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AZT is a thymidine nucleoside analogue in which the 3'-hydroxy (-OH) group is replaced by an azido (-N3) group.
AZT or Zidovudine™ was the first drug approved for the treatment of AIDS. It is known as a nucleoside analog. The human body breaks down this type of drug into compounds that stop HIV from infecting uninfected cells in the body. Nucleoside analogs however, do not help cells that have already been infected with the virus.
AZT is used alone or together with zalcitabine (ddC), in the treatment of the infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV is the virus responsible for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). AZT is used to slow the progression of disease in patients infected with HIV who have advanced symptoms, early symptoms, or no symptoms at all. AZT also is used to help prevent pregnant women who have HIV from passing the virus to their babies during pregnancy and at birth.
AZT will not cure or prevent HIV infection or AIDS; however, it helps keep HIV from reproducing and appears to slow down the destruction of the immune system. This may help delay the development of problems usually related to AIDS or HIV disease. AZT will not keep you from spreading HIV to other people. People who receive AZT may continue to have the problems usually related to AIDS or HIV disease.
AZT may cause some serious side effects, including bone marrow problems. Symptoms of bone marrow problems include fever, chills, or sore throat; pale skin; and unusual tiredness or weakness. These problems may require blood transfusions or temporarily stopping treatment with AZT. Call your doctor if any new health problems or symptoms occur while you are taking AZT.
AZT is available only with your doctor's prescription, in the following dosage forms:
Oral:
Parenteral:
Before Using AZT
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For AZT, the following should be considered:
Allergies:
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to AZT. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.
Pregnancy:
AZT crosses the placenta. Studies in pregnant women have not been completed. However, AZT has been shown to decrease the chance of passing HIV to your baby during pregnancy and at birth. AZT has not been shown to cause birth defects in studies in rats and rabbits given AZT by mouth in doses many times larger than the human dose.
Breast-feeding:
It is not known whether AZT passes into the breast milk. However, if your baby does not have the AIDS virus, there is a chance that you could pass it to your baby by breast-feeding. Talk to your doctor first if you are thinking about breast-feeding your baby.
Children:
AZT can cause serious side effects in any patient. Therefore, it is especially important that you discuss with your child's doctor the good that AZT may do as well as the risks of using it. Your child must be carefully followed, and frequently seen, by the doctor while he or she is taking AZT.
Older adults:
AZT has not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it is not known whether it causes different side effects or problems in the elderly than it does in younger adults.
Other medicines:
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases 2 different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking AZT, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:
Other medical problems:
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of AZT. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
Proper Use of AZT
Patient information sheets about AZT are available. Read this information carefully.
AZT should be taken exactly as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. Also, do not stop taking AZT without checking with your doctor first.
AZT must be taken for its full time of treatment, even if you begin to feel better.
For patients using AZT SYRUP:
AZT works best when there is a constant amount in the blood. To help maintain a constant AZT level, do not miss any doses. If you need help in planning the best times to take your medicine, check with your health care professional.
Dosing:
The dose of AZT will be different for different patients. Be sure to follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of AZT.
If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to:
For the treatment of HIV infection:
For ORAL dosage forms (capsules and syrup):
For CAPSULE dosage form:
For INJECTION dosage form:
Missed dose:
If you do miss a dose of AZT, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
Storage:
To store AZT:
Precautions While Using AZT
It is extremely improtant for your doctor to check your progress at regular intervals. AZT may cause blood problems.
Never take any other mecications without frist checking with your doctor, doing so may increase the chance of side effects from AZT.
AZT may cause blood problems. These problems may result in a greater chance of certain infections and slow healing. Therefore, you should be careful when using regular toothbrushes, dental floss, and toothpicks not to damage your gums. Check with your medical doctor or dentist if you have any questions about proper oral hygiene (mouth care) during treatment.
HIV may be acquired from or spread to other people through infected body fluids, including blood, vaginal fluid, or semen. If you are HIV positive, it is best to avoid any sexual contact involving an exchange of bodily fluids with sexual partners. If you do indulge in sexual activity, always wear or have your partner wear a condom. Only use condoms made of latex, and use them every time you have vaginal, anal, or oral sex. The use of a spermicide (such as nonoxynol-9) may also help prevent transmission of HIV if it is not irritating to the vagina, rectum, or mouth. Spermicides have been shown to kill HIV in lab tests. Do not use oil-based jelly, cold cream, baby oil, or shortening as a lubricant -- these products can cause condoms to break. Lubricants without oil, such as K-Y JELLY, are recommended. Women may wish to carry their own condoms. Birth control pills and diaphragms will help protect against pregnancy, but they will not prevent someone from giving or getting the AIDS virus. If you are an IV drug user, get help to stop. Never share needles or equipment with anyone. In some cities, more than half of the drug users are infected, and sharing even 1 needle or syringe can spread the virus. If you have any questions about this, check with your health care professional. You can get information about needle exchange programs in the "Resources & Assistance" section of this web site.
Side Effects of AZT
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Call your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
More common
Rare
Other side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. However, check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your doctor.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Once a medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although this use is not included in product labeling, AZT is used in certain patients with the following medical condition:
Other than the above information, there is no additional information relating to proper use, precautions, or side effects for this use.
DISCLAIMER: The information about drugs featured by HIVpositive.us is general in nature and is intended for educational use. It does not cover all possible uses, actions, precautions, side effects, or interactions of any medicines, nor is the information intended as medical advice for individual problems or for making an evaluation as to the risks and benefits of taking a particular drug.
See "Full Disclaimer."
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