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Ask the Expert Hot Topics
April 14, 2003

Check out these hot topics at The Body's Ask the Expert forums:
Forum on Switching/Stopping HIV Treatment I've been HIV positive for over 20 years. I'm taking Crixivan, Zerit and Epivir. I have bad lipodystrophy and worse neuropathy, but my CD4 count is 500 and my viral load is undetectable. Should I take a drug holiday or change my treatment? I was diagnosed with HIV last summer and decided to start treatment early. I've been on Sustiva and Combivir for eight months: My viral load went from 75,000 to undetectable in the first three months, and my CD4 has gone up from 630 to 954. I have the option of joining a structured treatment interruption study or sticking with therapy. Which would you choose? Forum on Lipodystrophy & Wasting How important is a body mass index in determining the extent of wasting syndrome? I am managing my facial fat loss through New Fill, but also have fat loss in my arms and legs. Will eating and exercising more stop this decline? Could rosiglitazone (a diabetes drug) help? My friend has severe wasting; he's gone from 125 lbs to 85 lbs. He's been on total parenteral nutrition (TPN) intravenously for about a month now, and his weight loss has stopped. What else can be done to help him gain his weight back? Forum on Nutrition & Exercise for HIVers My nutritionist tells me that vitamin supplements are too toxic to do any good, and that I should get all my nutrients from real food. I'm very confused. What should I think about this? Are there any advantages to taking daily doses of DHEA? Forum on Mental Health & HIV I was recently prescribed Klonopin (clonazepam) for an anxiety attack. At the same time I began a new Kaletra, Combivir and Viread regimen. After two weeks I began having some serious memory issues. I stopped the Klonopin, and my memory is getting better. How long will it take for the side effects to subside? Do you consider the mental health side effects of Sustiva to be enough of a concern to choose Viramune, even though Viramune may cause liver problems?		Forum on Starting Treatment A month ago I was diagnosed with HIV. My CD4 count is 330 and my viral load is 344,000. What are, in your opinion, the best med combinations to start with? I have a family history of heart problems and I am very concerned about my looks and fat loss. My first lab results since being diagnosed a month ago are in: CD4 176, viral load 176,500. My doctor wants me to start taking Trizivir. What do you think? Six weeks after being infected by my partner, I tested positive last May. After several consultations I chose to start Trizivir in hopes of preserving my immune system (I realize this is just a theory). I just read the latest study results showing Trizivir alone didn't work as well as Trizivir or Combivir with Sustiva. Did I make the wrong choice to start with Trizivir, even though my viral load is undetectable and my CD4 count is over 1,000? Forum on Safe Sex & HIV/STD Transmission Can two people with hepatitis B kiss, or will it make us sicker? Isn't it irresponsible for a doctor to recommend that someone with HIV who has a sore anus switch from the bottom to the top, because of the greater risk of infection for the receptive partner? Forum on Mixed-Status Relationships I'm negative and my boyfriend told me that he is positive. I live in Ireland where HIV is a taboo subject. We have been dating for about a month and decided that we would commit to each other. I'm scared, but I do want to be with him. Do you have any advice? Forum on Cancer, HPV and HIV Is there any correlation between oral cancer and HIV? Can HIV infection make the cancer worse? Are anal warts a good sign that a person has HIV? Off the Beaten Trail I was licked in the eyeball by a woman I was dancing with. Am I at risk for hepatitis? This summer in Mexico, I drank way too much tequila and was told the next day by someone that they found me in the bathroom with my head in the toilet. What if I ingested fluids from the toilet? I've already been tested for HIV but I'm still worried. Can hickies give you cancer? Can HIV develop through the "unnatural sexual lifestyle" that two males share?
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