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The
key to coping with side effects is knowing what to watch out for and
having a plan in place to respond if problems occur. Diarrhea
is one of the leading side effects that people suffer from who are
taking anti-retroviral medication. Aside from being annoying, the
biggest concern about diarrhea is that it can cause dehydration.
Women may experience a
different type or frequency in side effects compared to men. This
includes therapies not related to HIV. It may be due to differences in
the ways women’s bodies break down or store drugs. Women’s
hormones may also affect drugs, or it might be due to other unknown
differences.
Learn to recognize, monitor
and manage side effects should they arise. Often
simple solutions exist to lessen
many side effects. Current and available information about side
effects remains useful in guiding the ways women manage them. Here are
a few tips to consider when diarrhea occurs:
-
Drink
plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
-
Eat
small, frequent meals, and don’t skip meals.
-
Try
“soluble fiber” foods such as white rice, oatmeal, applesauce,
pears, and mashed potatoes.
-
Try
lactose –free products, or take lactase, the enzyme that allows
digestion of lactose.
-
Avoid
high-fiber foods such
as wheat bran, brown rice, and popcorn.
-
Avoid
greasy, fried foods.
-
To
replenish sodium and potassium, eat bananas, potatoes, fish and
meat; and drink apricot nectar, tomato juice, and sports drinks.
Sources
for this fact sheet was found in Project Inform Factsheet, reprinted
from AIDS Project Los Angeles “Positive Living” Article by Marcy
Fenton,MS RD and Jeffrey Bowan
This
fact sheet is produced by the Women Alive Treatment Education
& Advocacy program in cooperation with the Office of AIDS
Programs & Policy-Los Angeles County, Department of Health
Services.
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