Hiv Facts And How It Attacks Your Immune System

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Get the Facts

When to Start Anti-HIV Medications

Terms Used in This Fact Sheet Antiretroviral: A medication that prevents a retrovirus, such as HIV, from making copies of itself. Anti-HIV medicationsare also called antiretrovirals. Antiretroviral therapy (ART): The recommended treatmentfor HIV. ART involves taking a combination of three or more anti-HIV medications from at least two different drug classes every day to control the virus. CD4 count: The number of CD4 cells in a sample of...

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Treatment for KS. Should I take chemotherapy or just rely on the fact that my immune system will improve?

I was diagnosed 7 weeks ago that I am HIV positive and that the small purple spots on my neck was KS. At that time my CD4 cell count was 143 and Viral load 438,080. After 5 weeks on medication my CD4 cell count went to 350 and my Viral load to 1300....

Response from Bruce Dezube, M.D.

Harvard Medical School

Your situation is actually not that uncommon. Both you are your physician are correct. Your immune system will improve, but this takes time. The improvement in your immune system will happen over the course of the next few months and continue... Read more »

HIV develops escape mutations to evade immune system

Hi Dr. Bob I just want to know your thoughts about this recent discovery. And also as a result of this discovery does that mean that HIV can possibly stay dormant (would Antibody test be unreliable diagnostic procedure? Here is the full article:...

Response from Robert J. Frascino, M.D.

The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation

Hi,The article you reference is a short review that discusses the genetics of HIV evolution. We have known for some time that HIV mutates (changes) fairly rapidly. That's how it manages to become resistant to so many of the antiretroviral... Read more »

Immune System Enhancement

Hello Bob, I'd like to start by appreciating the immense hope you're rendering to all HIV+ patients and their close ones. My younger sister has been diagnosed HIV+ earlier this month and she has a current CD4 count of 665. Here in...

Response from Robert J. Frascino, M.D.

The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation

Hello Sam,Thank you for your very kind comments. They are warmly appreciated. I'm sorry to hear about your sister's recent diagnosis.Regarding over-the-counter drugs or foodstuffs to keep the CD4 count high, unfortunately there are none.... Read more »

Symptoms of HIV versus Diabetes: Immune System Integrity

Hi Dr. Bob,Could my constant worrying/fear have weakened my immune system to the point for me to have this bout of flat warts on my hands? I've had them for over 4 months now and they don't look as if they are going away.Given my...

Response from Robert J. Frascino, M.D.

The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation

Hi Francophobe,Back again?"Could my constant worrying/fear have weakened my immune system to the point for me to have this bout of flat warts on my hands?" Nope!"Given my predisposition for being a very high-strung guy, always full of... Read more »

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The immune system

Posted by Anonymous, 1 Reply

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The immune system may be able to come back more powerfully than anyone thought after a break in treatment with AIDS drugs, researchers said Wednesday.

They said in patients who had decided to interrupt their complex HIV drug... Read more »

More on the two immune system stuff

Posted by Anonymous, 1 Reply

Again, the below gospel is plagerized from Gallant.

This may be a dumb question -- but I would sincerely appreciate an answer

If AIDS is a breakdown of the immune system, why don't people with AIDS get
colds all the time? Why... Read more »

Stuff from web re. immune system a seroconversion

Posted by Anonymous, 1 Reply

I noticed that several people had been asking for information regarding the idea that an impaired immune system would explain seroconversion after 3 months or longer. Here is one post taken from Dr. Holodniy's site. I have seen several other... Read more »

Key facts about HIV/AIDS - Note Last Item

Posted by ScotCharles, 1 Reply

Key facts about HIV/AIDS
Reuters NewMedia - August 10, 2006
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The world's largest international AIDS conference opens in Toronto, on Sunday, 25 years after the epidemic... Read more »

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