Dear Docs,

Ive been faithful to my regimen for a year since infection. (Trizivir) Never missed a dose, and though I do have side effects, I can seem to deal with most of them at this point in time. My big problem right now seems to be what I guess is water absorption. My mouth is always dry (especially in the mornings), my skin is always dry, and wellmy entire body feels dry in general. I do drink plenty of water, but Im guessing that Im not absorbing it. Also, I seem to have very frequent diarrhea.

CD4 was last 680 VL was last undetectable.

Is there anything I can do to fix this? Anything that doesnt involve adding more pills would be nice, but Ill do whatever I have to do.

Thanks, Brandon

Dry mouth and skin are common complaints in the general population so it is often hard to pin down blame on a drug. Your complaints of dryness are rarely associated with any of the three components of Trizivir (AZT, 3TC, or abacavir) with AZT perhaps being the most common. Other medical conditions (i.e. Sjogrens or salivary gland disease) or drugs (such as antihistamines and many antidepressants) can cause or aggravate the condition so a good general evaluation is recommended. There is no easy pill or treatment that fixes your complaint in most cases. KH