PCP Pneumonia and Long Term Lung Effects - Anyone having this?

[Nate]

Hey all,

I had PCP Pneumonia 10 years ago and ever since then when Im working out or jogging I seem to get winded faster than I used to.  I breath real deeply, but I still cant seem to get enough air.

Does anybody know if this could be caused by "scarring" of the lung tissue?  The only thing I can figure is that the lung tissue was scarred and reduces my ability to take in enough air when Im exercising.

Is there anybody else out there who may be noticing the same problem?

Thanks for your thoughts!! 

[rondrond]

Hi Nate,

Let me say welcome. 

Have you asked for or had any breathing tests done?

[Theyer]

Welcome to long-termers Nate
I do do have similar issues but I need ti dig out my Hospital discharge report so I get the big words splelt right.
just kept putting off replying ,but will
theyer

[sharkdiver]

I was diagnosed (after videolaryngoscopy) with Bronchial Obliterans Organizing Pneumonia   BOOP for short.

It has affected my endurance and I am susceptible to getting pneumonia (which I am recently getting over...damnit)

[Buckmark]

Another forum member was discussing this recently, though the discussion was in the "Living With HIV" forum since he is not an LTSer (if memory serves me correctly).  Here is a link to that thread.  In a nutshell, it sounds like it is very possible to have long-term effects and reduced lung function from PCP.   

http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=36645.0

Regards,

Henry

[roy100]

I suspect I have some damage to the lungs due to the fact, that I loose air easily when exercising.
Also my blood count is a bit elevated, 50.3 hamatocrites, which is the upper limit .

People with damage to the lungs tend to have higher red , or hematocrites counts , so that the blood would carry more oxygen. ( This is very common also in places with higher altitudes, like Mexico City ).

When I asked the Dr about it , and if I needed some x-rays, he said that could be very well be possible, or maybe that I have a very good nourishment.

Well he didn't want to talk about it , he would rather concentrate in giving me an equilibrium with my cd4.

Just have in mind about the red cell  count which is a good indicator of damage to the lungs.
Roy

[Andy Velez]

Hi Roy,

This Forum is off limits to anyone who is not a longterm survivor which is defined as follows in the opening thread:

This forum is a safe place for long-term survivors (LTS), defined as people living with HIV who tested positive for the virus before the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in 1996. This forum is a result of LTS members petitioning for a place to discuss issues unique to those who lived with a diagnosis of HIV through the initial decades of the AIDS epidemic.

If this subject is one you want to pursue then I suggest you begin a thread in Living With.

Thanks for your cooperation.

[johnbrown]

PCP Pneumonia is the bane of my existence and YES having it just once will effect the amount of O2 in your blood. I've had it 6 times since testing Poz and when you look at an Xray of my lungs they look like they are full of cobwebs due to the scar tissue it causes. I've also noticed that I'm VERY susceptible of getting any kind of Pneumonia!

[Mus1cl0V3R]

Hi Roy,

This Forum is off limits to anyone who is not a longterm survivor which is defined as follows in the opening thread:

This forum is a safe place for long-term survivors (LTS), defined as people living with HIV who tested positive for the virus before the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in 1996. This forum is a result of LTS members petitioning for a place to discuss issues unique to those who lived with a diagnosis of HIV through the initial decades of the AIDS epidemic.

If this subject is one you want to pursue then I suggest you begin a thread in Living With.

Thanks for your cooperation.

Does this rule also apply to those who never tested positive before 1996 (never took the test) but were diagnosed with AIDS in early 1996?

[Sfteve]

This is a very interesting topic as I did suffer PCP back in the 90īs.

I have recently moved from the west coast to Santa Fe, NM (altitude about 6500 feet). My blood work shows low oxigen in my blood and doing any type of outdoor exercise becomes difficult due to shortness of breath. I did some travelling south to visit family and found my old self breathing back to normal again until I returned home.

I am giving serious consideration to a permanent move back to the coast.

[denb45]

This is a very interesting topic as I did suffer PCP back in the 90īs.

I have recently moved from the west coast to Santa Fe, NM (altitude about 6500 feet). My blood work shows low oxigen in my blood and doing any type of outdoor exercise becomes difficult due to shortness of breath. I did some travelling south to visit family and found my old self breathing back to normal again until I returned home.

I am giving serious consideration to a permanent move back to the coast.

Hey Sfteve long time no hear    I had PCP way back in 92 and was put on Bactrim for about 9 or 10 yrs.
when i 1st moved to ABQ, I had a problem w/ my breathing ( maybe it was the high-altitude) but sometimes I still do get-outta-breath, don't know if it was due to having PCP so many yrs. ago.....

to me California is a nice place to visit ( I have Family in Nor-Cal) but I wouldn't want to live there, that place is the PITS, and very expensive to live, just my 2 cents...

after about a few yrs. of living here in ABQ, my breathing did improve somewhat, it's not perfect, but I have learned to deal w/ this as much as I can, and my doctor said my blood-oxy-levels are good, anywho
nice to see you around, not very many of us New Mexican's that even post in these forums, for whatever reason, and I know there's a lot of HIV/AIDS folks @ least here in ABQ where I live