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Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: Wrist on January 19, 2010, 06:23:39 pm

Title: Burn like blisters
Post by: Wrist on January 19, 2010, 06:23:39 pm
Hello all.. I'm new to the forums and HIV.

Just a little background info... I'm 26 y/o  I was infected in August, didn't have flu symptoms until the end of October. I never get sick like that and I get tested for HIV regularly. So the WB test came back neg and I asked if they could do a VL test.  That came back 3 days later showing I had a VL of 67,000.  And of course just to be sure the doc tested again, that came back showing a VL of 5 million so clearly I was just infected.  After that I found an ID doctor and we took some blood to see how my CD4s were, they were 631.  So I decided to wait on meds to see where my numbers ended up. 3 months later Jan. 11, I had blood taken again. The results came back good, CD4s 794 and VL 6,000. Ok so now on to my question.

The past two weeks I have had small blisters pop up on my nose and around some cuts on my hand.  If i pop them all that comes out is clear fluid and then a few hours later or the next day a lot of the skin around it comes off like it was a huge blister.. Its only a real thin layer. They hurt as if i had burnt myself. And the skin under it continues to ooze clear fluid.  It seems to me they only come about around areas of the skin that has been damaged.  I know HIV effects the skin in many different ways but i'm just curious if anyone else has experienced this..  I plan on starting meds probably after one more blood test. Hopefully they will help clear this problem up...I'm only waiting on the meds because I want to see if the VL will drop more possibly to undetectable..
Title: Re: Burn like blisters
Post by: Matty the Damned on January 19, 2010, 06:36:05 pm
Have you been around small children in the last month or so?

Also, welcome!

MtD
Title: Re: Burn like blisters
Post by: Wrist on January 19, 2010, 06:44:38 pm
Yes, my girlfriends nephew who is 1 and my friends kids who are 2 and 6.
Title: Re: Burn like blisters
Post by: Matty the Damned on January 19, 2010, 06:49:36 pm
Hmm.

Well I'd toddle off to the doctor if I were you. Blister like sores on the hands, around and in the mouth could mean many things. Including hand, foot and mouth disease.

Nasty thing that, often afflicts small kiddies. Horribly contagious. Of course I could be completely wrong - I is not a doctor.

MtD
Title: Re: Burn like blisters
Post by: Wrist on January 19, 2010, 06:59:56 pm
I don't think it's anything major. I'm leaning towards eczema. I have bad allergies and it seems to only happen when the skin is cut or pinched in some way.
But yes I actually have an appointment with th doc tonight. I'll let you know what he thinks. Thanks for the thoughts.
Title: Re: Burn like blisters
Post by: Matty the Damned on January 19, 2010, 07:06:32 pm
Yus. More likely to be an allergic thingy. Good luck!

MtD
Title: Re: Burn like blisters
Post by: Wrist on January 19, 2010, 11:16:48 pm
Yeah the doc agrees that it might be eczema or dermatitis.. he is gonna check the antibody levels in my blood to make sure they aren't to high or to low.. also he is going to check my liver enzymes and the hiv geno to make sure I'm not resistant.  Then we will wait till May or June to check the CD4 and VL again.  I will probably start meds around that time. My immune system is still strong, my percent is 41 and my CD4 to CD8 ratio is still in a range as if I was not infected with the virus..
So I'll know more in a few weeks as to what might be causing these blisters.