What is Retrovir?

Retrovir is an antiviral drug used to treat HIV.  It is in a class of drugs called nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors.  It is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline and it was the first drug approved for the treatment of HIV.

How does Retrovir Work?

HIV infects the cells in the body and copies it’s genetic code into the cells DNA.  This programs the cell to created copies of HIV.  In order to do this HIV needs an enzyme called reverse transcriptase to convert it’s RNA into DNA.  Retrovir contains a faulty version of those building blocks, so the new DNA for the virus cannot be built correctly.  This prevents the cell from making any new viruses.

Does Retrovir cure HIV?

Retrovir is not a cure for HIV or AIDS.  Patients who use this drug may still get opportunistic infections (OI’s) or other conditions that happen with HIV infection.  OI’s develop because the immune system Is so weakened by HIV.  Some of the conditions common with HIV are pneumonia, herpes virus, and mycobacterium avium complex.  You should be in a doctor’s care while taking this medication.

Retrovir does not lower the risk of passing HIV to another person through sexual contact, sharing needles or being exposed to infected blood.

Is Retrovir right for you?

Anyone wanting to take Retrovir should consult a doctor to see if it is right for them.  Do not take Retrovir if you are allergic to any of its ingredients.

The active ingredient is zidovudine.  The inactive ingredients are: corn starch, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium starch glycolate, black iron oxide, dimethylpolysiloxane, gelatin, pharmaceutical shellac, soya lecithin, titanium dioxide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider?

Before taking Retrovir, inform your doctor if you have:

• Kidney or liver disease
• Hepatitis C
• Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
• Bone marrow suppression

It is not known if this medication will harm an unborn fetus.  Consult your doctor and inform them if you are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant.  It is important to treat HIV during pregnancy to reduce the chance of infecting the baby.  HIV positive mothers should also not breast feed their babies as they could pass the virus through infected breast milk.

Using Retrovir

Always take Retrovir exactly as your doctor directed you to.  This drug can be taken with or without food.  Do not stop taking or modify the dose of this drug without consulting your doctor.  For proper treatment of HIV and AIDS, most people are on more then one medication.  It is important not to miss a dose of your medication.  If you do miss a dose then take that dose right away, unless it is time for your next dose.  Then you can just skip the missed dose and take your next one.

Click this link to see Retrovir Side Effects.