Antiretroviral medication can cause side effects, just like any other medication. The side effects vary in severity and duration. They are often mild, but can sometimes be severe and have a big impact on the quality of life of the patients.

It is important that ARVs be taken every day of the patient’s life, if they miss a dose there is an increased chance of resistance against the drugs. Taking the drugs religiously is said to minimise the impact of side effects. There are different ways of lessening the harm, either by treating the side effect or by switching the dose of antiretroviral drugs.

Different types of ARVs may cause different side effects. Some cause psychological side effects while others cause physical discomfort. The effects of antiretroviral drugs vary from person to person, but pre-existing conditions of an HIV patient should also be considered. High blood pressure, for example, could increase the severity of side effects. Many people take ARVs for years without any problems, while others find the drugs intolerable.

Avert.com reports that “Some side effects appear shortly after starting an antiretroviral drug and disappear within a few weeks as the body gets used to the new chemicals. This is often the case with nausea, diarrhoea and headache, for example. Unfortunately other side effects - such as peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage) and lipodystrophy (fat redistribution) - tend to worsen over time and may never go away. Also some problems may not emerge until months or even years after treatment are started.”

When preparing to start the course of ARVs or when switching to a different drug, patients should familiarize themselves with the possible side effects in order to be properly prepared to deal with the effects as soon as they kick in. It is important the patients know how to spot warning signs of more serious side effects.

It can sometimes be difficult to identify the cause of a certain side effect, it could be the ailment that the patient is experiencing is from HIV itself, but other causes include opportunistic infections such as TB, or diet, stress and other medications. Patients must tell their doctors about any other medications they might be on, other than the ARVs which they will be taking and any other therapies that they are involved in.

There are several ways of dealing with side effects. The patient can wait for their health to improve and simply ignore the effects, especially if they have not been on the treatment for long. Their bodies need to get used to the chemicals. Patients could alter their other habits such as diet and smoking, change the time of day they take the drug, or take it with/without food. Alternatively, the patient could try treating the side effect or change one or more of their antiretroviral drugs.

According to Avert.com, “switching drugs is often an effective way to reduce or eliminate a side effect when all other approaches have failed. If the viral load is undetectable then it is usually possible to switch only one drug without affecting treatment effectiveness or future treatment options. Otherwise, the entire combination may have to be changed. Switching drugs is not without risks. It can be difficult to identify the cause of a particular set of symptoms, and it may turn out that the rejected drug or drugs weren’t to blame after all”.

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