WHEN WAS I INFECTED?

[bobosa]

I have been poz for the past seven years. But I have always have problem to pin down my possible time, place and source of infection.

I moved to my present country, South Africa, in June 1998. I started getting sick in September 1999 and got diagnosed in November 1999. My CD4 count was just a little above 300 then. I started on HAART in 2002.

In my attempts at tracing the source of infection I have been in contact directly or indirectly with the ladies I had sexual contact with in my former country. They all seem healthy, unlike in my present country where two of the ladies I initially had sexual contact with had passed away a few years back.

The confusion lies in the short period between my arrival in the new country and the time of my sickness and diagnosis. This was just over a year. Could I have been infected and my immune system got so compromised within this short period in my new country? Or is it just that the clue was not forthcoming from my former country? Please help!       

[Ann]

Hi Bobosa,

Welcome to the forum.

There's really no way for us to tell you when you were infected. A CD4 count in the 300s could happen at any time during hiv infection and a person could be quite healthy - or unwell - with that count. The most important thing is that you know now that you are hiv positive and you can take care of yourself.

How are you doing on HAART?

Ann

[Coffeechick88]

It's not always possible to pinpoint the exact time of infection unless you had one source of risk or if you regularly got tested for HIV, you could pinpoint roughly the period in which it occurred.   300 may not have been a significant drop for you--we rarely know the CD4 count in an uninfected person and the reference range is usually 500-1500 or 400-1200 (varies lab to lab).  So if your "normal" value was always at the low end of the "normal" range, say 500 then 300 then really that isn't a significant drop in a short time than say if you normally ran 1000 and your first count was 300.  Also, people progress differently in HIV, some faster than others.

[bobosa]

Thanx Ann & Coffee for your responses.

I can deduct from your responses that it's useless embarking on tracing infection source exercise. The good news is that I'm presently doing well on my meds, except for the battle with lipoatrophy which has made me changed my combo from 3TC+Stavudine+Nevirapine to that of 3TC+AZT+Nevirapine. Although I'm noticing a slight change in my weight: gained about 4kg since the change but the facial and pelvic wasting still worries me.

I read in an article that Stavudine and AZT are possible culprits. I'm again considering replacing AZT with Tenovofir. That would be the third time I changed a component of my regime. Any advice?   
 

[Ann]

Hello again Bobosa,

Yes, it is essentially a futile exercise to try and figure out when you were infected. Sorry.

I'm glad to hear you're doing well. I am not the best person to answer your med related questions but there are many others here who can give you excellent info.

I suggest you start a new thread with a title that reflects your questions about the meds. You may also want to check out some of the other forums - such as Treatment Questions, Side Effects and of course the Lipodystophy forum. You'll find links to those forums on both the main page of these forums as well as in the column on the left hand side of any forum page.

Keep looking forward, instead of to the past, and keep taking care of yourself. That's all any of us can do.

Take care,
Ann
xxx