Question:

I am an African male who was diagnosed six months ago. My CD4 cell count was 319 and about three months ago it had improved to 428. I am currently not on HIV meds but have been exercising a lot, eating correct & taking some immune support supplements (ie, Phytogard).

1. Are immune supplements not risky for an HIV+ individual?
2. Is going to the gym six days a week to much exercise?
3. What could be causing my skin (arms & neck) to itch every day at night before going to bed?

Looking forward to your response.

Answer provided by:

Octavio Vallejo, M.D., MPH
Faculty, UCLA Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center

Thanks for your questions! First of all, let me congratulate you, you are doing the best for you when your are taking care of your body in a comprehensive manner: adequate diet, exercise and I hope you are taking the time to rest, meditate and relax.

Responding to your questions:

1) There are several products in the market that claim to be immunemodulators or immune system enhancers, however since these products are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration; since they are only labeled as nutritional supplements, they don't have to demonstrate with scientific evidence of their claims. In short, I checked the product you mentioned and it only contains vitamins (A, B12) and minerals (selenium and Zinc) and n-acetyl cysteine and alpha lipoic acid. If you enhance your regular diet (vegetables, milk, eggs, grains etc) and have a regular vitamin supplement you might have the same results.

2) Going to the gym 6 times a week is good a long you are not exhausting yourself and overdoing resistance exercise (weight lifting). When doing resistance exercise you need to give time to your body to restore the muscle tissue.

3) In regards to the itch condition, I'll suggest to check with a doctor, the cause of the itch may be several conditions (including HIV) and they should diagnosed in the doctor's office with an adequate clinical examination. In the meantime I'll suggest to use hypoallergenic products for personal hygiene.

Thanks for your questions and keep the great job you are doing in keeping yourself healthy and please keep a close monitoring of your health with your doctor.

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