Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date. I am a 54 year old female who had unprotected sex with an old boyfriend in January 2002. Three months later I was raped. I had not had sex for a year before that. In May I developed a cold that turned into pneumonia and did not response to Bactrium. By June I was hospitalized because dehydration due to the constant vomiting and diarrhea. While in the hospital I was finally diagnosed with CMV in the lungs, spleen and liver and HIV.
My first question is when was I infected? My doctor says that I was seroconverting at the time of my hospitalization. I began HARRT when my VL was 22000 and CD was 1000. My VL is now 1400 and CD is 1200 but because of the side effects we have stopped the drugs (I was losing up to 10 lbs pr wk) I continue to have night sweats, fatigue, low grade fevers,lack of appetite, weight loss, vomiting and diarrhea.
My second question is should I begin taking HARRT therapy despite the terrible side effects, and if I don't take any meds at all what is my life expectancy?
Thank you in advance for any information you can give me. I think what Aegis is doing is wonderful.
Ross Slotten, M.D.
Klein and Slotten Medical Associates
Private Practice in Family Medicine
With a special interest in HIV disease
You mention nothing about having been tested for HIV prior to last June; however, it does sound as though you were going through an HIV seroconversion reaction at that time. More than 6 months have passed, yet you continue to have disturbing symptoms. These symptoms are puzzling because your CD4 count and viral load are not suggestive of progressive HIV disease. Although you may be experiencing residual symptoms from the acute HIV infection, I wonder that you might be suffering from some other ailment. I presume that your physicians have done a thorough search for other types of problems, like tuberculosis, hepatitis C, etc.
Assuming that your physicians have ruled out other medical problems that can explain your present symptoms, it might be worth searching for a regimen of HIV medications that you can tolerate. A trial of such medications might be worthwhile, because if your symptoms are due to HIV infection, you should feel better.
Sincerely,
Ross
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