When do they call it "AIDS"

[puertorico2006]

Ok so i know that you are considered to have "AIDS" when your CD4 count drops below 200 but is it also a requirement to have an OI ....or is it <CD4 200 or an OI....just wondering because when i went to my new Dr the other day and mentioned my current medical history i mentioned i recently had an acute phase case of CMV...he looked at my labs and marked it down under OI (even though my cd4 were way too high to have a reactivated case of CMV). The lowest CD4 ive tested were 309...

I know its just a change in technical term and it doesnt really matter much but what criteria has to be met to be considered as having AIDS instead of just HIV+

[Bucko]

As far as I know, AIDS is a legal/clinical term used to describe someone with fewer than 200 CD4 and an OI. There was a thread here not too long ago that went over it all in detail, but a quick search came up empty.

At any rate, with over 300 CD4s, you wouldn't have qualified even at your worst. That's not a bad thing.

Brent
(Who uses "AIDS" for shock purposes)

[puertorico2006]

lol ok ...just wondering anyways....i wasnt freaking out or anything just curious :-D

although i found out i need 2 wait 1.5 months for labs to get back at this new "center"
that kind of freaks me out lol....since im kind of borderlined and im already at 3 months without labs now :-D lol

[Bucko]

I'm hardly one of the resident "Med Experts", but with such numbers, I'm surprised that you weren't slapped with a half-dozen prescriptions.

With ten years of meds (and all the accompanying icky side effects) under my belt, waiting's not such a bad thing in my estimation. We all felt the slap of "hit it hard, hit it early".

Brent
(Who is certain that PR2006's numbers will improve)

[puertorico2006]

yea well i would have gone on the meds if my viral load was higher....

but felt bad from the CMV during both labs so that why the DR said to wait till the next lab and then decide (but then i switched doctors and now im past due lol

Oh well so long as i dont get any OI in the next 2 months i should be fine haha (and ill probably be ok ;-))

[David_CA]

As far as I know, AIDS is a legal/clinical term used to describe someone with fewer than 200 CD4 and an OI. There was a thread here not too long ago that went over it all in detail, but a quick search came up empty.

At any rate, with over 300 CD4s, you wouldn't have qualified even at your worst. That's not a bad thing.

Brent
(Who uses "AIDS" for shock purposes)

Actually, according to CDC definitions in use, HIV and an OI OR a CD4 below 200 qualifies one for an AIDS diagnosis.  I had a CD4 of 284, a % in the low 20's, and I had a really bad case of PCP.  We were all surprised at how sick I was.  8 days in the hospital (and I'm still on Bactrim) and 3.5 months later I'm still not back to my old self (in terms of lung capacity).  Would I have started meds earlier?  Most certainly, but it varies person-to-person.  I figure a month or two extra time on meds won't be as bad as some of the OI's, at least in my case.  My viral load was much higher, though.  Damn it, I'm still stuck with this AIDS diagnosis! 

David

[thunter34]

Like David said, I was also told that either a count below 200 or an OI with HIV would qualify.  Wouldn't have made much of a difference with me either way:  I was well below 200 AND with a nice OI (esophageal thrush, fyi). 

Tim

(rarely one to do anything half way)