Association of Adverse Drug Reactions to HAART with Alcohol Consumption, Herbal Medication and Co-Trimoxazole Prophylaxis among Patients Living with HIV/AIDS in FMC Makurdi, Nigeria

: The use of HAART for the treatment of HIV/AIDS infection, despite its success, has been reported to be accompanied by increased number of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) for which some risk factors such as age, gender, co-morbidities have been implicated. The association between alcohol consumption, herbal drug intake and use of co-trimoxazole and ADRs to HAART has not been documented much. The main objective of this study is to determine the association between alcohol consumption, herbal drug intake, use of co-trimoxazole and presentation of ADRs to HAART in HIV/AIDS patients in Makurdi where there’s high HIV infection, alcohol consumption and herbal use. It was a combination of prospective and retrospective study at FMC, Makurdi. We used clinical records of the patients and questionnaires for patients enrolled from January to October, 2019 and followed up for six months. The biodata, drug history including herbal medications and social life (use of alcohol) history were retrieved. A total number of three hundred and three (303) patients were recruited during the study period out of which two hundred and ten (210) patients were used. From a total of 210 patients, 144 (68. 6%) were females while sixty-six, 66 (31.4 %) were males. Of these, only 68(32.4%) patients took alcohol while 89 (42.4%) patients used herbal medications together with HAART regimen and 185(88.1) were on cotrimoxazole prophylaxis. 22 patients presented with ADR with peripheral neuropathy and insomnia being the commonest ADRs. 54.5% (majority) of the patients with ADRs took alcohol while 81.8% (majority) of the patients who developed ADRs were actually on herbal medications or co-trimoxazole. The p-value>0.05. Alcohol consumption, herbal medication use and co-trimoxazole prophylaxis in HIV/AIDS positive patients while on ARVs may increase ADRs to ARVs. Thus, HIV/AIDS patients should be discouraged from use of alcohol and herbal medication while on HAART.