AIDS/HIV

Complete listing of the anti-virals carried by DoctorSolve

Mycobutin Rifibutin Yes, You Need A Prescription Click here for pricing options
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Sustiva Efavirenz Yes, You Need A Prescription Click here for pricing options
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Zerit Stavudine Yes, You Need A Prescription Click here for pricing options
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Introduction

HIV creates illness and problems by attacking the immune system. Other diseases and conditions may occur because of the weakened immune system or because of the long term affect of HIV on the body. Opportunistic Infections (also called AIDS defining illnesses) and toxicities or side effects related to anti-HIV drugs are some. While others are diseases and conditions that may happen to people with or without HIV.

The immune system can control many viruses but HIV targets and infects the same immune system cells that protect us from illnesses. These are a type of white blood cells called CD4 cells. HIV takes control of the CD4 cells, turning them into virus factories that produce thousands of viral copies. As the virus evolves, it damages or kills CD4 cells, therfore weakening the immune system.

If the immune system loses too many CD4 cells, the body is less able to fight off infection and can develop serious illnesses, cancers and neurological problems. Called opportunistic infections (OIs), they take advantage of the body's weakened defenses. OIs can lead to hospitalization and disability, and are responsible for most of the deaths in people with AIDS.

An HIV+ person with a CD4 cell count of 200 or less is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as someone with AIDS. If a person has HIV and one or more OIs (opportunistic infections), that person has AIDS. Even if the CD4 cell count goes back above 200 or an OI is successfully treated, a diagnosis of AIDS will still be made.

Take note, this does not necessarily mean that a person is sick or will get sick in the future. The government uses this as a system to keep track of people who have been diagnosed with AIDS.

Top 20 opportunistic infections

• Candidiasis of bronchi, trachea, or lungs
• Candidiasis, esophageal
• Cervical cancer, invasive
• Coccidioidomycosis, disseminated or extrapulmonary
• Cryptococcosis, extrapulmonary
• Cryptosporidiosis, chronic intestinal (greater than 1 month's duration)
• Cytomegalovirus disease (other than liver, spleen, or nodes)
• Cytomegalovirus retinitis (with loss of vision
• Encephalopathy, HIV-related
• Herpes simplex: chronic ulcer(s) (greater than 1 month's duration); or bronchitis, pneumonitis, or esophagitis
• Histoplasmosis, disseminated or extrapulmonary
• Isosporiasis, chronic intestinal (greater than 1 month's duration)
• Kaposi's sarcoma
• Lymphoma, Burkitt's (or equivalent term)
• Lymphoma, immunoblastic (or equivalent term)
• Lymphoma, primary, of brain
• Mycobacterium avium complex or M. kansasii, disseminated or extrapulmonary
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis, any site (pulmonary or extrapulmonary) Mycobacterium, other species or unidentified species, disseminated or extrapulmonary
• Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia
• Pneumonia, recurrent
• Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
• Salmonella septicemia, recurrent
• Toxoplasmosis of brain
• Wasting syndrome due to HIV

Preventing and Treating OIs