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What is it like to have HIV?

Common symptoms	How bad it is	What people are taking for it
Severity Severe Moderate Mild None
Depressed mood	154 (10%) patients experienced severe severity 333 (22%) patients experienced moderate severity 499 (32%) patients experienced mild severity 553 (36%) patients experienced no severity	Bupropion, Citalopram, Escitalopram
Swollen glands	18 (1%) patients experienced severe severity 96 (6%) patients experienced moderate severity 273 (18%) patients experienced mild severity 1115 (74%) patients experienced no severity	Kaletra, Host Defense Organic Mushrooms, Vitamin C Intravenous (IV)
Diarrhea	52 (3%) patients experienced severe severity 162 (11%) patients experienced moderate severity 385 (26%) patients experienced mild severity 905 (60%) patients experienced no severity	Diphenoxylate and Atropine, Loperamide, Acidophilus
Fatigue	156 (10%) patients experienced severe severity 406 (26%) patients experienced moderate severity 512 (33%) patients experienced mild severity 464 (30%) patients experienced no severity	Modafinil, Vitamin B12 Injection, Testosterone
Chills/fever	23 (2%) patients experienced severe severity 98 (7%) patients experienced moderate severity 228 (15%) patients experienced mild severity 1154 (77%) patients experienced no severity	Efavirenz, Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen (Paracetamol)
Night sweats	72 (5%) patients experienced severe severity 153 (10%) patients experienced moderate severity 351 (23%) patients experienced mild severity 930 (62%) patients experienced no severity	Ibuprofen Prescription, Abacavir-Lamivudine
Decreased appetite	59 (4%) patients experienced severe severity 168 (11%) patients experienced moderate severity 312 (21%) patients experienced mild severity 966 (64%) patients experienced no severity	Dronabinol, Megestrol, Promethazine
Pain	114 (8%) patients experienced severe severity 277 (19%) patients experienced moderate severity 376 (26%) patients experienced mild severity 688 (47%) patients experienced no severity	Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen, Morphine, Ibuprofen
Insomnia	47 (9%) patients experienced severe severity 104 (20%) patients experienced moderate severity 150 (28%) patients experienced mild severity 229 (43%) patients experienced no severity	Lorazepam, Zolpidem, Trazodone
Anxious mood	103 (7%) patients experienced severe severity 343 (22%) patients experienced moderate severity 483 (31%) patients experienced mild severity 608 (40%) patients experienced no severity	Clonazepam, Alprazolam, Lorazepam
Rash or skin problems	48 (3%) patients experienced severe severity 135 (9%) patients experienced moderate severity 319 (21%) patients experienced mild severity 1002 (67%) patients experienced no severity	Triamcinolone topical, Mupirocin Topical, Valacyclovir

What do patients take to treat HIV and its symptoms?

Treatments reported by members	Perceived effectiveness	Overall rating of side effects	# of Evaluations
Efavirenz-Emtricitabine-Tenofovir (Atripla)	126 (79%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 13 (8%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 1 (1%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 1 (1%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 18 (11%) could not tell	24 (15%) experienced severe side effects 34 (21%) experienced moderate side effects 66 (42%) experienced mild side effects 35 (22%) experienced no side effects	159
Emtricitabine-Tenofovir (Truvada)	54 (69%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 11 (14%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 2 (3%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 1 (1%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 10 (13%) could not tell	6 (8%) experienced severe side effects 15 (19%) experienced moderate side effects 14 (18%) experienced mild side effects 43 (55%) experienced no side effects	78
Ritonavir (Norvir)	45 (76%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 3 (5%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 0 (0%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 1 (2%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 10 (17%) could not tell	5 (8%) experienced severe side effects 10 (17%) experienced moderate side effects 17 (29%) experienced mild side effects 27 (46%) experienced no side effects	59
Atazanavir (Reyataz)	29 (71%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 8 (20%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 3 (7%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 0 (0%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 1 (2%) could not tell	3 (7%) experienced severe side effects 12 (29%) experienced moderate side effects 9 (22%) experienced mild side effects 17 (41%) experienced no side effects	41
Efavirenz (Stocrin, Sustiva)	24 (73%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 2 (6%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 0 (0%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 0 (0%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 7 (21%) could not tell	6 (18%) experienced severe side effects 14 (42%) experienced moderate side effects 10 (30%) experienced mild side effects 3 (9%) experienced no side effects	33
Kaletra	25 (83%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 3 (10%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 0 (0%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 0 (0%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 2 (7%) could not tell	6 (20%) experienced severe side effects 10 (33%) experienced moderate side effects 5 (17%) experienced mild side effects 9 (30%) experienced no side effects	30
raltegravir (Isentress)	17 (59%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 3 (10%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 1 (3%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 1 (3%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 7 (24%) could not tell	0 (0%) experienced severe side effects 2 (7%) experienced moderate side effects 6 (21%) experienced mild side effects 21 (72%) experienced no side effects	29
Abacavir-Lamivudine (Epzicom, Kivexa)	20 (77%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 3 (12%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 0 (0%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 0 (0%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 3 (12%) could not tell	2 (8%) experienced severe side effects 3 (12%) experienced moderate side effects 6 (23%) experienced mild side effects 15 (58%) experienced no side effects	26
Darunavir (Prezista)	18 (78%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 2 (9%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 0 (0%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 0 (0%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 3 (13%) could not tell	1 (4%) experienced severe side effects 1 (4%) experienced moderate side effects 6 (26%) experienced mild side effects 15 (65%) experienced no side effects	23
Lamivudine-Zidovudine (Avocomb, Combivir)	14 (70%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 2 (10%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 0 (0%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 0 (0%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 4 (20%) could not tell	1 (5%) experienced severe side effects 6 (30%) experienced moderate side effects 7 (35%) experienced mild side effects 6 (30%) experienced no side effects	20
Nevirapine (Viramune XR, Viramune)	12 (60%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 2 (10%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 3 (15%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 1 (5%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 2 (10%) could not tell	1 (5%) experienced severe side effects 5 (25%) experienced moderate side effects 6 (30%) experienced mild side effects 8 (40%) experienced no side effects	20
Lamivudine (Epivir, Epivir HBV, 3TC)	10 (77%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 1 (8%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 0 (0%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 1 (8%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 1 (8%) could not tell	2 (15%) experienced severe side effects 3 (23%) experienced moderate side effects 2 (15%) experienced mild side effects 6 (46%) experienced no side effects	13
Tenofovir (Viread)	9 (75%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 3 (25%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 0 (0%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 0 (0%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 0 (0%) could not tell	3 (25%) experienced severe side effects 1 (8%) experienced moderate side effects 2 (17%) experienced mild side effects 6 (50%) experienced no side effects	12
Abacavir-lamivudine-zidovudine (Trizivir)	7 (70%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 1 (10%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 0 (0%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 0 (0%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 2 (20%) could not tell	4 (40%) experienced severe side effects 2 (20%) experienced moderate side effects 3 (30%) experienced mild side effects 1 (10%) experienced no side effects	10
Zidovudine (AZT/ZDV/Azidothymidine) (Retrovir)	4 (50%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 1 (13%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 0 (0%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 1 (13%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 2 (25%) could not tell	4 (50%) experienced severe side effects 2 (25%) experienced moderate side effects 0 (0%) experienced mild side effects 2 (25%) experienced no side effects	8

These charts show data from HIV patients' latest treatment evaluations

Who has HIV at PatientsLikeMe?

3,436 patients have this condition
65 New patients joined this month
3,355 say HIV is their primary condition

<20	20s	30s	40s	50s	60s	70+
Current Age
12 patients	270 patients	592 patients	690 patients	505 patients	127 patients	19 patients

Distribution of females vs. males
Gender
24%	Females
76%	Males

Age at first symptom
Age at first symptom	# of patients	Proportion
0-19 years	18	18
20-29 years	129	129
30-39 years	134	134
40-49 years	66	66
50-59 years	23	23
60-69 years	2	2
70+ years	0	0

Types
Condition Types	# of patients	Proportion
HIV-1: Group M: CRF	70	70
HIV-1: Group M: Type A1	208	208
HIV-1: Group M: Type A2	14	14
HIV-1: Group M: Type B	94	94
HIV-1: Group M: Type C	5	5
HIV-1: Group M: Type D	4	4
HIV-1: Group M: Type F1	8	8
HIV-1: Group M: Type F2	2	2
HIV-1: Group M: Type G	6	6
HIV-1: Group M: Type H	3	3
HIV-1: Group M: Type J	1	1
HIV-1: Group M: Type K	2	2
HIV-1: Group N	6	6
HIV-1: Group O	27	27
HIV-2	18	18

Diagnosis status
Diagnosis status	# of patients	Proportion
Not Diagnosed	23	23
Diagnosed	836	836

These charts show data from HIV patients who have completed their condition history

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Last updated: June 19, 2013