Anti-retroviral medications have improved and lengthened the lives of many people with HIV during the past two decades. Although these medications have produced big benefits for patients, they can likewise cause significant side effects that span from mild to life-threatening. Some side effects need to be reported to the doctor immediately; medications should not be stopped, however, without speaking to a doctor first.
Hepatotoxicity
Liver damage, or hepatotoxicity, can be caused by hepatitis which is an inflammation of the liver or death of liver cells. Symptoms of this liver damage can include vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite and diarrhea. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, several classes of anti-HIV drugs have caused liver damage including non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and protease inhibitors.
Hyperglycemia
Hyperglycemia is a condition in which there is elevated blood glucose. While not the same as diabetes, it can worsen and eventually become diabetes. Symptoms of elevated blood sugar are frequent urination, excessive hunger or thirst and unexpected weight loss. Hyperglycemia and diabetes are side effects of protease inhibitors which are commonly prescribed to HIV patients, as reported by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Hyperlipidemia
Increased levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood are called hyperlipidemia. This condition can lead to heart disease and strokes; management includes weight control, a low-fat diet and exercise. There are no symptoms of hyperlipidemia, but the physician should check the patient's lipid levels before beginning any anti-HIV medication and monitor him periodically. Protease inhibitors can cause hyperlipidemia.
Lactic Acidosis
A life-threatening side effect of anti-HIV medications is lactic acidosis. This occurs when there is too much lactic acid in the blood and can lead to liver failure and sometimes death. Symptoms include shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting and an abnormal heart beat. Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors can cause this serious side effect, as noted on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website.
Lipodystrophy
Lipodystrophy is also called fat redistribution. In this condition, either fat wasting from the face or bottom or fat accumulation to the back of the neck, back or abdomen, occurs. This condition can be associated with other problems such as hyperlipidemia or hyperglycemia. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that this side effect may occur in HIV patients taking either protease inhibitors or nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and in some patients who are taking both at the same time.
Skin Rash
Anti-HIV medications can also cause skin rashes which can range from mild to severe. Some medications cause this skin rash within a few days to weeks and often the rash will go away after a few more weeks. If a patient notices a rash, however, the doctor should be contacted so it can be evaluated and monitored. Protease inhibitors, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors—all of which may be prescribed to manage HIV symptoms—can cause skin rashes, says the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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