Considering alternative treatments. Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 6003, Rockville, MD 20849-6003. 800-458-5231 ext. 5023. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1995. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Considering alternative treatments. Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 6003, Rockville, MD 20849-6003. 800-458-5231 ext. 5023.

Treat Rev. 1995 Mar/Apr;(no 17):7. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE AIDS/95700324

Abstract: When considering alternative treatments for HIV infection it is important to first gather as much information on the treatment as possible. It was emphasized at the Fifth Annual Statewide HIV/AIDS Policy Conference that alternative medicine can be used to complement traditional medicine, such as helping the body handle some of the toxic side effects of AZT. There was skepticism about alternative medicines due to lack of knowledge and an unwillingness to learn about them. Patients need to communicate their interest in alternative practices with their doctors and request that their blood be closely monitored. Factors to consider when looking at alternative therapies are cost, convenience, and information availability and quality. Most alternative treatments have not been in clinical trials, therefore, information will need to be gathered through various sources, not just the company's sales pitch. One's doctor should be informed of the additional uses of alternative medicine so the doctor can look for interactions and positive/negative results.
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*THERAPY *Alternative Medicine Human HIV Infections/*THERAPY Physician-Patient Relations Zidovudine/ADVERSE EFFECTS NEWSLETTER ARTICLEKWDacquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome/KWDtherapyKWDalternativemedicinehumanhivinfections/KWDtherapyphysician-patientrelationszidovudine/adverseeffectsnewsletterarticle
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