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Help for my brother
May 11, 2008

My brother was recently diagnoised with AIDS T-Cell Count is 32 and Viral Load is greater than 750,000; he is naive to treatment as he never confirmed his HIV status. He is experiencing 'mental' issues ... he doesn't sleep, he acts like 'rainman'...touches everything...is baby like...delusional..etc... he is currently in a hospice on a respite program for 30 days...he is 28 years ....being treated for pyschosis for the past 3 weeks...he is on an HIV cocktail but doesn't or can't swallow the pills consistantly... the medical DR. and Psychotrist have rulled out that this is soley a mental issue...maybe I am in denial...but in your opinions is their any hope...or treatment options...we are being told that hospice is the best place for him... my family thought that maybe we should try psychiatric treatment (institutionlized) to rule out a pshcosis issue for sure since the HIV virous effects don't necessarily show up on a brain scan...I guess we felt that once he started his HIV / AIDS cocktail that his mind would return to a normal state... Are there any statistics or case where someone with viral loads and T cell counts, and mental or dementia have return to a functional and heathier state?

Response from Dr. Horwath

Tour brother is clearly very ill. His immune system is very impaired. He may be suffering from delirium or dementia based on your description and hopefully his doctors have evaluated him for medical causes of his behavioral and mental changes.

He does not belong in a psychiatric institution. He is too medically ill and his mental condition is almost certainly due to his medical illness. If he is properly treated, there is hope for his recovery. I have seen quite a few patients with very advanced AIDS and very severe HIV associated dementia make dramatic recoveries. However, the process of recovery is slow and, of course, is not certain. He needs proper medical and nursing care, and he needs your support. But there is certainly reason to hope that he will return to a healthier & more functional state.



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