my gf was diagnosed to be hiv + last november. since then she has been given retrovir medication by her doctor. please let me know the efficacy of this drug?

i dont seem to see any mention of this retrovir drug being used. is it outdated?

are there any newer n more effective drugs she can consider so that i may inform her and her doctor?

i am aware that in certain poorer countries, the medicine available may not be as updated as that found in the USA or European countries.

please answer as soon as possible as i honestly want her to live as long a life as she possibly can.

jac

Dear jac- Thanks for your question. Retrovir is the commercial name for zidovudine (ZDV or AZT). In general, it is not recommended to use ZDV as a single medication for the treatment of HIV. Certainly in the US and Western Europe, this single nucleoside drug regimen would not be used; but ZDV is certainly used in combination with 2 or more other medications with sucess.

I think that a key issue is where you live and the access to care and medications that are available to you and your friend. Discussions about the ways to combine HIV medications can be found elsewhere on TheBody. Please let us know how she does. -BY