Hello, I have been hiv+ since oct 1998 with no illnesses or treatment.This summer July 2001 I developed Itchy bumps on my back,face,neck.It was driving me crazy.If scratched thet get bloody and get scabs and look like welts.Found out my cd4 had dropped to 58 and viral load 250,00. Started taking BactrimDS and Trizivir. The bumps went away for the most part after 3 weeks of treatment. I had a reaction from the Trizivir and got really sick with 104 fever ect... Discontinued therapy for a week and felt much better. Now I'm taking Combivir with sustiva.Have been taking this combination for three weeks and doing ok on them. The problem is the itchy bumps have come back. Especially on my face and neck. Which looks horrible not to mention itchy and sometimes painful red spots. Sometime they are just white hard bumps until I scratch them. I suspect it is folliculitus os seborrheic dermatitis. What can I do to get rid of this problem? I can't even go out of the house with my face covered in red spots and welt like bumps. Can you help? Larry

Red itchy bumps can be a real nuisance and challenge. The two conditions you mentioned are common in this setting. It is often worthwhile to seek the help of an HIV knowledgeable dermatologist to sort out the proper diagnosis and treatment approach. The spectrum of treatments spans from use of local corticosteroid creams to anti-fungal agents to UV light treatment. Often flare-ups paradoxically occur when effective treatment starts due to immune recovery events. I would try to see a skin specialist as soon as possible. KH