Confused on CD4,% for Aids CDC

[livelife83]

My first lab results are CD4: 156, VL=500k and %=18.
Does this put me in the AIDS category even though my percentage is not below 14%? I am recently infected, tested negative Summer 2009, and positive Sept. 2010. I had flu like symptoms and other HIV symptoms during Winter 2009. Im still confused why my numbers are so low. I had heard that new Infections tend to have low CD4 numbers and then sometimes your CD4 will go higher, correct me if i'm wrong. Just want to have some insight on this because I just started ARV and want to know how long I can plan for my life in the future or what is a average life expectancy for someone who has been diagnosed with "Clinical AIDS".

[Lucky2behere]

First, I want to say I am new here on this site as you seem to be as well. I'm sorry to hear that you are HIV positive as well. It's some tough news to carry around with you.

LittlePrince posted this on another question on here and I found it to be helpful but you have to look at it objectively: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hiv-timecourse.png

What I would do is go to some of the long-time survivor posts and look at their signature lines and see how dramatically the meds have helped the others. It's amazing. I will soon start the Atripla as well and from what I have seen, many see dramatic changes in their Cd4 and viral load in just 3 months.

Truthfully, only God knows when any of us are going to die. Stressing yourself out about it or worrying isn't going to help you at all. So please don't worry.

Keep your chin up and try not to sweat the small stuff. Try to believe that you are strong and you are going to get better and live a long time.  Hugs 

[littleprince]

AIDS is just a term used to track the progress of HIV. It doesn't have that much of a meaning anymore because antiviral drugs can reverse the progress of HIV. In the early days (1980's and early 90's) people would progress from HIV to AIDS and then sadly die. Now if you have AIDS you take medications and you get better and can expect to live a long and happy life.

You ask if you are classed as having AIDS. Yes, you do. because your CD4 count is below 200 you are classed as having AIDS even if your % is high. Just because you have AIDS doesn't mean that you will die soon. It just means that right now your immune system is low and needs to recover. As long as you take your drugs your CD4 count will increase and you will live a long life.

BTW, the link the Luck2behere posted that I posted in another discussion is for someone who doesn't take antiviral drugs. When you start on antivirals the VL drops to effectively zero and the CD4 starts to increase.

[AaronbytheC]

From what I've seen most of us take a big hit on the CD4's when we first are infected.  Once your body recognizes the virus it goes on the attack and your CD4's rebound to some extent.  (as shown in the CDC chart Lucky2behere posted a link to) 

If you look at my numbers below my first labs were taken about 3 months after my initial exposure.  They were low enough to warrant starting meds, however my doc wanted to wait a month and see what sort of bounce I'd get since we know it was a new infection.  Surprisingly the next labs were a bounce of nearly 200.  My third labs climbed as well...

Only time will tell how you react to the virus, however I'd lay money that given it's a new infection and you're already on meds you're going to see a good CD4 rebound shortly.   

[wtfimpoz]

My first lab results are CD4: 156, VL=500k and %=18.
Does this put me in the AIDS category even though my percentage is not below 14%? I am recently infected, tested negative Summer 2009, and positive Sept. 2010. I had flu like symptoms and other HIV symptoms during Winter 2009. Im still confused why my numbers are so low. I had heard that new Infections tend to have low CD4 numbers and then sometimes your CD4 will go higher, correct me if i'm wrong. Just want to have some insight on this because I just started ARV and want to know how long I can plan for my life in the future or what is a average life expectancy for someone who has been diagnosed with "Clinical AIDS".

Livelife, I want you to repeat after me:

I WILL NOT LOOK AT THE CDC CHART.  I WILL NOT LOOK AT THE CDC CHART.  I WILL NOT LOOK AT THE CDC CHART.  I WILL NOT LOO...

I think you get the message. 

There are too many factors involved to make it worthwhile to get hung up on words like "aids" or mathematical projections based on when your labs returned a snapshot of your immunological health.  Maybe the hardest thing to learn about HIV is to tune out the noise of the people around you, live life as best you can for yourself and believe what you know to be true.  In your case, your infection was probably WAY too recent to provide an estimation of your immunological health. 

[leatherman]

There are too many factors involved to make it worthwhile to get hung up on words like "aids"

unless that classification helps you get medical, prescription, housing or food support through social services.
we are talking about the US health care system, after all LOL

[wtfimpoz]

unless that classification helps you get medical, prescription, housing or food support through social services.
we are talking about the US health care system, after all LOL

hahaha, if you need it, or if you've been through hell and back and you wanna own it, more power to ya . 

[bryan21]

I think with your number's that does put you in the 'AIDS' category.
First off let me say that don't mean shit!..
All the mean's is you should or will have to start meds sooner.
Once you are on meds for a given amount of time you will come out of the 'AIDS' category and be back in the HIV range.
The % thing I have no idea about that my doctor tells me my % and number's correlate to one another.
The % is sometimes a better tool to look at other then the CD4 and Viral Load number's.Cause the can change drastically between visit's and in a single day.
And yes when someone is newly infected there CD4 should be high and Viral Load low..but CD4 can fall like a rock and Viral Load can shot up like a rocket..HIV is a very 'Personal' virus...It depend's on a whole array of thing's. Do you do drug's..drink..your genes..how active are you..etc..etc..
I was infected somewhere in the time frame of April 2009 to October 2009..So I think I have been poz for about a year and a half give or take a few month's I guess...I tested positive about six month's ago..
I have been lucky I caught it early.I have no drug resistance's and my body is fighting it very well my CD4 is still in normal range and my Viral Load is very very low like in the 500's..

But thank God this is not the 1980's.
The meds have came a long way..and there is no 'true' way to tell you how long u will live that is kinda in your hand's to an extent..Like I said HIV is a very 'personal' virus..do u do drug's do u drink how often..are you healthy do u eat right are you active..all these thing's matter!
But an average number on the year's that someone newly infected with HIV in 2010 could or can live is..
Now on one paper it said about 15-27 year's..on other's it said around 25-40 year's..and on another it said that someone with HIV in 2010 could live out there 'natural' life span...The only thing I can tell you is you will NOT die anytime soon!
You will live a long full life!..Shit you can make it to 50-60-70 if you want to!
<3
<3
<3

[Assurbanipal]

The way the US defines the term, once HIV has brought your tcell count under 200 (or if you get certain illnesses) you are classified as having acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).  Even if you start the drugs and your immune system recovers you still have the syndrome and need drugs to remain healthy.  So you are still counted as having AIDS in the official numbers even though you are on drug therapy and quite healthy.

Other countries define what is "AIDS" differently.  In the US, though, it is a way of defining the group of people who are likely to get sick quickly, if they go off their drugs.  Since the US health care system is fragmented, defining AIDS this way is helpful for federal policymakers who are allocating resources to Ryan White, ADAP and other programs that help people manage with AIDS.

What this definition doesn't do is to tell you much that is useful about living your life once get onto a stable drug regimen.  (It tells you how important it is to get started on a stable drug regimen, though!)  There are studies out there that look at that, and, basically, if you can get your immune system and tcell counts back into the normal ranges your life expectancy and life chances will be almost as good as they were before and as good as the average person your age.

You don't now have full control over your life chances.  ... of course, you never did... luck did and will always play a role.  But you have a lot of control over how good those chances are.  By working with a doctor to find a reigimen that works for you and that you can stick with (day in and day out) you have every opportunity to live a long and fulfilling life.

So , focus on the things you can control, and be of good cheer

Assurbanipal