Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date. Dear Ask the Doc,
I have had 2 bouts of PCP (Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia). The first bout was mild and I
recovered well. However, the second bout was very serious and my
doctor pronounced my prognosis "poor." That said, I managed to
pull through, went on to start HAART and the HIV virus has been
non-dectable for 5 years now.
My question is, does the chance for morbitity increase for patients who have suffered through multiple bouts of PCP such as myself?
I was told that once you have had PCP, you can rest assured that it will be the eventual cause of your death.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to answer this question.
I think that you have had a great recovery from very advanced HIV disease with HAART, and you should continue to do well. As long as your T cells remain high, you should not need to worry about the PCP coming back.
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