thanks for the great forums

I got diagnosed in february and have since started on combivir and efivirenz and a prophylactic Dapsone...before the diagnosis I had a lot of problems and an OI...I have now been "well" since february...my CD4 count has doubled and my VL come down to 65...I have however an ongoing skin problem...acne type an a very itchy skin in my face and scalp...I never had acne as a teenager...I am a male and 50 years old...I wonder if its the dapsone or any of the retrovirals or some other complication...any ideas?

Facial skin problems often flare when potent HIV therapy is started. It could be some sort of immune reconstitution phenomenon. Untreated HIV also has lots of skin manifestations-often drying with less oils which then improves (but cold flare up acne) on treatment. Once your CD4 count is > 200-250 the dapsone is often stopped. I get help from a user friendly dermatologist to sort out the exact nature of the problem and often come up with a satisfactory treatment specific to the person's condition. KH