Don’t worry—you don’t have to rely solely on the ant-sized-print package insert in your prescription for reliable info on side effects. Several organizations offer  websites, pamphlets, books and e-mail lists that can walk you through this tangled web—and offer up-to-the-minute tips on how other PWAs make their escape.

Books
The HIV Drug Book
by Project Inform
(Pocket Books/New York City), $18
Comprehensive, user-friendly coverage of drugs used by HIVers, including info on side effects and interactions.

Built to Survive!
A Comprehensive Guide to the Medical Use of Anabolic Steroids, Nutrition and Exercise for HIV+ Men and Women
by Michael Mooney and Nelson Vergel (Program for Wellness Restoration/Houston; Houston Buyers Club: 800.350.2392), $24.95. Check out the chapter called “Complementary Approaches to Treating Lipodystrophy.”

Websites
Direct Access Alternative Information Resources (DAAIR)
31 East 30th St., #2A
New York, NY 10016
888.951.5433
www.daair.org/DAAIR/MEMBINFO.NSF
Publishes the 70-page booklet Preventing and Managing Drug Side Effects and HIV Symptoms, and offers in-depth website info.

HIV/AIDS Treatment Information Service (ATIS)
hivatis.org/resoinfo.html
800.448.0440
Offers web and printed matter on many topics, including lipodystrophy, metabolic complications and drug interactions.

Houston Buyers Club
3400 Montrose Blvd., #610
Houston, TX 77006
800.350.2392
www.houstonbuyersclub.com
Publishes the booklet How to Manage Side Effects, which includes treatment info for diarrhea, nausea, muscle loss, flatulence, appetite loss and lipodystrophy.

New Mexico AIDS Education
and Training Center
UNM Health Sciences Center
School of Medicine, BRF 323
Albuquerque, NM 87131-5271
505.272.8443
www.aidsinfonet.org
Publishes bilingual (English and Spanish) fact sheets written for ninth-grade reading levels, including “Treatment—Side Effects.”

Project Inform
205 13th St., #2001
San Francisco, CA 94103-2461
800.822.7422
www.projectinform.org
Publishes the booklet Dealing With Drug Side Effects, which includes women-specific info. Other publications cover specific problems ranging from depression to diarrhea to lipodystrophy. Website has 200 entries under the keywords side effect. Hotline can answer questions.

The Body: Management of Side Effects and Symptoms Forum
www.thebody.com/cgi/sideeffectsans.html
This cyber forum addresses the management of drug side effects and symptoms of HIV disease, including a Q&A section hosted by three medical experts.

E-mail list
Lipidlist
To subscribe, send an e-mail to:
listproc@critpath.org; first line: subscribe LIPIDLIST; then first and last name.
E-mail list for people with AIDS to share info about symptoms and treatments of metabolic disorders such as lipodystrophy, body-shape changes and elevated blood fats (sponsored by Survive AIDS, formerly ACT UP/Golden Gate).