Forum on Fatigue and Anemia: anemia

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		anemia May 20, 2007 what kind of anemia problems does aids and hiv cause?


Advertisement Response from Dr. Frascino Hello, HIV-associated anemia can be related to a number of different underlying conditions. At times there may be more than one underlying condition working simultaneously to cause anemia. Common causes include: 1. Medication side effects or toxicities. AZT (Retrovir, Combivir, Trizivir) would be a classic example. AZT can suppress the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow leading to anemia. 2. Opportunistic infections. There are a number of HIV-associated opportunistic infections and malignancies that can cause anemia, such as TB, MAC, CMV and Parvovirus B19. 3. Nutritional deficiencies such as iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid. 4. HIV itself. Chronic infection with HIV can lead to "anemia of chronic disease," a condition caused by the virus itself. You can read about these and many other common (and not-so-common) causes of HIV-associated anemia in the archives. I wasn't quite sure if your question related to underlying causes of HIV-associated anemia or symptoms related to the condition. Regarding symptoms of HIV-associated anemia, they would be identical to anemia caused by or associated with any other condition. The symptoms of anemia can include fatigue, shortness of breath, rapid heart beat, headaches, exercise intolerance, decreased ability to concentrate and even decreased sex drive! You can read more about anemia-related symptoms in the archives. Dr. Bob Want to read more questions and answers on this subject? Our experts have answered many similar questions!

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