Question:

I'm a 44 year old male and have been positive since about 1982. I was diagnosed in 1992. I was married at the time. My "ex" wife was and is negative. I have one son (now 14 and lives with me) who is also negative.

Here are my questions:

1. I have noticed that I have difficulty maintianing an erection. Could this be the result of taking HIV medications (Sustiva, Abacvir, Videx)? Any suggestions?

2. I did exibit symptoms related to lipodystrophy and had cosmetic surgery to remove the hump (excellent results) 1 year ago. But what about the gut & chin. Has it been shown that serious exercise can get rid of the pouch that has developed? And are there any durgs that can help with the disorder?

Answer provided by:

Douglas T. Dieterich, M. D.
Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Cabrini Medical Center
Assoc. Prof. of Medicine NYU School of Medicine

If you have lipodystrophy, Videx might be playing a role here--you should discuss this with your physician--and you should have your serum lactate checked ASAP. The meds, however, are unlikely to be causing the problem with erections. You should have your testosterone checked to see if that is low, which is quite common. If it is low, you can have it supplemented with good results. If is is high or high normal, then Viagra also works really well too! Exercise and diet are always good things, which will help a variety of ills.

Good luck!

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