POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Positive Women => Topic started by: Sdgirl on May 22, 2007, 09:19:15 pm
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Since being diagnosed, I have tried my best not to get too paranoid about things that happen to me physically. Colds, flu's, cuts, etc.
Lately, I have been noticing strange things that seem a little "out of the norm"
- Nails are starting to peel. I have ALWAYS had really strong nails and my diet has not changed.
- Acne. What's up with that? I've always had very clear skin, again no diet change, but I look like a 13 year old prepubescent teenager!
- Dandruff. Now this one REALLY throws me over the top! I've never had dandruff!
- Extremely dry skin. All I drink is water and my damn lotion costs $15 a bottle! HUH?
- Extreme fatigue. My numbers are great, no meds, but I can run training camps on napping. I can take a 6 hour nap, get up, eat and go right
back to bed and sleep peacefully through the nigh.
Just curious if any you women are experiencing any of the above.
Lisa
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Hello Lisa, I have the extremly dry skin part and extremly sensitive skin, some acne but not too bad. Might be additional stress, just from knowing we are sick or could be the meds. At one point, I was always exausted but that has improved. I do take prenatal vitamens, that seems too help some with the tirdness. Hope that helps. Cristy
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I think I might have you on sleeping. I usually sleep up to 10 hours when I do go to sleep at night and even after that I sometimes require a nap. I stay with dry skin but I think that is because I really don't drink enough water and am diabetic.
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Hi Lisa
I've been thinking along those lines too but not really saying much to anyone.
The dandruff thing is a nightmare; its been getting progressively worse the last few years (been + 7 years). The dryness and itchiness has spread to my hairline and parts of my face and my scalp is so bad I'm at the point where my hands seem to be constantly in my hair, scratching/picking away (sorry but you asked!) I took advice off folk here and have been using a SLS-free shampoo for a few weeks and, although it helped to soothe it at the start, I'm not sure its making any difference any more! I hate this cos all the flakiness makes me feel really scruffy, especially with having a canvas of black hair! :(
Fatigue seems to have caught up with me lately too. Though I'm not sure if it's linked to me not being active enough. And more recently I'm experiencing broken sleep. But again, I'm not sure that it isn't just the season changing (warm uncomfy nights and allergy to olive blossom)...And yesterday I gave in and started taking anti-histamines, so now I'm feeling groggy in the daytime too...I almost fell asleep in work today!
I've asked about this before in Living With. It bugs me when 'things' start happening that I don't know what is HIV related, what is being caused by other stuff and what 'just is'. People just said that is all part of living with HIV, not always knowing what is and isn't caused by what. ---sigh---
My numbers are also ok and no meds. And generally I'm in good spirits. So, dunno... ???
Melia
(who is even scratching/picking as she types...Just Cant Stop...damnit!)
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hey lisa
nails have always been like that, acne i take meds for & have done for the last god knows how many years, but as for dandruff/scalp, dry skin, thirst and fatigue - i'm right there with you.
i have found co-enzyme Q10 a bit of a help for the fatigue, and am also taking multi minerals & vits & selenium just in case. i need ideally 12 hours a night but normally get about 10. weekends i sleep 14. and this is with 40mg citalopram! i admit i should probably do some exercise but am very lazy once i get home from work.
for the itchy/flaky scalp i find using shampoo/conditioner every 2nd day (the other i just wash with water) seems to help slightly, but less so in hot weather. also not having the water too hot helps. bizarrely my scalp seems to be worse when my roots are my natural colour, so dying my hair helps!?!
for the dry skin patches i have been applying extra moisturiser (i use lancome hydrazen neurocalm which is £35 but is v good) but i also top up on dry areas with hydrocortizone cream in daytime and petroleum jelly at night. i also drink gallons of water.
for the acne, i never had any until i was in my mid 20s and so now take an antibiotic every day. it is called lymecycline 408mg and seems to beat most of them.
i really dont know what is related to the hiv, what to stress, and what to aging, but ive gotta say that a lot of us seem to have these problems so i think it is the bug's fault. im not on meds for this yet so cant blame them for any of it.
if you find the answer to any of it be sure to let us know!
x
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Could it be possible you are lacking Vitamin E? Stress can also do wonders to your body. The fact that you are not on meds could just mean your body is trying to fight the virus right now, and it's working overtime.
Check into supplements that may help your hair, skin and nails.
I hope it gets better.
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the meds mess with your hair and body, need plenty of water
the fatique can be from the pills or stress, or depression
i talk calsium pills they really help ???
'
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I had the acne, extreme dry skin, and extreme fatigue before I knew about my HIV and was put on treatment. I was diagnosed December '05 and I started treatment January '06. I had been battling the acne and fatigue for almost 2 years before diagnosis and I had no idea I was positive. I think it could be the progression of the disease. I've been on treatment (Kaletra/Truvada) for almost a year and a half and those symptoms are gone. I feel a ton better. Oh, and before I knew, I took all kinds of vitamins and supplements, but I think this disease has a mind of it's own.
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It sounds like something that happens with age or medications. A friend of mine who is on hormones (birth control) has developed acne from that. I have dry skin and everytime I shower, I put lotion on. That helps with the itchiness. You didn't mention how old you are or what medications (not HIV) you are on. I don't have dandruff, but I dye my hair monthly and someone above mentioned that their hair does better when it's dyed, so maybe that's why I don't get it. About the fatigue, if your numbers are good, it's probably not HIV related. It could be depression, diet, stress etc.... Hope this helps. Before you go jumping on any supplements, vitamins, herbs or anything, I would see my doctor and talk with him/her about it. That's just me sayin'...
Good luck!
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P.S. I also use a facial moisturizer. And drink a lot of water. That helps with dry skin and itchiness.
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Betty,
I'm 43, and I have been an insulin dependent diabetic for 29 years, not one major health issue in all those years. Insulin and Advil are my drugs of choice........ ;D
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I am an Insulin-dependent diabetic as well. I've had ulcers on my legs and big sways in blood sugar. I check it like twice a day. I suppose I should do it more often. But, anyway, the things I suggested are what help me. Like I said though, I don't really know about the dandruff thing. I wonder if there's something a derm could prescribe for it?
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Lisa,
The fatigue thing is the biggest thing for me. I have found that I get tired much more easily and it takes longer for me to bounce back. Now since I had mono at the age of 35 and my doctor told me I would likely have bouts of fatigue so I just thought it was that. When I was diagnosed in 2006 that's when the fatigue thing could be 'understood'. Now I take a multi=vitamin and B-12. I also try to get some extra sleep on the weekends, when I can... :-\ Once I get run down, it takes about 2 weeks for me to bounce back :-(
:contemplating an early night: