There is nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about if you are feeling fatigued. Although health care providers have come to understand the biology of HIV much better over the years, some of them have more empathy than others for people with HIV-related symptoms. Even though experiences of fatigue are common symptoms of an underlying complication, health care providers may dismiss these symptoms as being unavoidable problems associated with HIV and don't take the time to investigate further. Some go so far as to say that their patient's fatigue is psychosomatic and that what is really needed is a mental health professional, not a medical doctor. Yet, fatigue is often a sign of an underlying problem and, if evaluated properly, its cause can be determined and treated.
If you feel fatigued, be sure to tell your doctor. If you think your symptoms are dismissed too quickly, be sure to discuss with him or her the possibility of being tested for their potential causes. There's no right or wrong way to discuss fatigue: any question or concern you have is worthy of a serious response. The only wrong thing to do is to not discuss the issue at all.
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