I've been diagnosed with lactic acidosis. (28.2mg/dL) This was about 2 months ago. I went off meds, first time in 10 years against MD advice. My t-cells went into the toilet 400 to 180, and my viral load went from undetectable to 135,000. The level of acidosis remained unchanged. (I did feel great!) Now back on meds, my symptoms are increasing to such a point I am very worried about being able to continue working. Had to leave early today after throwing up all over the staff bathroom. I'm having increasing SOB, visual disturbances preceding head aches, (migraine type stuff, but not severe migraine headaches,) nausea, lack of appetite, etc. Took a course of riboflavin which didn't seem to do much. some friends suggest I should be immediately perfused with sodium bicarb, which, I guess, is the only treatment. What do you people suggest? Thank you. Larry

You don't mention much about you current or past HIV therapy which is a key part of how to best approach your situation. It is striking that the lactic acidosis didn't improve. I don't know what the normal range for lactic acid is for the lab that you use. Usually I would wait until the lactic acid is within the normal range before re-starting. High doses of vitamin B1, B2, vit C, vit E are being looked at as a means to minimize the problem but that is not yet proven to be safe/effective (also L-carnitine and co-enzyme Q). I would use a drug regimen that does not include D4T and try to minimize the NRTI class (non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors)--perhaps a dual protease regimen (with ritonavir etc.). In the face of documented high lactic acid levels and symptoms the best course would be to stop all possibly offending drugs and optimize you liver's health and fluid/electrolyte balance. Treating the HIV can wait-high lactic acid is a more immediately life threatening problem. KH