Herbs, supplements and HIV

January 2005     View PDF     En español

Vitamins, supplements and herbs have long been used by people with HIV to help manage the side effects of their therapies or improve their general health. In fact, studies suggest that almost 70% of people living with HIV and about half the general population use some form of complementary therapy. The most common ones are massage and acupuncture.

Unfortunately, not many of these have been studied in people with HIV. They have not been studied to see how they interact with common medications or whether they add to the overall benefits of anti-HIV therapy. Recently, several reports have questioned the safety of some of these therapies in HIV and other diseases.

The intent of this publication is not to discourage using complementary therapies, but rather to supply some food for thought when making decisions about using them. Promoters of supplements and herbs are often the first to criticize prescription drugs as the products of “big business.” However, supplements are themselves part of a huge industry—with annual sales of around $20 billion. This publication highlights some emerging concerns about using various therapies and addresses ways to limit the possible risks when using them.