Forum on Managing Side Effects of HIV Treatment: Spider senses

Please Note: Due to volume considerations, not all questions can be answered. Questions most likely to be answered will be those of general interest to a broad group of visitors to this forum. Questions pertaining to a specific case; requests for diagnosis, medical advice, or second opinion; or requests for opinions about untested alternative therapies will generally not be answered.

This Forum is made possible in part by GlaxoSmithKline.

		Spider senses Apr 30, 2008 I just started my first round of meds a couple of weeks ago. I'm taking a mixture of Retonovir, Fosoprenavir and Truvada. I experienced my share of unfortunate side effects for the first week and have been feeling really great after that. The reason I'm writing is the one strange but persistent symptom I've been experiencing. Since I've been taking the meds I have an incredibly acute sense of smell. Any sort of perfumes or fragrances make me sick, and I'm pretty sure I could sniff out a truffle if I had to. Is that normal? I've asked a few other people on HIV meds and they hadn't ever heard of anything like this happening. Any information would be great! Thanks!


		Response from Dr. Henry I have had a few patients experience smell abnormalities like you describe that could be due to the ritonavir (in your case with fosamprenavir) that is well known to cause tongue/taste abnormalities that can cross over to effect smell sensations. Any reader with a similar experience is welcome to post their account. KH

Please remember that this forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not engaged through this forum in rendering legal or medical advice or professional services. Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither The Body nor any sponsor is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material.

Questions and messages posted to this forum are not statements of advice, opinion, or information of The Body, Body Health Resources Corporation or any sponsor of this forum. While neither The Body nor Body Health Resources Corporation regularly reviews posted content, we reserve the right to delete, move, or edit postings if we deem it appropriate under the circumstances. Visitors submitting questions remain solely responsible for the content of their messages.

Information provided by experts is general only and should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease, or relied upon as legal or other professional advice. This information is not a substitute for professional advice or care. If you have or suspect you may have a health or legal problem, you should consult your own health care provider or your attorney.

Copyright notice.

Our Mission and Team | Content Policy | Privacy Policy | Advertising and Sponsorship | Link to Us

The Body is a service of Body Health Resources Corporation, 250 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10107. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Body Health Resources Corporation, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your healthcare provider.