HIV Patients Told Not to Take 'Drug Vacations'

Nov. 30, 2006 — -- DON'T STOP THE HIV DRUGS HIV patients should not take breaks from their antiviral drugs or they may increase their risk of death, according to results from a large study of nearly 5,500 people published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Doctors had hoped that taking scheduled holidays from the antiviral medications could help stop resistance to the drugs, as well as minimize side effects and encourage people to stick to the overall medication regimen. But even scheduling the pill holidays for times when patients' immune systems looked strong did not work out -- patients who took breaks from their meds had a 2.6 times risk of infection or death compared to patients who did not take breaks.

MEDICATION LABELS CONFUSING Many people have trouble understanding directions on medication labels, researchers find in a study of 395 patients. In the study, almost half of the people misunderstood at least one of the five labels they were shown. The most common mistake was to misinterpret instructions to take two pills twice daily as just two pills a day, instead of the appropriate four pills each day. The study found that just being able to read the label was not a good predictor of whether the patients could understand the instructions. These findings were published online by the Annals of Internal Medicine.

ANTIDEPRESSANTS DURING PREGNANCY The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has released an opinion statement on the use of antidepressants during pregnancy. The organization says that it must be an individual decision between patient and doctor, but that when possible, women should avoid taking Paxil because it may be linked to more serious health effects for the baby. Overall, numerous studies have not found a link between antidepressants and birth defects, but some babies may be born with short-term complications like jitteriness and rapid breathing if they are exposed to antidepressants in the womb. However, because untreated depression can also cause serious health problems in the mother and the baby, expectant mothers should work with their doctors to weigh the benefits and the risks of antidepressants.