Hello

I'm in hiv therapy since 2/98. My vl is <50, T495. My current treatment is combivir and sustiva. I really don't have any complaints about this therapy (although the nightmares still occur) except that my eyes look always tired. (I sleep from 6 to 7 hrs per day.) I have these two eye bags underneath my eyes that never seem to disappear no matter how much I sleep. Is this related to the Sustiva? Is there something I can do about it? I exercise 3x week and drink plenty of water. I also tried some concealer (make up) but it didn't work. Thanks in advance for your advice.

JC

Interesting twist. It is possible that a lack of sleep could cause that appearance. You might try melatonin 3 mg, benadryl 25 mg, and several buffered aspirin at night to see if that helps you sleep more naturally. You might want to get a book like Home Remedies I or II to look at ways to help yourself sleep better before trying any sleeping pills (sometimes with Sustiva we use Ativan or trazadone or something like that). Keith Henry, M.D.