Thank you for answering my previous question on weight loss. I have read all on fatigue and hiv, you have mentioned that if labs indicate no physical cause psychological causes must be investigated. I too suffer from fatigue and weakness--I wonder is it not possible of all the changes going on in ones body with hiv, that it could not cause fatigue all by itself without causing any change in labs? Maybe I give up too easily I just figure so much is going on inside with the immune system fatigue is just something you have to learn to live with. thanks

Hi,

Yes, merely having a chronic viral infection can itself cause some degree of fatigue. However, fatigue in the setting of HIV disease is often multifactorial and the list of potential underlying causes is impressive. I would not suggest you simply accept your fatigue as caused solely by the virus until a very thorough evaluation has been performed. Read through the archives of this forum. There you will find testimonials discussing the common and not-so-common underlying causes of HIV-associated fatigue. Often fatigue is not something you merely have to endure, but rather something you can ameliorate by identifying and treating all the specific underlying conditions contributing to the fatigue problem.

Good luck.

Dr. Bob