AZT

Also indexed as: Apo-Zidovudine, Azidothymidine, Novo-AZT, Retrovir, ZDV, Zidovudine

Combination drug: Combivir

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AZT inhibits reproduction of retroviruses, including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV is considered the cause of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). AZT is one of a number of drugs used to treat HIV infection and AIDS.

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Summary of Interactions with Vitamins, Herbs, and Foods
In some cases, a herb or supplement may appear in more than one category, which may seem contradictory. For clarification, read the full article for details about the summarized interactions.

Beneficial May Be Beneficial: Depletion or interference—The medication may deplete or interfere with the absorption or function of the nutrient. Taking these nutrients may help replenish them.

Carnitine*

Copper

Vitamin B12
Beneficial May Be Beneficial: Side effect reduction/prevention—Taking these supplements may help reduce the likelihood and/or severity of a potential side effect caused by the medication.

Riboflavin
Beneficial May Be Beneficial: Supportive interaction—Taking these supplements may support or otherwise help your medication work better.

Thymopentin

Zinc
Check Check: Other—Before taking any of these supplements or eating any of these foods with your medication, read this article in full for details.

N-Acetyl Cysteine

Vitamin E
Reduced drug absorption/bioavailability

None known
Adverse interaction

None known
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An asterisk (*) next to an item in the summary indicates that the interaction is supported only by weak, fragmentary, and/or contradictory scientific evidence.

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Interactions with Dietary Supplements

General nutrition
Preliminary human research suggests AZT therapy may cause a reduction in copper and zinc blood levels. Animal studies suggest that vitamin E may improve the efficacy of AZT.1 The practical importance of these findings remains unclear.

Carnitine
Preliminary information suggests that muscle damage sometimes caused by AZT is at least partially due to depletion of carnitine in the muscles by the drug.2 It has been reported that most patients taking AZT have depleted carnitine levels that can be restored with carnitine supplementation (6 grams per day).3

N-acetyl cysteine
Animal research suggests that zinc and N-acetyl cysteine supplementation may protect against AZT toxicity.4 It is not known whether oral supplementation with these nutrients would have similar effects in people taking AZT.

Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 deficiency in HIV infected persons may be more common in those taking AZT.5 HIV infected people with low vitamin B12 levels were shown in one study to be more likely to develop blood-related side effects (particularly anaemia) from taking AZT.6

Riboflavin
Persons with AIDS have developed lactic acidosis and fatty liver while taking AZT and other drugs in its class. AZT can inhibit crucial DNA-related riboflavin activity, which may be normalized by riboflavin supplementation. A 46-year-old woman with AIDS and lactic acidosis received a single dose of 50 mg of riboflavin, after which her laboratory tests returned to normal and her lactic acidosis was completely resolved.7 More research is needed to confirm the value of riboflavin for preventing and treating this side effect.

Thymopentin
Thymopentin is a small protein that comes from a natural hormone in the body known as thymopoietin. This hormone stimulates production of the white blood cells known as T lymphocytes. Combination of thymopentin with AZT tended to decrease the rate at which HIV-infected persons progressed to AIDS.8 Thymopentin alone did not seem to have a benefit in this study. Since thymopentin is administered by injections into the skin, people should consult with a doctor as to the availability of this substance.

Zinc
A study found that adding 200 mg zinc per day to AZT treatment decreased the number of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and Candida infections in people with AIDS compared with people treated with AZT alone.9 The zinc also improved weight and CD4 cell levels. The amount of zinc used in this study was very high and should be combined with 1–2 mg of copper to reduce the risk of immune problems from the zinc long term.

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References
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