Even though hydroxyurea does not attack HIV directly, it can make some anti-HIV drugs work better. Hydroxyurea works very well with the drug ddI and d4T. Researchers are studying how Hydroxyurea works with other anti-HIV drugs. But there are no absolute rules about when to start antiviral drugs. Others think that the strongest drugs should be saved until they are needed, later in the course of HIV disease. You and your doctor should consider your T-cell count, viral load, any symptoms you are having, and your attitude about taking HIV medications.
Some mutations can resist an antiviral drug and continue to multiply.
When this happens, the drug will stop working. This means that HIV can not develop resistance to Hydroxyurea. Taking hydroxyurea can slow down HIV mutations so that it takes much longer for resistance to develop to the other anti-HIV drugs you are taking. Hydroxyurea is available in 500 mg tablets. The most common doses studied have been 1 gram taken once a day, or 500 mg taken twice a day.