Zerit

Other Names: Stavudine

Commonly Prescribed for: Zerit is an antiviral drug that attempts to restrict human immunodeficiency virus (more commonly known as HIV) cells from reproducing and spreading throughout your body. By doing this it helps to keep up your immune system and allows your body to fight off infections and disease.

How to take it: The dosage of Zerit is based upon body weight. A patient weighing more than 60 kg should take 40mg twice daily with an interval of 12 hours between each dose and a patient who weighs less than 60 kg should take 30mg twice daily, again with a 12 hour interval. Zenit can come in two forms: capsules and oral solution.

How it Works: While Zerit does not cure HIV it does restrict its ability to spread and delay damage and loss of strength to your immune system which in turn will stop you from contracting other diseases and infections more easily. Stavudine affects what are called Reverse transcriptase, these are the elements that allow the HIV to reproduce more quickly. Stavudine prevents this from happening.

Some Side Effects: The side effects of using Zenit can range from serious to mild. Serious side effects include swelling of the throat and being unable to breathe properly. In these circumstances immediate medical attention must be sought. More milder side effects from Zerit include headaches, muscle pain, changes in location of body fat and a mild skin rash. Unless these effects become intolerable or last for a long time then no medical attention is generally required.