What medicines are used for HIV infection?

What medicines are used for HIV infection?
There are several kinds of medicines are used to fight HIV infection. The first kind is called nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase (say trans-krip-tase) inhibitors, or "nukes." When HIV infects a healthy cell, it needs the cell's DNA, or genetic instructions, to build copies of itself. These drugs act by blocking the HIV's ability to copy a cell's DNA. Without complete DNA, HIV can't make new virus copies. These medicines include the following:

* Abacavir
* Didanosine
* Emtricitabine
* Lamivudine
* Stavudine
* Tenofovir DF
* Zidovudine
* Combination of Abacavir, Lamivudine and Zidovudine
* Combination of Abacavir and Lamivudine
* Combination of Emtricitabine and Tenofovir DF
* Combination of Lamivudine and Zidovudine

The second kind of medicine is called a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor. These drugs also prevent HIV from using a healthy cell's DNA to make copies of itself, but in a slightly different way. This group includes the following medicines:

* Delavirdine
* Nevirapine
* Efavirenz
* Etravirine

The third kind of medicine is called protease (say pro-tee-ase) inhibitors. These medicines work by preventing infected cells from releasing HIV into the body. This group includes the following medicines:

* Amprenavir
* Atazanavir
* Darunavir
* Fosamprenavir
* Indinavir
* Nelfinavir
* Ritonavir
* Saquinavir
* Tipranavir
* The combination of Lopinavir and Ritonavir

The fourth kind of medicine is called a fusion inhibitor. This medicine works by preventing the entry of the HIV virus into your body's healthy cells. This medicine is injected by a doctor. This group includes the following medicines:

* Enfuvirtide
* Maraviroc

The last type of medicine is called an integrase inhibitor. This medicine works by disabling integrase. Integrase is a protein that HIV uses to insert its genetic material into the genetic material of CD4 cells. This group includes the following medicine:

* Raltegravir

The different kinds of medicines are often used together (in combination) to reduce the amount of HIV in the body.

When different drugs are combined with the purpose of reducing the amount of HIV in your blood to very low levels, the resulting treatment regimen is called highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Your doctor must watch you closely when you are being treated with these drugs to see how well they lower the amount of virus in your body. Your doctor also wants to make sure you aren't having side effects like nausea, vomiting, fatigue, anemia or peripheral neuropathy (a numb feeling in your hands or feet).