Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Skin Care and HIV

In the summertime, more skin is exposed, so one should be aware of the various skin problems that may occur with HIV-positive individuals such as rashes and skin cancer. Seborrheic dermatitis is one of the most common skin problems in people with HIV. If it happens on your scalp, it’s known as dandruff. It can also appear as red, greasy, scalpy patches on the face, chest and back, and in your groin and armpits. Some possible treatments include ketoconazole cream together with hydrocortisone cream to keep this under control. What have been your experiences and what have you done to take care of your skin? What questions do you have about skin conditions?

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Hepatitis C and Treatment-Side Effects

Hepatitis C is present in about 30% of people living with HIV/AIDS. Treatment for HIV/Hepatitis C co-infection consists of taking pegylated interferon with ribavirin. This treatment has side effects including mood swings, anxiety and irritability, among others. What have been your experiences with this treatment? How have you managed side effects? If you want to know more about this treatment, what questions do you have?

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Travelling with HIV

Travelling with HIV can be the roughest challenge. Staying put can make one go crazy, but packing the medications properly (original containers, prescription available) and still having room for clothes in carry-on has proven difficult, at times, especially on long trips. And, that doesn’t even begin to deal with the refrigeration requirements for drugs that aren’t stable after 30 days, or in heat. What to do? Has anyone else dealt with this problem?

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Facial Lipoatrophy

There are now treatments for facial lipoatrophy such as Bio Alcamid, Sculptra, and Restylane, however these treatments can be very costly. The BCPWA Society has been advocating for the Ministry of Health to provide coverage of these procedures through the BC medical services plan. As with any treatment, there can be side effects. Some potential side effects of the above mentioned treatments may include pain, swelling, bruising, redness and infection. What have been your experiences with these treatments? Are you happy with them? What questions do you have about these treatments?