[bluepeter]

Hi

I'm based in London in the UK and have been on antiretroviral therapy for three years and very settled on my first combination. I've suffered with an undiagnosed sleep disorder since I was about 14 and I am now 33. I've had all the conventional tests and due for another overnight sleep study in March.

I went to see a chinese medicince practitioner who is very experienced and has done some work with the University of California. He regularly goes to China and the States in connection to his work. He diagnosed a kidney yin deficiency - and even looking on this website the symptoms fit. He came back from China last year with some herbs for me but my pharmacy in the HIV unit where I get my meds from say they will impact on my treatment. The herbs are An Shen and Bai Zi Yang. The pharmacist said they contained fructose which would affect the level of drugs in my system and could cause the virus to replicate and I might have to change my combination.

As it stands I fall asleep all the time - at work on my PC, in meetings, on the tube, on the train. I'm always sleepy after lunch - I know most people are - but I actually fall asleep while I'm typing! I have really weird sleep patterns. I also have always had to get up to urinate in the night every night since the age of about 13 - so i think there is some connection.

It's holding me back from progressing in my career - I can't get any effective work done in the afternoons and when I get home I'm exhausted.

I am clear that Chinese medicine/herbs will not cure my HIV I'd like to hear of anyone who has experience of using Chinese herbs in combination with regular HIV drugs.