Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 19, 2024, 03:38:38 am

Login with username, password and session length


Members
Stats
  • Total Posts: 772784
  • Total Topics: 66296
  • Online Today: 290
  • Online Ever: 5484
  • (June 18, 2021, 11:15:29 pm)
Users Online
Users: 0
Guests: 273
Total: 273

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: HIV and Syphilis  (Read 11847 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline s.papadas1

  • Member
  • Posts: 31
HIV and Syphilis
« on: October 19, 2020, 03:04:32 am »
Hello to all. 10 days ago (after a year with HIV) I had the best news of 0 viral load and 722 CD4. I have been clinging to my therapy so closely and the results were respectively good. The previous week I got the green light for a flu vaccine which will protect me through the winter from any COVID compilations.
Today though my doctor called and told me I urgently need to start syphilis therapy in two days. The test came positive. The news devastated me more than the HIV news. I have been reading since the call to find possible interactions and threats with my HIV medication, my viral load and CD4 as well as my flu vaccine. At the drugstore they told me to be careful not to get a cold for 20 days. And I have Syphilis. The thing is I’ve been having a sore throat for more than a month but just this. No rash no visible signs. Please, do you know the possible interactions with HIV and flu vaccine ? How come I have no visible signs? My doctor will tell me on Wednesday but I can’t just wait.

Offline Jim Allen

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 22,193
  • Threads: @jim16309
    • Social Media: Threads
Re: HIV and Syphilis
« Reply #1 on: October 19, 2020, 04:42:41 am »
Quote
Please, do you know the possible interactions with HIV and flu vaccine ?

Congrats on the great lab results :) Your CD4 count is fine, the flu vaccine is safe and recommended for people living with HIV. Interactions, nothing more than the normal reactions everyone can have. 

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/highrisk/hiv-flu.htm#:~:text=People%20living%20with%20HIV%20should,people%20with%20HIV%20and%20AIDS.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/faq-flu-season-2020-2021.htm

Quote
At the drugstore they told me to be careful not to get a cold for 20 days

Yeah, it takes a few weeks post getting the vaccine for it to be effective.

Quote
The news devastated me more than the HIV news. I have been reading since the call to find possible interactions and threats with my HIV medication, my viral load and CD4 as well as my flu vaccine.

You're overthinking the Syphilis treatment. It's penicillin shots ... Besides your doctor will check for interactions between meds before prescribing them and one way or the other the Syphilis needs to be treated.

Make sure to express your concerns with the doctor so they can answer and reassure you.

https://www.poz.com/basics/hiv-basics/syphilis

Best, Jim

Previous years flu threads:

The 2019-20 flu thread: https://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=73108.msg
The 2019 flu thread: https://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=70623.0
The 2017 flu thread: https://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=67382.msg
The 2016 flu thread: https://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=64072.msg
The 2015 flu thread: https://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=60394.0
« Last Edit: October 19, 2020, 04:45:18 am by Jim Allen »
HIV 101 - Everything you need to know
HIV 101
Read more about Testing here:
HIV Testing
Read about Treatment-as-Prevention (TasP) here:
HIV TasP
You can read about HIV prevention here:
HIV prevention
Read about PEP and PrEP here
PEP and PrEP

My Instagram
Threads

Offline s.papadas1

  • Member
  • Posts: 31
Re: HIV and Syphilis
« Reply #2 on: October 19, 2020, 05:08:07 am »
Thanks a lot Jim. Always informative and reassuring. Highly appreciate it.

Offline Grasshopper

  • Member
  • Posts: 736
Re: HIV and Syphilis
« Reply #3 on: October 19, 2020, 11:28:57 am »
The previous week I got the green light for a flu vaccine which will protect me through the winter from any COVID compilations.


I got the FLU vaccine two weeks ago. It is to protect against the current flu strains and NOT COVID.

Offline Grasshopper

  • Member
  • Posts: 736
Re: HIV and Syphilis
« Reply #4 on: October 19, 2020, 02:07:16 pm »
As far as I know, there is no interaction between the flu vaccine and hiv medication. This is my experience since 1992.

Offline s.papadas1

  • Member
  • Posts: 31
Re: HIV and Syphilis
« Reply #5 on: October 20, 2020, 02:36:09 am »
As far as I know, there is no interaction between the flu vaccine and hiv medication. This is my experience since 1992.
Thanks a lot for the reply. I am not worried about an interaction between flu vaccine and HIV medication. I am worried about the sudden appearance of Syphilis. Whether its appearance affects CD4 or viral load. I read some old researches that it did. I am also worried about affecting my flu vaccine.

Offline s.papadas1

  • Member
  • Posts: 31
Re: HIV and Syphilis
« Reply #6 on: October 20, 2020, 02:37:58 am »
I got the FLU vaccine two weeks ago. It is to protect against the current flu strains and NOT COVID.
Of course I know that. I meant that to have flu and COVID can be dangerous so I took the vaccine to protect from the flu and avoid extra danger if I catch COVID. I think it’s clear what I am writing

Offline Jim Allen

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 22,193
  • Threads: @jim16309
    • Social Media: Threads
Re: HIV and Syphilis
« Reply #7 on: October 20, 2020, 05:56:37 am »
Your CD4's are fine to the point the count is now rather irreverent. Old information, that's for sure, aware of old studies correlating untreated HIV VL's can raise with certain other infections, however, your VL is medically suppressed.

Stop stressing, focus on the only relevant item, getting the Syphilis treated.  ;)
« Last Edit: October 20, 2020, 06:08:42 am by Jim Allen »
HIV 101 - Everything you need to know
HIV 101
Read more about Testing here:
HIV Testing
Read about Treatment-as-Prevention (TasP) here:
HIV TasP
You can read about HIV prevention here:
HIV prevention
Read about PEP and PrEP here
PEP and PrEP

My Instagram
Threads

Offline Tonny2

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,924
Re: HIV and Syphilis
« Reply #8 on: October 20, 2020, 06:29:04 am »


        ojo.        Hello s.papadas...you just mentioned your good cd4 numbers even with your sifillis dx, so don’t worry just get your peniciline shots and you will be fine...remember you need to practice safer sex so you don’t have to go through this stress. “Si te vas de fiesta, no olvides el gorrino”, please translate that...by the way, I heard the shots are painful, small price to pay to remember to use protection you could have gotten another  incurable STD infection...best of luck

Offline s.papadas1

  • Member
  • Posts: 31
Re: HIV and Syphilis
« Reply #9 on: October 20, 2020, 08:47:35 am »
Old information, that's for sure, aware of old studies correlating untreated HIV VL's can raise with certain other infections, however, your VL is medically suppressed.

Stop stressing, focus on the only relevant item, getting the Syphilis treated.  ;)
Thanks a lot again. Indeed the research papers I’ve read date back to 2004! Lots has changed since and i had the feeling it wouldn’t be so easy to destroy my zero VL and good CD4 but you know how stressful such things get.

Offline s.papadas1

  • Member
  • Posts: 31
Re: HIV and Syphilis
« Reply #10 on: October 20, 2020, 08:48:35 am »

        ojo.        Hello s.papadas...you just mentioned your good cd4 numbers even with your sifillis dx, so don’t worry just get your peniciline shots and you will be fine...remember you need to practice safer sex so you don’t have to go through this stress. “Si te vas de fiesta, no olvides el gorrino”, please translate that...by the way, I heard the shots are painful, small price to pay to remember to use protection you could have gotten another  incurable STD infection...best of luck
:) I am ready to take the pain as reminder. Thanks 😊

Offline wardp

  • Member
  • Posts: 223
Re: HIV and Syphilis
« Reply #11 on: October 20, 2020, 09:36:04 am »
Is syphillis easy to get?
Diagd 20,July 2017. Cd4 289, 21% vld .3,462  atripla 4/8/17, 5/10/17 cd4 384 21%, ud.  complera 4/11/2017 switched to stribild 15/11/17. Switched to truvada efavirence 200mgx2 14 Dec 2017, 2 Feb 2018, uD cd4  466, 25%  CD 8 ,595, 32%..1 may 2018
switched  to instgra truvada.7th june switched to truvada  nevirapine stavudine. .21 june switched to truvada nevirapine. X 2 a day...9 aug 2018 ud. 2n Nov 2018 CD 4. 455..22.70% 13th Nov switched  to lamivir and nevirapine  due to kidney issues...jan 10,2019 UD..may 13 2019 ud  cd4 482 28% 14th nov 2019 ud. Cd4 414 .27% cd8 444 29%,may 16 2020,ud ,cd4 741"19.62. Dec 2020.ud.jan21 cd4 453. 25.7% 5/6/21.UD. cd4 621;{27.21%}19/10/21 UD.cd4 420; 28%.apr 19;2022 UD cd4 455' 26%.oct 22,UD, cd4 381,27% 10/4.23 UD CD4 462 29%.2/10/23 cd4 378,28%

Offline Jim Allen

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 22,193
  • Threads: @jim16309
    • Social Media: Threads
HIV 101 - Everything you need to know
HIV 101
Read more about Testing here:
HIV Testing
Read about Treatment-as-Prevention (TasP) here:
HIV TasP
You can read about HIV prevention here:
HIV prevention
Read about PEP and PrEP here
PEP and PrEP

My Instagram
Threads

Offline virgo313

  • Member
  • Posts: 358
Re: HIV and Syphilis
« Reply #13 on: October 20, 2020, 11:11:14 am »
syphillis can usually be cured when early stage. For those who had it for a long time, RPR test may show they it is still in our body even after treatment. The aim it to cure or at least bring the title reading below 1:8 or 1:4. As long as RPR result shows a down trend, there is no further injection of penicillin needed. Dr may want to inject again every 2 years just to make sure they the reading remain low. Buttock is abit painful for few hours, but frankly from experience it is very bearable. Injection needles need to be longer type so that it reaches into muscle area.  ;D
RVD Nov 2015. VL --> Log 5.32 HAART on 23/11/15
TDF+FTC+EFV / Chemo KS - 25/11/15 - 20/01/16.
CD4 - 4 (3/11/15) / VL - 225,000

Offline s.papadas1

  • Member
  • Posts: 31
Re: HIV and Syphilis
« Reply #14 on: October 20, 2020, 11:56:36 am »
I can’t believe it’s painful. I hope not that much. Of course i am ready to do it. It’s tomorrow morning. I will come back with information just for the sake of discussion and for other friends around here eager to read or get information. I was wondering if by the test results they can tell me tomorrow my stage. 

Offline s.papadas1

  • Member
  • Posts: 31
Re: HIV and Syphilis
« Reply #15 on: October 21, 2020, 07:15:06 am »
syphillis can usually be cured when early stage. For those who had it for a long time, RPR test may show they it is still in our body even after treatment. The aim it to cure or at least bring the title reading below 1:8 or 1:4. As long as RPR result shows a down trend, there is no further injection of penicillin needed. Dr may want to inject again every 2 years just to make sure they the reading remain low. Buttock is abit painful for few hours, but frankly from experience it is very bearable. Injection needles need to be longer type so that it reaches into muscle area.  ;D

Just to feed the discussion, and for other friends to get information, I just returned from my doctor. He said it is just at very very early stage and nothing to worry about. In addition, as it was mentioned here, there is no interaction with my CD4, viral load and the flu vaccine that I took the previous week.I was expecting a lot of pain but this never happened. It’s still like somebody scratched me so nothing too painful although the doctor warned me that in some cases it makes people not being able to walk from the pain immediately after the injection. Fortunately it was not the case for me. All good and thanks so much

Offline Jim Allen

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 22,193
  • Threads: @jim16309
    • Social Media: Threads
Re: HIV and Syphilis
« Reply #16 on: October 21, 2020, 07:17:07 am »
Glad to hear things went well
HIV 101 - Everything you need to know
HIV 101
Read more about Testing here:
HIV Testing
Read about Treatment-as-Prevention (TasP) here:
HIV TasP
You can read about HIV prevention here:
HIV prevention
Read about PEP and PrEP here
PEP and PrEP

My Instagram
Threads

Offline s.papadas1

  • Member
  • Posts: 31
Re: HIV and Syphilis
« Reply #17 on: June 21, 2021, 09:09:25 am »
Hello! After my therapy I had a second test and got Syphilis again! For a second time.  my viral load remains the same: zero. But my CD4 decreased from 722 to 563.  I know it’s still good but taking into account I am following a very healthy diet and lifestyle and a daily adherence to the minute on my meds, I felt an immense disappointment to hear that. The doctor laughed saying it’s still fine and the most important is the zero viral load. He explained my Syphilis infection played a role in decreasing my CD4 as it is an infection. Does this make sense? Is a consecutive Syphilis infection a worrisome situation? Obviously I have to change lover but to get Syphilis twice in a year worried me since I am staying with it for months until i realise with my next test. Thanks in advance.

Offline Jim Allen

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 22,193
  • Threads: @jim16309
    • Social Media: Threads
Re: HIV and Syphilis
« Reply #18 on: June 21, 2021, 09:21:01 am »
Your doctor is correct in so far that your CD4 count is fine and nothing to worry about.

Quote
am following a very healthy diet and lifestyle and a daily adherence to the minute on my meds

So am I but my CD4 count does not really care about it.

See CD4's will vary, they don't measure overall health and now they are above the 200 and your viral load is suppressed the count is not important anymore. They can jump by 100 points a day and it means nothing.

Looking at my last few CD4 counts: 800 - 848 - 1140 - 670 and most recent 610 between 36? to 42%. 

Is 1140 better than 600? Should I be worried? Is this because I ate a burger at MD's as a treat or had a late night once? No is the answer to all these things.

I did not even blink at these changes and will continue to ignore them as long as it's above 200 or 14% and my viral load is suppressed.

« Last Edit: June 21, 2021, 09:27:13 am by Jim Allen »
HIV 101 - Everything you need to know
HIV 101
Read more about Testing here:
HIV Testing
Read about Treatment-as-Prevention (TasP) here:
HIV TasP
You can read about HIV prevention here:
HIV prevention
Read about PEP and PrEP here
PEP and PrEP

My Instagram
Threads

Offline s.papadas1

  • Member
  • Posts: 31
Re: HIV and Syphilis
« Reply #19 on: June 21, 2021, 10:44:22 am »
Thank you very much Jim. As always a crystal clear reassuring message received. Highly appreciated. I have set immense focus on continuously increasing my CD4 as an indicator of great health despite HIV. thanks a lot

Offline Jim Allen

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 22,193
  • Threads: @jim16309
    • Social Media: Threads
Re: HIV and Syphilis
« Reply #20 on: June 21, 2021, 05:44:11 pm »
np
HIV 101 - Everything you need to know
HIV 101
Read more about Testing here:
HIV Testing
Read about Treatment-as-Prevention (TasP) here:
HIV TasP
You can read about HIV prevention here:
HIV prevention
Read about PEP and PrEP here
PEP and PrEP

My Instagram
Threads

 


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.