DomKen
Posts: 19457
Joined: 7/4/2004 From: Chicago, IL Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: MrRodgers quote:
ORIGINAL: thornhappy Hey MrRodgers, what was that about AZT not to be taken for AIDS?? AZT was a revolutionary treatment for AIDS (the first effective retroviral), and still is used in combination with another anti-retroviral, since it only slows HIV reproduction. AZT was first used in cancer treatment and discovered too toxic for short term use as chemotherapy, but...perfectly acceptable for long term use against HIV ? There are many significant and seriously debilitating side-effects to AZT. AZT is a small part of AIDS treatment as there is a cocktail of drugs for aids now. Magic Johnson for one well know celebrity, no longer takes AZT In reality AZT was developed when it was believed that all or most human cancers were caused by retroviruses. This is not the case so AZT is of very limited utility in treating cancer. However AIDS is caused by a retrovirus, HIV, so it was entirely reasonable to try AZT as a treatment for HIV infection. AZT is now given as part of HAART, highly active antiretroviral therapy, in lower doses than when it was given alone which results in fewer and less severe side effects. Originally dosing was 2400mg a day compared to only 600mg when given as part of HAART.
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