Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 28, 2024, 06:15:22 am

Login with username, password and session length


Members
  • Total Members: 37612
  • Latest: testABC
Stats
  • Total Posts: 772944
  • Total Topics: 66310
  • Online Today: 375
  • Online Ever: 5484
  • (June 18, 2021, 11:15:29 pm)
Users Online
Users: 1
Guests: 348
Total: 349

Welcome


Welcome to the POZ Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and others concerned about HIV/AIDS.  Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning:  Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

  • The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own physician.

  • All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

  • Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators of these forums. Click here for “Do I Have HIV?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ community forums.

  • We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are true and correct to their knowledge.

  • Product advertisement—including links; banners; editorial content; and clinical trial, study or survey participation—is strictly prohibited by forums members unless permission has been secured from POZ.

To change forums navigation language settings, click here (members only), Register now

Para cambiar sus preferencias de los foros en español, haz clic aquí (sólo miembros), Regístrate ahora

Finished Reading This? You can collapse this or any other box on this page by clicking the symbol in each box.

Author Topic: Withdrawing From People  (Read 20463 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline northernguy

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,347
Withdrawing From People
« on: July 21, 2007, 07:07:53 pm »
I notice that I'm withdrawing from people.  Although an introvert, I've always enjoyed a pint at the pub or a coffee with friends. My skin issues though are making me much more reclusive.  I'm inclined to just stay at home and watch movies with my partner.  Even at work, I rarely leave my office, try to avoid face-to-face conversations, not even turning around when I answer a question if someone pops their head in.  My office light is turned off to avoid the unflattering brightness.

It doesn't bode well for how I will handle meds and their physical side effects :-[

Apr 28/06 cd4 600 vl 10,600 cd% 25
Nov 8/09 cd4 510 vl 49,5000 cd% 16
Jan 16/10 cd4 660 vl 54,309 cd% 16
Feb 17/10 Started Atripla
Mar 7/10 cd4 710 vl 1,076 cd% 21
Apr 18/10 cd4 920 vl 268 cd% 28
Jun 19/10 cd4 450 vl 60 cd% 25
Aug 15/10 cd4 680 vl 205 cd% 27
Apr 3/11 cd4 780 vl <40 cd% 30
Jul 17/11 cd4 960 vl <40 cd%33
April 15/12 cd4 1,010 vl <40 cd% 39
April 20/12 Switched to Viramune + Truvada
Aug 2/12 cd4 1040, vl <40, cd% 38
Oct 19 cd4 1,110 vl <40 cd% 41

Offline MOONLIGHT1114

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,918
  • Cheech 2.2.94 - 4.23.10 We miss you so much!
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2007, 07:38:43 pm »
I know how you feel.  I am meeting up with an old friend from elem school that I have only seen once in the past 20 years (different circles).  He is bringing his GF and some single guys.  I don't drink because of diabetes, but I sure could use one, lol!  I am dreading getting to the bar first and sitting alone, I don't want to be seen.  I need to be able to find a seat because of bad neck problems which affect my balance if I stand too long.  I am going to feel like a wallflower until these people arrive.  My lipo has made me thick in the middle and I feel like a marshmallow.  My skin is pasty and sallow and I just have to force myself to go.  I never hang out with anyone, don't have friends or even a partner, and it seems to just be easier to have my privacy.  I don't have a job so I am alone most of the time.  Shit.  I think I know a little bit about how you feel.  I am a turtle under my shell most of the time.
HIV+ since '93, 1/12 - CD4 785 and undet.   WOO-HOO!!

Offline Bucko

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,947
  • You need a shine, missy!
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #2 on: July 21, 2007, 08:22:33 pm »
Take it from someone who's been there off and on for years. Isolation is a really harmful pattern to get into.

I do what I can to mix with as many people as possible. Isolation and loneliness can lead to much more serious anti-social behaviors.

Brent
(Who has always made himself great company)
Blessed with brains, talent and gorgeous tits.

Blathering on AIDSmeds since 2005, provocative from birth

Offline asaint

  • Member
  • Posts: 95
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #3 on: July 21, 2007, 08:57:34 pm »
I know the feeling I also have skin issues (psoriasis at one point it covered 60% of my body) And being withdrawn is normal reaction.
Have you been to dermatologist yet? If not, time to see one and get it taken care of.

Bob
6/11 VL <50   CD4 (9%)   CD8 (54%}

Offline Dragonette

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,190
  • Spring symptoms
    • NotPerfectAtAll
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #4 on: July 22, 2007, 10:06:44 am »
I don't know what is your skin problem, but most problems can be succesfully camouflaged by make up. It is not like beauty make up but a specially designed substance to hide skin problems, scars tattooes etc which can even be water proof, it differs from normal makeup i the high density of pigment. If you pick the right hue and learn to apply it properly, people shouldn't realize you are wearing makeup at all. I am considering buying some to cover tattoos, but I will try to get consultation first.
Your doctor should be able to refer you to a specialist in camo makeup, if he can't then any reputable beautician or makeup artist will probabaly know where you can go, or calling up a dermatology ward ina hospital to ask. You can buy the makeup online but it is better to know how to do it so to have some expert advice at first. I read that in the UK you can get it from the red cross. I attach a link from them about camouflage makeup:

http://www.redcross.org.uk/localservice.asp?id=1224&cachefixer=

Good luck!!!
"If you keep one foot in yesterday, and one in tomorrow, you piss all over today". Betty Tacy

Offline northernguy

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,347
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #5 on: July 23, 2007, 11:28:02 pm »
Yeah, I may be going the make-up route soon.  So far nothing the docs have suggested has worked...
Apr 28/06 cd4 600 vl 10,600 cd% 25
Nov 8/09 cd4 510 vl 49,5000 cd% 16
Jan 16/10 cd4 660 vl 54,309 cd% 16
Feb 17/10 Started Atripla
Mar 7/10 cd4 710 vl 1,076 cd% 21
Apr 18/10 cd4 920 vl 268 cd% 28
Jun 19/10 cd4 450 vl 60 cd% 25
Aug 15/10 cd4 680 vl 205 cd% 27
Apr 3/11 cd4 780 vl <40 cd% 30
Jul 17/11 cd4 960 vl <40 cd%33
April 15/12 cd4 1,010 vl <40 cd% 39
April 20/12 Switched to Viramune + Truvada
Aug 2/12 cd4 1040, vl <40, cd% 38
Oct 19 cd4 1,110 vl <40 cd% 41

Offline 404error

  • Member
  • Posts: 431
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #6 on: July 25, 2007, 08:10:37 pm »
I've done nothing but withdrawl since being diagnosed in Feb of 2006.  I used to be quite social, going out with friends and co-workers quite regularly.  I used to meet and make new friends all the time.  I was charming, witty, and entertaining, on all the time.  Since being diagnosed I haven't made any real friends, I've stopped calling or going out with the ones I already have and tend to spend the majority of my time either watching movies, playing video games, or reading on the internet.  (Oh and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows...)

I don't feel comfortable any longer in social situations where it's me and a bunch of people I've never met before or even just a few acquaintances.  I do still see people who were a part of my life prior to my diagnosis but not frequently, especially by comparison to how things once were.  It's summer now and I spend almost all my time indoors.  I can't go to work somedays because I just can't face leaving the house, I can't focus on my job, and I accomplish nothing meanwhile wasting my employers money. 

I'm living with my parents in a po-dunk little town filled with rednecks, and middle class families/retirees.  I avoid invitations to bbq's, or any other party or gathering for that matter unless it is being hosted by someone I am related to or have been friends with for a long time.  All my good friends know of my status as do my family but they don't know what to do or say so they seldom say anything, unless it's to give me crap about smoking while being diagnosed with an illness that leaves you succeptable to opportunistic infections.  I mostly just want to lay in bed, getting up only to eat or stretch because I'm sore from too much laying in bed and shower when the need arises.  I've been in this funk now for quite sometime and see no way of digging myself out.  I seldom drink, I do smoke weed, but that's it.  Anti-depressants and the side effects that come with them are not worth it.  I hope that this will all come to an end one day and my life with become what it once was but I'm not going to hold my breath waiting...
A social critic who promotes equality...

Offline Dragonette

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,190
  • Spring symptoms
    • NotPerfectAtAll
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #7 on: July 26, 2007, 02:13:58 am »
oh, wow. I didn't realize it was that bad, from your previous posts you sound like a cheerful outgoing kind of guy. Almost too much so, I could easily imagine even the scenario that got you infected. A very social, casual scenario. What I mean is, no great love, no miscalculation, no sexcapade into some orgy, more like something I have seen whenever I travel, a bunch or a couple of guys off their faces, having fun, getting out there, in a foreign place, surrounded by the less-obvious, more subtle edges of the local sex trade. HIV is not on the mind of most of thse guys, even when they remember to put on a customary condom. You meet them in the Am I Infected forum later, freaking out all of a sudden in retrospect. Only very few actually get infected. The odds are not high at all. But it happens. I heard of a guy in my town working on a cruise ship, out one night in a Carribean port with a local girl, and bam!

Maybe that's what makes you isolate more. That you are not typical. That even in the world of HIV people like you are a minority, a minority within a minority. That no one in your environment can relate.

Well you've done the hardest bit, telling friends and family, and great that they all accept. And it's great that you keep working. But what about your life? What do you want to do with it? Do you want to spend it in a musty half-lit room? There must be something you want or need to do, work, learn, study. You can still travel you know. And you can still have fun. And quite probabaly get a great girlfriend. You just have to use a condom. I make it sound simple. It isn't simple. But it's all doable. But to get life going, you have to kickstart it from this standstill period. Like a car you can't leave it immobile for too long. You have to do something, not something big, just small. I know about thse BBQ thingies, I don't live at home because suburbia makes it even more painful for me. Here I am a foreigner, I pay a price for that but I don't feel choked and panicked by all this righteous, oblivious way of living. OK, so no wedding parties and family gatherings. But what about the gym? What about joining a class of some sort, just once a week? And don't give up on the poz female scene yet, I believe you that most are junkies but it can't be that each and every one, maybe the non-users also don't feel comfortable in a group. Do you have a personals ad? You could even meet someone from across the border. And neg girls, well that's harder, but certainly not impossible. OK it might be impossible if you have only professional babes in your sights, but not if you just look around at normal people.

 You know what you made a mistake and got caught in the epidemic that's raging out there. That's all you did, a mistake. It's time to stop punishing yourself for it. You know this is a huge cliche, but change really does start with one small step. Wish you the best of luck with it.

"If you keep one foot in yesterday, and one in tomorrow, you piss all over today". Betty Tacy

Offline MOONLIGHT1114

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,918
  • Cheech 2.2.94 - 4.23.10 We miss you so much!
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #8 on: July 26, 2007, 02:23:52 am »
Damn, Drag....Sounds like you were writing to me, too.  Everything has gone to crap lately and i can totally put myself in northernguys' shoes.  I have no friends and have thought about joining a class, but privacy seems so much cozier......You're a great inspiration to us.

Cindy
HIV+ since '93, 1/12 - CD4 785 and undet.   WOO-HOO!!

Offline BT65

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 10,786
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #9 on: July 26, 2007, 08:50:46 pm »
Hey Northern Guy:
  You don't say exactly what your skin issues are, but I hope you find something that works for that soon.  Being isolated for me for any length of time is dangerous.  I'm not a socialite butterfly by any means, but I do have a close circle of friends.  You know, people who have known me for years that I still associate with.  Mostly people I've met in Narcotics Anonymous, which I still attend regularly.  And I go to school.  Been poz since 1989 (probably '88), and it's a long hard road.  I wish you success.
I've never killed anyone, but I frequently get satisfaction reading the obituary notices.-Clarence Darrow

Condom and Lube Info https://www.poz.com/basics/hiv-basics/safer-sex
Please check out our lessons on PEP and PrEP. https://www.poz.com/basics/hiv-basics/pep-prep

https://www.poz.com/basics/hiv-basics/treatmentasprevention-tasp

Offline northernguy

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,347
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #10 on: July 28, 2007, 05:25:23 pm »
Hey Northern Guy:
  You don't say exactly what your skin issues are, but I hope you find something that works for that soon....

My face goes red and blotchy and it very very dry.One day it will be almost back to normal and I think maybe the nightmare's over and the next day its back.  My whole face will sometimes turn bright red after eating or if I'm in a warm room.  Other days its blotches of red around my hairline...it never ends.

The cruel irony is that below the neck its pretty much normal.  Its as if HIV wants to mark me publicly.

Apr 28/06 cd4 600 vl 10,600 cd% 25
Nov 8/09 cd4 510 vl 49,5000 cd% 16
Jan 16/10 cd4 660 vl 54,309 cd% 16
Feb 17/10 Started Atripla
Mar 7/10 cd4 710 vl 1,076 cd% 21
Apr 18/10 cd4 920 vl 268 cd% 28
Jun 19/10 cd4 450 vl 60 cd% 25
Aug 15/10 cd4 680 vl 205 cd% 27
Apr 3/11 cd4 780 vl <40 cd% 30
Jul 17/11 cd4 960 vl <40 cd%33
April 15/12 cd4 1,010 vl <40 cd% 39
April 20/12 Switched to Viramune + Truvada
Aug 2/12 cd4 1040, vl <40, cd% 38
Oct 19 cd4 1,110 vl <40 cd% 41

Offline Miss Philicia

  • Member
  • Posts: 24,793
  • celebrity poster, faker & poser
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #11 on: July 28, 2007, 06:33:50 pm »
So what exactly do the doctors/dermatologists say about it and what are they having you take for it?  I know I have discussed this with your months ago, and has there not been any improvements at all?  Have you tried going to a new dermatologist?  When I went through a bad patch of skin issues I think I went to three of them within two years until it got worked out -- you have to find one that treats people with HIV, not just any ole dermatologist.  Frankly I think dermatologists are a step up from a voodoo priest.
« Last Edit: July 28, 2007, 06:36:31 pm by philly267 »
"I’ve slept with enough men to know that I’m not gay"

Offline Iggy

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,434
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #12 on: July 28, 2007, 06:55:20 pm »
Withdrawing from people for a short period due to a need for introspection can be great and frankly I wish more people would do it. Withdrawing because you are self conscious of how you look and fear people's reaction is worrisome to me and it can become a trap in itself.

I appreciate what you say is the cause and I'm wondering out loud (and seconding philly's question) of what your dermatologists are doing at this point. 

I'm also wondering if you might be able to arrange some social situations for yourself that don't require hanging out in a public place - such as dinner and coffee or drinks with your friends, who you do trust with this situation, at either their home or yours.  It might be a way to avoid sliding into becoming a full recluse which I do fear and you obviously don't want.


Offline northernguy

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,347
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #13 on: July 31, 2007, 12:47:30 am »
So what exactly do the doctors/dermatologists say about it and what are they having you take for it?  I know I have discussed this with your months ago, and has there not been any improvements at all?  Have you tried going to a new dermatologist?  When I went through a bad patch of skin issues I think I went to three of them within two years until it got worked out -- you have to find one that treats people with HIV, not just any ole dermatologist.  Frankly I think dermatologists are a step up from a voodoo priest.

He's got me on Elidel for the eczema.  That doesn't really deal with the flushing or flakies though.  However when my GP referred me, he said the derm's been around since the "beginning of the epidemic" and he does rounds on the HIV ward, so he would seem to have the credentials. 

PS I did finally get the Derma-E in the mail today!
Apr 28/06 cd4 600 vl 10,600 cd% 25
Nov 8/09 cd4 510 vl 49,5000 cd% 16
Jan 16/10 cd4 660 vl 54,309 cd% 16
Feb 17/10 Started Atripla
Mar 7/10 cd4 710 vl 1,076 cd% 21
Apr 18/10 cd4 920 vl 268 cd% 28
Jun 19/10 cd4 450 vl 60 cd% 25
Aug 15/10 cd4 680 vl 205 cd% 27
Apr 3/11 cd4 780 vl <40 cd% 30
Jul 17/11 cd4 960 vl <40 cd%33
April 15/12 cd4 1,010 vl <40 cd% 39
April 20/12 Switched to Viramune + Truvada
Aug 2/12 cd4 1040, vl <40, cd% 38
Oct 19 cd4 1,110 vl <40 cd% 41

Offline Miss Philicia

  • Member
  • Posts: 24,793
  • celebrity poster, faker & poser
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #14 on: July 31, 2007, 11:54:28 am »
I hope the Derma-E helps, but now that you've elaborated on the severity I must add that it's not going to be the right fit.  Guess you'll see... give it a good month.  My situation was never as severe as what you describe so take it for that.
"I’ve slept with enough men to know that I’m not gay"

Offline chrism1973

  • Member
  • Posts: 38
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #15 on: August 02, 2007, 04:18:38 pm »
I have found myself withdrawing from people including this site wich i loved and am now working with a therapist to figure out why.I am not sure how many of you remember me but I was very active in participating in this site.I am trying to become more involved again.I am trying to remember that every connection has a meaning.I lost allot of connections when I backed away from this site.Those connections helped me through my first 2 yrs of infection.      Chris
Love yourself,love life and live.

Offline Andy Velez

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 34,126
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #16 on: August 02, 2007, 10:33:42 pm »
Welcome back, Chris.

Remember you don't have to be any more or any different than you are when you talk here. Often in situations where people withdraw they feel what they judge what they have to say as not being worthwhile or have other ways of shutting themselves down.

For me I often think about the choice between a decision for life or a decision for death. The decision for life allows for imperfections and opens things up. Whereas the decision for death says you're not enough, you're wrong, you're this or you're that. I say go for LIFE!

Glad you dropped in on us again.

Cheers, 
Andy Velez

Offline SASA39

  • Member
  • Posts: 698
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #17 on: August 06, 2007, 05:15:17 am »
I've done nothing but withdrawl since being diagnosed in Feb of 2006.  I used to be quite social, going out with friends and co-workers quite regularly.  I used to meet and make new friends all the time.  I was charming, witty, and entertaining, on all the time.  Since being diagnosed I haven't made any real friends
I don't feel comfortable any longer in social situations where it's me and a bunch of people I've never met before or even just a few acquaintances.  I do still see people who were a part of my life prior to my diagnosis but not frequently, especially by comparison to how things once were.  It's summer now and I spend almost all my time indoors.  I can't go to work somedays because I just can't face leaving the house, I can't focus on my job, and I accomplish nothing meanwhile wasting my employers money. 
Anti-depressants and the side effects that come with them are not worth it.  I hope that this will all come to an end one day and my life with become what it once was but I'm not going to hold my breath waiting...

Like I`m reading my post......................
Main thing is :
What to say - what are you ill from , why you do not go to work , and , what excuse to find for a friends , father& mother in low , and neighbours ?
I cannot say the truth , because of my children ...........and do not want to withdraw anymore ...........
And by all means did not wanted to hijack the thread........
Any advices ?
12. Oct`06.  CD4=58 %  VL not issued
25.Dec.`06.         203     VL= 0
..................................................
25.Dec`06.- 19.Oct`16 :
various ups & downs- mostly ups - from 58-916 and back in #CD and few blips in VL.
...................................................
19.Oct`16     CD4=644      VL=0

Offline nicknatpatywack

  • Member
  • Posts: 9
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #18 on: October 13, 2009, 08:46:53 pm »
Withdrawal isn't such a bad thing I think.. When hit with this "disease" I believe introspection and reflection can be healthy in regards to who you want to spend your valuable time with. Most of people and life is bullshit and its better to be with a couple of close friends/family and alone then a social "butterfly" at the pub enjoying a overpriced flat beer and talk about who's going to win the big game... Maybe this is a time to look at who and what you want to spend your time with. Life is precious don't give it to underserving people.

Offline ga1964

  • Member
  • Posts: 188
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #19 on: October 15, 2009, 01:09:49 am »

The cruel irony is that below the neck its pretty much normal.  Its as if HIV wants to mark me publicly.



It sounds to me like you might have a form of Rosacia (Not sure I if spelled it right, Sorry), but common symptoms are red splotches on the face.

I have skin issues also.  I have sores that break out on my arms and legs and can take months to heal.  One doctor said it was scabies and treated me for it, but I still get the sores.  I use Physa--Hex in the shower daily to try and combat the sores, but to no avail.  I don't wear shorts anymore to keep my legs covered.  I do wear short sleeve shirts due to the heat here, but I don't like for my arms to be seen.  I've always hated cold weather, so I don't getting out much in the Winter and now I don't go out that much in the summer.  I loved going swimming in the Summer, and now that's a definite NO.


I hope you can find something to help your skin.

Offline gonzo

  • Member
  • Posts: 52
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #20 on: December 06, 2009, 06:11:25 am »
It sounds to me like you might have a form of Rosacia (Not sure I if spelled it right, Sorry), but common symptoms are red splotches on the face.

 I agree with ga1964-from the way you describe your symptoms, it sure does sound like rosacea.
 If it is indeed what you have, I can sympathize, I also have it-and I know all too well the feeling of wanting to isolate yourself sometimes.
Unfortunately there is no known cure for rosacea, however there are medications, some oral antibiotics, and topicals that you can use to help it some, also diet comes into play, as some foods will trigger a flare up, as will extreme weather conditions.
 The first signs for me were a lot of facial flushing, red face, especially my nose, and blotches here and there, very annoying to say the least!  People would ask me if I went on vacation because it looked like I gotten some sun on my face.
 With treatment you can get it under control, I hope you find some relief for your skin soon!

take care,
 gonzo
 
 
 


diagnosed in 1990, current Meds: Truvada/Reyataz/Norvir

Offline BT65

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 10,786
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #21 on: December 06, 2009, 07:37:25 am »
Hmmmm, I don't know if the OP still suffers from the skin problems, being that this thread was started two years ago.
I've never killed anyone, but I frequently get satisfaction reading the obituary notices.-Clarence Darrow

Condom and Lube Info https://www.poz.com/basics/hiv-basics/safer-sex
Please check out our lessons on PEP and PrEP. https://www.poz.com/basics/hiv-basics/pep-prep

https://www.poz.com/basics/hiv-basics/treatmentasprevention-tasp

Offline northernguy

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,347
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #22 on: December 07, 2009, 11:17:49 pm »
Hmmmm, I don't know if the OP still suffers from the skin problems, being that this thread was started two years ago.

Wow, what a blast from the past!  And timely too, as my skin is probably worse than ever right now.  If I rub my scalp I become the human version of a snowglobe.  I literally spend 20 minutes picking the flakes out of my hair after my morning shower.  Its funny, I sometimes think the redness is better, but I think its just that I've become used to it.

I'm resigned to the fact there is no "cure" for this and that the only thing that might help is starting meds.
Apr 28/06 cd4 600 vl 10,600 cd% 25
Nov 8/09 cd4 510 vl 49,5000 cd% 16
Jan 16/10 cd4 660 vl 54,309 cd% 16
Feb 17/10 Started Atripla
Mar 7/10 cd4 710 vl 1,076 cd% 21
Apr 18/10 cd4 920 vl 268 cd% 28
Jun 19/10 cd4 450 vl 60 cd% 25
Aug 15/10 cd4 680 vl 205 cd% 27
Apr 3/11 cd4 780 vl <40 cd% 30
Jul 17/11 cd4 960 vl <40 cd%33
April 15/12 cd4 1,010 vl <40 cd% 39
April 20/12 Switched to Viramune + Truvada
Aug 2/12 cd4 1040, vl <40, cd% 38
Oct 19 cd4 1,110 vl <40 cd% 41

Offline WildcatCC

  • Member
  • Posts: 91
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #23 on: December 11, 2009, 01:07:27 pm »
I've had excema since I was a kid. Very very bad excema in my youth. It was the worst on my ass cheeks and hands. One Sunday, I scratched it so bad it bled through my pants and a lady in the pew behind me screamed. Good times. NOT. My mother tried everything - Blue Boro patches, special baths, all kinds of topical creams. It reamined an issue for me into my mid-20s.

Then, I went to a young dermatologist when I was living in Philly. After a full examination he said "what are you hiding from yourself". I'll never forget that. He went on to say that my excema was mostly a manifestation of a stressor - typically seen (he said) in people who are keeping significant, life-changing secrets from the world and themselves.  Solve that riddle, he said, and you will solve your excema.

I came out when I was 28. Six months later, I had no visible excema anywhere. To this day I am relatively excema free unless I get overly stressed and just start scratching a patch of skin. Excema will pop up on that patch. Weird I know.

So what does this have to do with you. Have you looked into the link between your isolationism and flare ups? In times when you are relatively healthy (good mental outlook) do you have less flare-ups? Does it abate when you are less stressed?

Lastly, doxicycline is something to consider as this may help with facial rosacia. Have you tried it?
Apr  08 - Diagnosed
Apr  08  cd4 8, vl 150k
Meds: Prezista/Norvir/Truvada
June 08 cd4 250, vl 1600
Aug  08 cd4 275, vl 450
Meds: Atripla
Nov  08  cd4  386, vl 255
Jan   09  cd4  415, vl 2100 (spike?)
Feb   09  cd4 460, vl 212
May   09  cd4 515, vl 1200
Aug   09  cd4 717, vl 1535 % 23
Sept  09  cd4 535  vl 1710 % 18
Oct   09  genotype shows mutation. Discussing w/ ID Doc
Nov  09   cd4 480  vl 650   % 19
Dec  09 genotype slight mutation to Epivir and Retrovir
Jan 10   cd4 508 vl 250 (21%)  low vitamin d - on supplement 2000 iu/day
Mar 15 Change to Isentress and Truvada
May 5 cd4 498 vl 1485
June 16 cd4 550 vl undect!!!! (finally dammit)

Offline jm1953

  • Member
  • Posts: 295
Re: Withdrawing From People
« Reply #24 on: December 21, 2009, 01:45:52 am »
Wow, what a blast from the past!  And timely too, as my skin is probably worse than ever right now.  If I rub my scalp I become the human version of a snowglobe.  I literally spend 20 minutes picking the flakes out of my hair after my morning shower.  Its funny, I sometimes think the redness is better, but I think its just that I've become used to it.

I'm resigned to the fact there is no "cure" for this and that the only thing that might help is starting meds.

Northernguy,

I have had a lot of skin problems this past year.  I understand your predicament as I have pulled back quite a bit too from social obligations. 

In response to the facial flushing you may ask your doctor about Metrocream which I think is usually prescribed for Rosacea (sp).  And perhaps try T-Sal for your scalp.  You may have already tried these, but just throwing them out there.

Be strong!

Positive 29 years. Diagnosed 10/1987.  Current CD 4: 720: Viral load: almost 100.  Current drug regimen, Tivicay, Emtriva, Endurant, Wellbutrin, Clonazepam, Uloric, Losartan Potassium,Allegra, Ambien, Testosterone, Nandrolone, Vicodin, Benedryl, Aspirin, lots of vitamin supplements.

 


Terms of Membership for these forums
 

© 2024 Smart + Strong. All Rights Reserved.   terms of use and your privacy
Smart + Strong® is a registered trademark of CDM Publishing, LLC.