POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: beentheredoneit on June 15, 2013, 07:58:14 pm
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Here we go again. After years of specialists, scans, and tests I still have swollen glands. It's been just the same results no matter what treatment regimen I'm on. Luckily the other side effects have lessened after switching my last regimen. However, this one thing never goes away.
Isn't there any natural way to at least alleviate the pain or lessen the chances of this being the target every time?
All doctors have basically said the same thing to me - deal with it. No doctor has opted to biopsy the glands because the CT scans and ultrasounds show no signs of being a harm to me. It is just pain and agitation some days.
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They may take either a really long time or will never recover. I don't know of any natural way to help this. Is it many lymph nodes or just a couple. If its one or two you could have them removed I guess. Otherwise you might need to live with it. HIV is a mess on lymph nodes after all when the French originally discovered HIV they named it LAV (lyphandopathy associated virus.)
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Otherwise you might need to live with it. HIV is a mess on lymph nodes after all when the French originally discovered HIV they named it LAV (lyphandopathy associated virus.)
They were called freedom lymphs here in America .
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First, I want to point out I'm not on ARV's, so that may change things, or may not. I had swollen nodes all over for years. I would say for 4 years, they were nickel-size and they ached. Then, the aching went away. Had them in my groin, around my collarbone, and neck. Then, most went away, except for a few pea-sized ones in my neck and under my chin. Then, those seemed to have gone away. But, I can now feel the ones in my neck again.
I am not sure if the ones in my neck really went away or not. I gained weight, so maybe I just couldn't feel them anymore. I purposely lost weight and that's when I could feel them again. Mine are very tiny and I wouldn't know they were there, unless I felt them. Well, my chiropractor brother feels them, when he gives me an adjustment. So, not an issue. I know I've heard some docs say pea-sized are normal to feel anyway, even in neg population. But, my brother said he never feels them on anyone else, so I don't know.
It sounds like yours are bigger than pea-sized, since they are still aching. As has been said, I think most docs say we just have to deal with it, unless one gets really big and needs some treatment/removal. I know it can be worrisome to some, wondering whether the nodes are due to something like lymphoma. It would think some poz people with cancer would be told the nodes are just due to HIV, and any physical symptoms are due to the virus, too. I've had docs say if it was cancer, the nodes would likely NOT be achy or painful.
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The tests have all come back normal size, some just have said slightly enlarged, but still falling within the 'pass' range.