After taking Serostim for about two weeks, I had an uncomfortable amount of abdominal bloating. My doctor gave me Lasix (furosemide), and for another two weeks I remained off the Serostim. Upon resuming the injections, the bloating became too uncomfortable to tolerate, and I stopped taking Serostim altogether. That was more than three weeks ago, and the swelling has not subsided. My navel has popped out, it is difficult to breathe sometimes, and a challenge to tie my shoes. Before all of this, I had a twenty-nine inch waist. Is there anything I can do? I look like I swallowed a basketball! Thanks, Chuck W

The symptoms you describe have been unusual in my experience with Serostim when used in HIV+ patients for either waisting or experimentally for increase abdominal/neck fat. Serostim has decreased deep (visceral) abdominal fat in trials using it for HIV-related liposytrophy. Serostim is expensive and has a fair number of side effects but rapid increase in abdominal size has not been observed very often. It can trigger aggravation in diabetes or triglyceride levels so I recommend a full examination by your HIV specialist to sort out what is going on. KH