Combinations of antiretroviral nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and methods for their use in treating retroviral infections, are provided. In one embodiment, the combinations include non-thymidine nucleoside antiretroviral agents, such as tenofovir-DF, abacavir, APD and DAPD, that select for the K65R mutation and relatively low doses of zidovudine (AZT) or other thymidine nucleoside antiretroviral agents. The thymidine nucleoside antiretroviral agents retard development of the K65R mutation, and at the low doses, are less likely to produce side effects. In another embodiment, the combinations include DAPD and AZT. DAPD retards the development of TAMs, and AZT retards the development of the K65R mutation. In a third embodiment, the combinations include adenine, cytosine, thymidine, and guanine nucleoside antiviral agents, in further combination with at least one additional antiviral agent that works via a different mechanism than a nucleoside analog. This combination has the potential to eliminate the presence of HIV in an infected patient.