What kind of problems do antiretroviral drugs cause?
People with HIV must take complicated treatment regimens, often taking several drugs on a daily basis. Patients may forget to take their medicine, find the food restrictions difficult to deal with, and may experience unpleasant side effects. Aside from the complicated dosing regimens, antiretroviral drugs themselves may cause serious medical problems. Metabolic changes are occurring in people with chronic HIV infection. One of these changes causes HIV-associated lipodystrophy syndrome (HIV-LS). This condition results in abnormal fat distribution and cholesterol and glucose abnormalities. Gender and HIV infection itself can influence cell metabolism, making it difficult to distinguish adverse drug effects from the natural progression of the disease. Some anti-HIV drugs are toxic to mitochondria, the energy-producers in cells. Tissues that require high levels of energy, like muscles and nerves, are most susceptible to the affects of damaged mitochondria. A disrupted mitochondrial energy