Where to find the inside scoop on anti-HIV drug side effects and recipes for overcoming them
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).
