Singing.Cowboy@f19.n104.z1.fidonet.org (Singing Cowboy) (04/10/90)
Anyone have any information on combining AZT with DDI?
I spoke to a friend in Calif. who has been taking both, and his T-cell count
rose from 400 to 800 in 3 months.
The theory is that both drugs attack the HIV from different directions, but I
wonder about possible side effects, etc. I am on AZT now, and tolerating it
well, except for being tired and cranky.
Thanks!
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Uucp: ...{gatech,ames,rutgers}!ncar!asuvax!stjhmc!104!19!Singing.Cowboy
Internet: Singing.Cowboy@f19.n104.z1.fidonet.orgdgreen@squid.cs.ucla.edu (Dan R. Greening) (04/10/90)
Singing.Cowboy@f19.n104.z1.fidonet.org (Singing Cowboy) writes: >Anyone have any information on combining AZT with DDI? > >I spoke to a friend in Calif. who has been taking both, and his T-cell count >rose from 400 to 800 in 3 months. > >The theory is that both drugs attack the HIV from different directions, but I >wonder about possible side effects, etc. The US Gov't is not currently running any trials combining DDI and AZT simultaneously. However, there is a trial which has a three-stage repeating cycle of AZT+Acyclovir (1 week) DDI (1 week) DDC (1 week) The trial has only been running for two months, and it is too early to tell how it is working. I know the trial hopes to mount a continuous attack on HIV, while decreasing the toxicity effects of any one drug. If you want further information, contact Laura Shay or Kathy Marcyzk at the National Cancer Institute: 301-496-8959. AZT, DDI, and DDC form a complementary family of drugs. They interfere (if I remember this right) with AIDS protein-synthesis by substituting for different critical amino-acids. DDI confers an increased risk of pancreatitus and peripheral neuropathy (pain and tingling in extremities). If you take DDI, you should be regularly monitored for increases in amylase. If there is a marked increase, you should be taken off the drug. Laura Shay at NCI told me that, as far as she knew, pancreatitus has only been seen at high doses of DDI. I don't know anything about DDC. Dan Greening | NY 914-784-7861 | 12 Foster Court dgreen@cs.ucla.edu | CA 213-825-2266 | Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520