Do drugs used to treat HIV worsen damage thats already present from prior hepatitis infection?
Some drugs that work for HIV may also work to treat hepatitis B, so we use one regimen to treat both infections. On the other hand, patients who are co-infected with hepatitis C may experience problems when you put them on HIV medications, because the HIV medications and the hepatitis C do not mix well. The patient with hepatitis C already has some liver damage from the hepatitis, and when you start HIV medications, then the liver problems associated with HIV medications may make things a lot worse. Additionally, patients who are co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C tend to have a more rapid progression of their hepatitis. Are there other strategies for people at risk for liver toxicity? Yes, dose reductions—not only for people with liver disease but for any other chronic medical conditions—are necessary from time to time. With protease inhibitors particularly, sometimes we need to reduce the dose to compensate for liver deficiency. How often will HIV therapy be discontinued due to liv
