Have cronic cough and have dropped 40 pounds in 2 weeks. HIV negative. So what's the cause?
105318
If you have lost 40 pound in two weeks something is seriously  wrong and you need to go to the doctor right now!
569981
This would mean a man would have a weight of 88 pounds, so unless he is 60 in. or 147 cm. tall, then he would be underweight. If he is tall, then I would suspect malnutrition or a chronic health problem such as HIV+. If that is the case, I would hope that the man would get treatment, and recover his healthy weight, in addition to increasing his chances of survival.
429960
well...with such bad linguistic and conversational skills, it looks like u had sex with a junkie or a commercially paid woman.\nthat also points toward u being a possible addict.\nwith such high risk lifestyles...i dont really trust u for having used a condom throughout.\ngo get a western blot for hiv done 180 days after the episode.\nif tat comes negative u dont have aids/hiv infection\nif that comes positive, please study further and try to improve your grammar, spellings et al.
159620
You have to be patient with a virus,only rest and time will help. Sometimes there can be secondary effects like a cough that develops into pnuemonia. Simply take bed rest, eat bland food and try to stay hydrated.\nOh a lot of the time what we think is a virus is food poisoning. Now that you may want to get checked out by a doctor.
752541
sick or not if you are positive you are positive- being sick does not give you the disease -the quicker it is diagnosed and treatment started the longer you will probably have less symptoms and go into full blown AIDS later-better than sooner- D
725880
Hate to burst your bubble but it's miserable! I end up with pneumonia every winter and last year I don't even remember 4 out of the 10 days I was stuck in bed. You get bored, sore from laying around and stiff from not using your muscles. I was so weak it took all I had just to get out of bed to go to the bathroom.
389983
Because a negative test result likely indicates absence of HIV infection (i.e., high negative predictive value), a negative test need not be repeated in clients with no new exposure in settings with low HIV prevalence. For clients with a recent history of known or possible exposure to HIV who are tested before they could develop detectable antibodies (129,130), the possibility of HIV infection cannot be excluded without follow-up testing. A false negative result also should be considered in persons with a negative HIV-1 test who have clinical symptoms suggesting HIV-1 infection or AIDS. Additional testing for HIV-2 and HIV-1 group O infection might be appropriate for these persons.\n\nThis basically says that if your results are non-reactive, you are not HIV positive, but if you are still in a high-risk group (multiple partners without using protection, drug user, health care worker, etc.) you should retest in the near future. It also would be important that this initial test was done within the timeframe that it would be accurate, and not too early after the exposure.  I hope this helps.  \n\nIf you are indeed lucky this time, please be smart and take the precautions to protect yourself, your life, and the lives of those you care about.
154872
One will generally see the effects of seroconversion illness 3 to 6 weeks after infection with HIV. Not everyone gets this, though.\n\nIf you think you have been exposed to HIV, see your doctor about Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) as soon as possible. Call them now and ask for an urgent appointment first thing in the morning. The sooner you get PEP, the more likely it is to prevent infection.
888781
ever had pneumonia? I had the same thing but let it go on too long. landed in hospital. bed ridden for better than 2 wks,  it starts as congestion then leads to pneumonia. seek docs advice.
583987
Hello:\nThis is in response to your question posted about symptoms of HIV. I treat a lot of patients with HIV and AIDS. There is a difference. Being HIV positive means simply that you have been exposed to the virus and infected. More often than not, people have no symptoms at all. There is a syndrome called "acute retroviral syndrome" which can occur weeks to a few months after being infected. The symptoms are like having a flu. Fever, swollen lymph nodes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, malaise, sore throat, muscle and joint aches, and a diffuse rash on the body however, this resolves soon and the person thinks he/she just had a flu or bad cold. Most HIV patients have no symptoms until their T-cell CD4 counts get below a certain number and their viral load (the number of copies of virus in 1 ml of blood) rises above a certain number. When these two things happen, the patient will begin to develop symptoms, ie. more colds, more viral infections, pneumonia, bronchitis, yeast infections, thrush, skin rashes. Then there is what are called "AIDS-defining illnesses". Examples include esophageal "thrush", pneumocystis pneumonia ("PCP"), kaposi sarcoma (a type of skin cancer that are deep purple in color) just to name a few.  The only real way you know if you have HIV is to have the HIV 1&2 antibody test done by your physician. This can be done by blood draw, or more simply a swab of your mouth/saliva. If positive, then the doc will check your viral load and T-cell counts. Usually symptoms do not start appearing until the T-lymphocyte cell count falls below 200. HIV is not a death sentence like it was originally. Most people infected with HIV back in the early 80's to mid 90's went on to develop full blown AIDS due to lack of anti-retroviral drugs. Currently, the are many HIV drugs that target the virus replication, entry into the T-cells, ability of virus to form its protein coat, and some others that act in a different manner that are in the drug pipeline but not currently available. Rarely in the United States do you see AIDS defining illnesses and people are living much longer now. I have a patient I treat who was diagnosed in 1988 and he is still very much alive and kicking thanks to the many drug cocktails available to keep the virus at bay. In fact, the virus is undetectable in his bloodstream now and his T-cell counts are back to normal.\nI hope this helped answer your questions.\nRegards, \nWarren Shaffer, M.D.
862039
HI BARB\n\nHere is the cause and a remedy for you.\n\nCause \nThis is often caused by a stomach disorder that comes from overloading the system with food, wherein fermentation in the stomach causes phlegm. It may also be induced by inflammation in the bronchial tubes due to a neglected cold. Worms may be the cause. Many coughs are from a nervous condition, where coughing may eventually become habitual. Coughs are highly misunderstood. Usually a sore throat and coughing are caused by the sinuses draining the eustachian tubes, which is like pouring acid down the throat. A cough usually comes from a lowered vitality in the system from improper diet, loss of sleep, lack of exercise, and fresh air, improper breathing, poor elimination, or improper night clothing and bedding. \n\nHerbal Aids \n1. Acute coughs can often be relieved with a little honey and onion syrup. When it is the result of an old acute condition, clear out the morbid condition as rapidly as possible without causing irritation. In old cough conditions, comfrey with vervain or mullein are very good. The antispasmodic tincture is also excellent, and it is good to massage the chest area across the back with an antispasmodic tincture during attacks of spasms. Antispasmodic tincture may be used both internally and externally as a liniment on the throat. If this is due to a neglected cold, any of the diaphoretic herbs are excellent. To relieve the coughing spasms, use horehounds, comfrey, or a small amount of lobelia. High enemas of herbal laxatives will relieve congestion of the bowels, and if the cough is severe (asthma, whooping cough) load the stomach with liquids and induce vomiting. \n\nBest of health to you\n\nCheers
428389
Any foreign body in the lungs virus, bacteria, food, dust, etc. is going to make you cough. This is the natural defense mechanism of the lungs. Generally, the primary symptoms of TB are significant weight loss, hemoptysis(coughing up blood), fever, and night sweats. TB can easily be diagnosed with a PPD skin test. TB is highly contagious so it needs to be treated immediately. \n\nHope this helps.
1012717
The normal wbc count is some where between 11000-12000, your count is too low, precautionary check your HIV test done. your immune power has gone too down, try to keep your surrounding neet and clean and maintain a good level of hygiene. your joint pain might be because of this also. if your RA is negative have your cpk , serum uric acid and blood sugar done. good luck and have a fast recovery.
1127114
I wouldn't worry too much until you get your chest xrays done. You could be  just a carrier of TB and not have the active disease. If your xray is negative you could be given meds to prevent the development of the disease in the future. Here's a link with all the answers you need:\nhttp://www2.dmi.columbia.edu/resources/tbcpp/skintest.html\n\n\nI can't reply to your email cuz it says your emal addy hasn't been confirmed!\n\nHere is my reply:\nI had a rare form of TB when I was 3. It was the first case like that that the doctor had seen in over 25 years. If afflicted my lymph nodes on the left side of my neck.  I had surgery to remove the affected tissue. For the next year I had to take 2 differnt types of meds and have chest xrays every 2mths. I am now 32 and still test positive although it is no longer active. I would get your family tested also.  I had my 4 sons tested at the age of 9mths due to my being a carrier.  Even if you do have it the prognosis is good as long as you do what the doctor prescribes for you.\n\n \nSymptoms may improve in 2 to 3 weeks, with improvement seen in the chest X-ray lagging behind clinical improvement. Prognosis is excellent if pulmonary TB is diagnosed early and treatment is begun. \n\nhttp://health.allrefer.com/health/pulmonary-tuberculosis-prognosis.html\n\nI wish you the best.
716466
With all the adenopathy and atelectasis (collapsed parts of the lung) I would be very concerned about the findings.  Have you lost weight?  Are you more tired than usual?  Are you coughing?  Did they do any lab work also?  \nI am sure your doctor is going to refer you for more tests.  You may need biopsies (tissue samples) also.  \nMake a list of your questions & concerns before you go to the doctor and bring the list w/ you.  If at all possible, have a friend or family member got to the vist with you.  When we are anxious, we tend to forget what was said.  \nGood luck to you!
1056986
Maybe you should try going to see a lung specialist or a stomach doctor.\n I would definitely check lung though
131911
At first there may not be any symptoms at all. The virus can live in the body without showing any symptoms for up to 10 years untreated. Symptoms do not seriously begin to develop until the virus has moved into the AIDS stage, which is the final stage of HIV infection. Within this stage, symptoms include:\n\n Mild: fatigue, unexplained weight loss, mild fever, diarrhea, and sore throat.\n Severe: loss of appetite, skin diseases, night sweats, and deterioration of mucous membranes.\n\n The best bet is to get tested regularly if you engage in risky sexual activity, or use injection drugs.  If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact your local department of public health. Free testing is available, as well as risk reduction, and post-infection counseling.