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AIDS / HIV: complementary approaches
The herbs, supplements and therapies mentioned below can in no case replace medical treatment. They have all been tested as adjuvants, that is to say, in addition to the main treatment. People infected with HIV seek additional treatment for promote their general well-being, reduce the symptoms of the disease and combat the side effects of triple therapy. |
In support of and in addition to medical treatments | ||
Stress management. | ||
Physical exercise. | ||
Acupuncture, coenzyme Q10, homeopathy, glutamine, lentinan, melaleuca (essential oil), N-acetylcysteine. | ||
Stress management. Numerous studies indicate that using different stress management or relaxation techniques not only improves quality of life by reducing anxiety and stress and improving mood, but also has a positive impact on status. immune people living with HIV or AIDS4-8 . See our Stress and Anxiety file and our Body-mind approaches file.
AIDS / HIV: complementary approaches: understanding everything in 2 min
Physical exercise. Several studies indicate that physical activity in people with HIV gives positive results in several areas: quality of life, mood, stress management, resistance to exertion, weight gain, immunity9-12 .
Acupuncture. A few controlled studies have looked at the effects of acupuncture on people with HIV or AIDS.
The results of a trial involving 23 subjects infected with HIV and suffering from insomnia indicate that 2 acupuncture treatments per week for 5 weeks markedly improved the duration and quality of their treatment. sleep13.
In a study conducted by Chinese researchers, daily acupuncture treatment for 10 days reduced many of the symptoms in 36 hospitalized patients: fever (in 17 out of 36 patients), pain and numbness of the limbs (19/26), diarrhea (17/26) and night sweats .14.
In another trial conducted on 11 HIV-infected subjects, 2 acupuncture treatments per week for 3 weeks resulted in a slight improvement in health. quality of life in treated patients compared to patients who received a “fake treatment”15.
Notes. The risk of contracting HIV infection during acupuncture treatment is minimal, but it does exist. This is why patients should require their acupuncturist to use single-use (disposable) needles, a practice that professional associations or orders in some countries or provinces have made mandatory (this is the case of the Order of Acupuncturists of Quebec).
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Coenzyme Q10. Due to its action on cells responsible for immune activity in the body, coenzyme Q10 supplements have been used in various conditions where the immune system is weakened. Results from preliminary clinical studies indicate that taking 100 mg twice a day may help increase the immune response in people with AIDS16,17.
Glutamine. Many people living with HIV / AIDS experience significant weight loss (cachexia). Results from 2 double-blind, placebo-controlled studies in people with AIDS indicate glutamine may promote weight gain18,19.
Homeopathy. The authors of a systematic review20 published in 2005 found positive results from homeopathic treatments, such as an increase in the number of T lymphocytes, an increase in the percentage of body fat and a decrease in symptoms of stress.
Lentinane. Lentinan is a highly purified substance extracted from shiitake, a mushroom used in Traditional Chinese and Japanese Medicine. In 1998, American researchers administered lentinan to 98 AIDS patients in 2 clinical trials (phases I and II). Although the results did not allow the conclusion of a significant therapeutic effect, a slight improvement in the subjects’ immune defenses was still observed.21.
Melaleuca (Melaleuca alternifoli). The essential oil extracted from this plant could be useful against infection of the oral mucosa by the fungus Candida albicans (oral candidiasis or thrush). The results of a trial carried out on 27 AIDS patients suffering from thrush resistant to conventional treatment (fluconazole) indicate that a solution of melaleuca essential oil, with or without alcohol, made it possible to stop the infection or to prevent it. alleviate symptoms22.
N-acetylcysteine. AIDS causes a massive loss of sulfur compounds, and in particular glutathione (a powerful antioxidant produced by the body), which could be compensated for by taking N-acetylcysteine. The results of studies that have verified its effect on the immunological parameters of affected people are however mixed to date.23-29 .