List of HIV/AIDS Medications

A wide range of medications are used to treat the various symptoms of HIV/AIDS and help get this disease under control. It should be noted, however, that none of these medications or treatments are a cure for the medical condition.

There are dozens of FDA approved medications for treating HIV/AIDS that fall under the antiviral classification, and there are other types as well. Let’s break down what some of these are and how they may be able to help you. Keep in mind that people react differently to these medications, so what works well for one person might be dangerous for someone else because of its side effects.

Most doctors will prescribe a combination of several antiviral drugs (labelled a cocktail) for best results. Be sure to adhere to your doctor’s dosing and prescription direction precisely. Any deviation with HIV medications can be very risky.

NNRTIs

These are known by the longer name Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors as well as the shorter non-nukes and include drugs like Efavirenz, Doravirine Rilpivirine, Etravirine, and Cabotegravir, to name a few. These are protein binders that prevent viral replication, making it impossible for HIV to spread through copying itself.

NRTIs

The longer version of their name is Nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors, and these include drugs like Emtriva, Ziagen, Zerit, Epivir, and Videx, as well as others. These medications stop HIV virus replication as well, utilizing erroneous building blocks to prevent HIV spread and hinder new copies of HIV cells from being formed.

Integrase Inhibitors

There are a number of inhibitors used to treat HIV/AIDS. Most of these are toxic to some degree and become more toxic with use. That means that they can usually on be used to treat the disease for a short while before other treatment methods need to be implemented.

Integrase Inhibitors are known sometimes as INSTIs, which stands for integrase strand transfer inhibitors. They prevent HIV from using proteins to prevent HIV from working its way inside normal cells in the body. INSTIs include Dolutegravir, Cabotegravir, Bictegravir, Raltegravir, and others.

CCR5 Antagonist

The HIV virus will try to work its way into the body’s healthy cells, establishing an attachment that helps it to hold on tight. This makes it hard for the immune system to force the virus out of the body like it normally would, and CCRF drugs like Selzentry will keep HIV from getting inside the cells at all. It protects healthy cells and uses a type of barrier action to block integration. HIV won’t be able to get its hooks in through the defense this drug puts up.

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis

Also known as PrEP, this drug is useful for protecting the body against HIV before a person comes into contact with the virus. They have to be taken daily without fail to be most effective. However, they are not a guaranteed method of preventing HIV infection, but they are quite effective.

Anyone who is taking PrEP drugs at the advice of their doctor will likely be told that they need to take additional precautions against HIV, like practicing safe sex or abstaining from sex entirely. They may also want to be careful about who they choose for sexual partners, getting tested before intercourse for extra safety.

Drugs that fall into this category include Descovy and Truvada, among others.

Combinations

While doctors will often prescribe combinations of several of the drugs already mentioned here, some medications combine two or more antiviral treatments in one. These are incredibly effective and give HIV sufferers a way to use just one medication to treat the disease. This simplifies medication and effectively fights the virus on multiple fronts.

Take Precautions to Protect Yourself

To minimize the risk of contracting HIV, you should not share needles or other medical apparatus that could transfer blood or other bodily fluids. Homosexual men are at high risk for contracting the virus, especially when compared to straight men and women. AIDS is most often transmitted sexually, but it can be contracted through any means that puts bodily fluids from one person into the bloodstream of another person.

If you think you might have contracted HIV/AIDS, you should get tested, though the virus may not be testable for up to 18 days after exposure.

This is a guest blog entry.