken you
ARV medicines in the
right way
* You stopped taking
your medicines
Sometimes you body can
develop resistance even
if you have been taking
the medicines the right
way. This can happen
after you have been
on the same ARVs for
many years. It can also
happen if you were infected
with a type of HIV virus
that is resistant to
the medicines
Why is it important
to try to prevent resistance?
If your body develops resistance to certain ARV medicines, you will
have to try another
combination. It
can get harder to find
the right combination
to keep the HIV under
control if you develop
resistance.
What happens if I share
my medicines?
There
may be other people
in your household who
need treatment. If you
give them some of your
medicines, the
ART will not work for
you or for them. If
you don't take the right
dose, it makes the HIV
in your body stronger.
So even if you take
the treatment properly
the next time, it will
not work for you.
ART CENTERS IN AMHARA
