Side-effects of HIV/Drugs Long-term ·
Even HIV successfully treated with ARVs may create some long-term problems. People living with HIV are still more prone to certain cancers, such as Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, anal cancer and lung cancer. This is why regular health checks should be carried out at your clinic or by your GP. However, as with the short-term effects, you are more likely to encounter a long-term side effect of the drugs than a long-term effect of HIV.
Long-term side effects are different and vary from drug to drug. One of the most common side-effects is changes in body shape. This can include either facial wasting, loss of fat in the top of the legs and buttocks and/or fat accumulations around the stomach. These overall changes in body fat are commonly referred to as lipodystrophy.
These may be of great concern to anyone living with HIV. These side effects were not detrimental to the success of HIV therapy but certainly added to the stigma and isolation associated with HIV. However, they are becoming rarer as we stop using the drugs particularly associated with them, such as D4T (stavudine, Zerit) and to a lesser extent AZT (zidovudine – Retrovir, Combivir and Trizivir).
Another concern with some ARVs are increased lipid levels. Lipids are the fats that circulate in your blood and include cholesterol and triglycerides. It is well known that raised levels are a contributory factor to heart attacks and strokes.
Lipid rises tend to be associated with the use of some protease inhibitors. Not all of them cause these side effects, though some of the most effective ones do and you and your doctor will want to weigh up the possible risk of taking one of these drugs against its benefit. Risk will differ according to your age and lifestyle. If you are younger, take exercise and don’t smoke – raised lipids may be less concerning than if you’re older, don’t exercise and do smoke. Adjusting diet and lifestyle can make a difference to the risk of heart attacks, as do cholesterol-lowering drugs like statins.
Comment
Previous article: Side-effects of HIV Drugs: Serious/acute Next article: Other Long-term Side Effects
