Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
April 02, 2024, 06:26:03 am

Login with username, password and session length


Members
  • Total Members: 37617
  • Latest: NChio
Stats
  • Total Posts: 772997
  • Total Topics: 66312
  • Online Today: 225
  • Online Ever: 5484
  • (June 18, 2021, 11:15:29 pm)
Users Online
Users: 1
Guests: 178
Total: 179

Welcome


Welcome to the POZ Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and others concerned about HIV/AIDS.  Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning:  Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

  • The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own physician.

  • All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

  • Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators of these forums. Click here for “Do I Have HIV?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ community forums.

  • We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are true and correct to their knowledge.

  • Product advertisement—including links; banners; editorial content; and clinical trial, study or survey participation—is strictly prohibited by forums members unless permission has been secured from POZ.

To change forums navigation language settings, click here (members only), Register now

Para cambiar sus preferencias de los foros en español, haz clic aquí (sólo miembros), Regístrate ahora

Finished Reading This? You can collapse this or any other box on this page by clicking the symbol in each box.

Author Topic: Would these counts suggest infection was recent?  (Read 4841 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline DOUBLE_DECKER

  • Member
  • Posts: 4
Would these counts suggest infection was recent?
« on: February 19, 2012, 05:13:35 pm »
I got my bloods taken and I got the results which showed my CD4 count was 860 and my viral load was 400.

Offline Hellraiser

  • Member
  • Posts: 4,155
  • Semi-misanthropic
Re: Would these counts suggest infection was recent?
« Reply #1 on: February 19, 2012, 05:50:04 pm »
I got my bloods taken and I got the results which showed my CD4 count was 860 and my viral load was 400.

There's no way to know from counts alone how long you've been infected.

With that said however, usually when someone has very recently seroconverted their CD4 drops dramatically and their viral load spikes.  This is then followed by a reverse in both of those trends as your body gets the infection under "control"

Offline Ann

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 28,134
  • It just is, OK?
    • Num is sum qui mentiar tibi?
Re: Would these counts suggest infection was recent?
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2012, 09:27:02 am »
It's pretty much impossible to know when you were infected going by your numbers. Everyone's body reacts to hiv differently. Normally, the only way to know for sure is to go by previous negative results. If you never tested before getting the positive result, it's anyone's guess.

With numbers like yours, you could have been infected six months ago or six years ago, or any time since you've been sexually active.

Your numbers are fantastic, by the way. :)

One question I have to ask - was your positive diagnosis confirmed with a Western Blot test? Sometimes viral load testing can come back with low numbers like yours, when there isn't actually any virus there. This is why viral load testing isn't recommended for diagnostic purposes - they can give false positive results.

On the other hand, if you have been confirmed positive with additional testing (the WB), you just might be a long-term non-progessor (LTNP). This means that you might not need meds for a long time as your body can suppress the virus with no outside help. You can read more about non-progressors at The Zephyr Foundation.
Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline MommieDammit

  • New Member
  • Posts: 2
Re: Would these counts suggest infection was recent?
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2012, 02:31:14 pm »
I'd have to agree with the others here - far too often the viral load and CD4 count have nothing to do with the length of time you've been infected. Personally, I went through almost 3 years with no load and "normal" T-cell counts before landing on my back in the emergency room with advanced pneumocystis... that was only 3 months after the last batch of tests.
Personally, as a long-term survivor, I believe "when" you became infected really isn't the point. The point is you are - now what are you going to do about it. Living with HIV presents a whole boat-load of new objectives, limitations, and aggravations you've never had to deal with before. One of the most important things you need to develop early-on is a good, solid support system. Your HIV specialist will be central in that, but just as important are your friends, family, good neighbors, councilors, and (if you're religious) pastors/rabbis/priests. Even a hard-core battle-axe like me needs to lean on somebody once in a while.  ;)

Offline ejwilliamson90

  • Member
  • Posts: 39
  • Things can only get better
    • My Facebook Page
Re: Would these counts suggest infection was recent?
« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2012, 03:18:25 pm »
I've been diagnosed positive for 10 months now. And all I can say is time will tell with all of this. the good thing about that reading is you don't have to start on Atripla or a harder regimen since you started with a low VL. I believe complera was approved for people with Viral Load readings under 100k and if there is the option for a simple once a day treatment take it! I was on atripla, however the sustiva in it started becoming less effective. Now I take 6 HIV pills a day, and about 5 for side affects. And waiting to start treatment to me is scary. Why let your viral load rise, and your cd4's drop when you don't have to and we have great meds with lower side affects available to people who get diagnosed early enough. Cause after your cd4's go below 200 or 300 your doctor will put you on a prophylactic for PJP Pnumonia. I take dapsone for that, but they usually start you on bactrin which landed me in the hospital. So the moral of the story, get tested often (which you did you thats a gold star), and start therapy early looking at it from a long term view. And take control of your health, it's all you got. You'll be fine! And I'm also sorry that you had to get the diagnosis even though the companies paint it as an easy to handle disease, the worst part of it is the psycological effect  and stigmas you'll experience. But stay strong, keep your friends close, go to all your appointments, and take care of yourself and you'll live forever (well not forever, lol)!
04/14/11  HIV- + Diagnosis
05/15/11 Initial CD4/VL reading: 89/ 550,000
05/15/11 - Genotype Test revealed no mutations
06/01/11 -Started Atripla
07/01/11- CD4/VL 125/900
09/26/11- CD4/VL 183/90
10/20/11- CD4/VL  172/72
11/15/11- CD4/VL 185/82
12/20/11- CD4/VL 186/<20!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FINALLY UD!
02/10/12 -CD4/VL 175/70
02/14/12- New Regimen: Norvir, Prezista, Isentress, Truvada
03/05/12 - CD4/VL 203/30 :
04/06/2012: cd4 228 vl <20
05/26/2012 cd4/vl 253/80
07/25/2012 cd4/vl 249/<20
09/10/2012 cd4/ vl 294/<20
Medications:
Prevacid 30, Ativan 2mg 4x/day,Testim 50mg daily, Certavite Multivitamin with Antioxidants, Quinapril 40mg, Fish Oil 3/day, 1000mg Garlic, 2-4 G Carafate, Paxil 20mg, Dapsone 100mg, Norvir, Prezista, Truvada, Isentress.
PRN: Marinol, Baclofen, Ultrum, Patanase, Lidoderm

Offline sshortguy1

  • Member
  • Posts: 118
Re: Would these counts suggest infection was recent?
« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2012, 01:04:26 pm »
i have to agree with the others there but i do know i got tested once every 6 monthes but i was tested back in nov of 2011 gotten the test back in dec my cd was 223  with v/l of 250k 

Offline sshortguy1

  • Member
  • Posts: 118
Re: Would these counts suggest infection was recent?
« Reply #6 on: March 02, 2012, 01:06:31 pm »
but i did find out that other's cd4 counts range from 500-1200 that r neg

 


Terms of Membership for these forums
 

© 2024 Smart + Strong. All Rights Reserved.   terms of use and your privacy
Smart + Strong® is a registered trademark of CDM Publishing, LLC.