Structured Treatment Interruptions
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Drug holidays (or "structured treatment interruptions") are intentional discontinuations of antiretroviral drug treatment.
Intermittent therapy was an experimental approach designed to reduce exposure to antiretroviral drugs in an effort to mitigate side-effects. Intermittent therapy differed from treatment interruptions in that it involved using a much shorter cycle of switching on and off the antiviral drugs. Studies of such approaches include schedules of week-on, week-off (also known as "wowo") and five-days-on, two-days-off (also known as "foto"), which skipped treatment on weekends. Intermittent therapy is ineffective and results in drug resistance.
Suppressing HIV is inadequate to restore normal immune function. HIV can damage the ability of the thymus to produce normally diverse T-cells. Also, rapid suppression of HIV and partial restoration of the immune system sometimes produces a dangerous hypersensitivity reaction, immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. Research continues in these areas.
With the exception of post exposure prophylaxis, current treatment guidelines do not call for the interruption of drug therapy once it has been initiated.
Read more about this topic: Management Of HIV/AIDS
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