Subscribe to HIV/AIDS email updates. HIV wasting syndrome A
person with HIV wasting syndrome loses at least 10 percent of
her body weight and has at least 30 days of either diarrhea or
weakness and fever. A person with HIV-associated wasting is
considered to have AIDS. Severe loss of weight and muscle, or
lean body mass, leads to muscle weakness and organ failure.
Wasting is caused by many things: - Not wanting to eat (poor
appetite) - Side effects from drugs, like a change in your sense
of taste - No energy to shop and prepare food - Sore mouth -
Problems swallowing - Nausea or vomiting - Problems absorbing
nutrients - Feeling full from only a small amount of food
because your stomach doesn't empty right Here are some tips to
help you keep weight on and treat weight loss: - Try to prevent
or treat opportunistic infections that interfere with eating. -
Talk to your doctor about medicines to increase your appetite
and to treat nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. - Eat healthy
foods. To find out what foods are good