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Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: TheRoof on September 27, 2011, 09:09:17 pm

Title: "Moderately Immuno-Compromised"
Post by: TheRoof on September 27, 2011, 09:09:17 pm
Hello, I am a 21-year old Male who is Hiv +. I have been Hiv Positive for 3 years. Shortly after sero-converting to Positive Status. I got a doctor in literally 1.5-2 months after.

2008' #'s
CD4: 650-850
VL: 300-2500

2009 #’s
CD4: 600-750
VL: 5000-20000

2010 #’s:
CD4: 550-680
VL: 20,000-40,000

March 2011:
CD4: 687
VL: 67000-ish

Current (Last Month)
CD4: 461
VL: 40000-ish
 
It’s been almost 3 ½ years since my Hiv + Seroconversion and my CD4’s are not that great anymore, as you can tell. I always forget what my previous numbers exactly but they were in this range. The trend is going down.

I was wondering when a person is in the 350-500 range of CD4’s (With a moderately high Viral Load) what are some of the symptoms one can experience. I know most people are different, but what your personal experiences that you dealt with “health-wise” when you reached that 350-500 threshold. I am starting medication very soon. (Most likely in the next 1-3 months or so. I am in school right now; and I don’t want to get on medication right in the midst of the semester)
Title: Re: "Moderately Immuno-Compromised"
Post by: LoboDog on September 27, 2011, 09:37:50 pm
Hey Roof,

They say the magic number is 200... I wouldn't know though. I had my head in the sand and wasn't tested until my t-cells were down to 47. I should have known something was up prior to that.

This disease attacks people in different ways. For me, the only symptoms that I had was a lack of energy. I started sleeping 12 hours a day. Otherwise until a month prior to testing positive, everything else was fine.

I highly recommend chatting with your doc and seeing if he recommends meds yet. My immune system was so run down when I started meds that it took a year and a half to get above 200 t-cells. That was a very scary year and a half.

Take care and stay healthy...
Title: Re: "Moderately Immuno-Compromised"
Post by: SoSadTooBad on September 27, 2011, 09:39:35 pm
I am with you, LoboDog...  I was a dope, and was not tested until my CD4 count was 78, I can only surmise when I was in the 350-500 range, but here goes:

Around 500ish - seasonal flu was more intense when had it, but nothing else really

Around 400ish - seasonal flu was more frequent and intense, nothing else

Around 300ish - started to see the occasional cold sore, pretty much guaranteed to get the flu each winter, and it would knock me out for a week or more

Around 200ish - frequent tonsilitis, sore throats, dandruff and dry skin, more cold sores, stomach sensitive to food borne illness

Around 100ish - occasional fever, lots of headaches, severe dandruff and dry skin, almost constant sore throat, some fatigue, lots of cold sores

FYI - my VL was 35,000 at diagnosis.

Generally, I did pretty well, even at 300ish CD4s - the wheels began to fall off around 200, I am humbled by my stupidity and my good fortune that things were not worse.

Best of luck to you in school and in starting meds when you choose to.
Title: Re: "Moderately Immuno-Compromised"
Post by: TheRoof on September 27, 2011, 09:49:20 pm
Hey Roof,

They say the magic number is 200... I wouldn't know though. I had my head in the sand and wasn't tested until my t-cells were down to 47. I should have known something was up prior to that.

This disease attacks people in different ways. For me, the only symptoms that I had was a lack of energy. I started sleeping 12 hours a day. Otherwise until a month prior to testing positive, everything else was fine.

I highly recommend chatting with your doc and seeing if he recommends meds yet. My immune system was so run down when I started meds that it took a year and a half to get above 200 t-cells. That was a very scary year and a half.

Take care and stay healthy...

!! Very interesting. I try to be rational. I know that majority of people may not notice symptoms due to the fact that fatigue and other "mild symptoms" (like colds, sore throats) are not THAT bad. Even though the magic number is 200. I strongly believe that a person may still get sick at least "Moderately". It's not like a person is fine and healthy and then all of a sudden they are sick. Sometimes a person may start getting migranes, fatigue, (little stuff, that turns into big issues)
I am with you, LoboDog...  I was a dope, and was not tested until my CD4 count was 78, I can only surmise when I was in the 350-500 range, but here goes:

Around 500ish - seasonal flu was more intense when had it, but nothing else really

Around 400ish - seasonal flu was more frequent and intense, nothing else

Around 300ish - started to see the occasional cold sore, pretty much guaranteed to get the flu each winter, and it would knock me out for a week or more

Around 200ish - frequent tonsilitis, sore throats, dandruff and dry skin, more cold sores, stomach sensitive to food borne illness

Around 100ish - occasional fever, lots of headaches, severe dandruff and dry skin, almost constant sore throat, some fatigue, lots of cold sores

FYI - my VL was 35,000 at diagnosis.

Generally, I did pretty well, even at 300ish CD4s - the wheels began to fall off around 200, I am humbled by my stupidity and my good fortune that things were not worse.

Best of luck to you in school and in starting meds when you choose to.


!!! Very interesting. I've never gotten ulcers before HIV. After HIV, it went from 1-2 a year. To maybe 5-6 times in the past two years. This last ulcer I had was so aggravating It was horrible.
I get tonsillitis at least 3-4 times a year now.

The WORST thing is the fatigue. That hits me worse than anything else. I have to sleep for at least 10 hours a night, to get a decent sleep, .  UGH.
Title: Re: "Moderately Immuno-Compromised"
Post by: LoboDog on September 27, 2011, 10:44:11 pm
!! Very interesting. I try to be rational. I know that majority of people may not notice symptoms due to the fact that fatigue and other "mild symptoms" (like colds, sore throats) are not THAT bad. Even though the magic number is 200. I strongly believe that a person may still get sick at least "Moderately". It's not like a person is fine and healthy and then all of a sudden they are sick. Sometimes a person may start getting migranes, fatigue, (little stuff, that turns into big issues)


This disease doesn't hit you all at once... It slowly creeps up. Don't let it do that to you. Life is so much nicer with an immune system!!!!
Title: Re: "Moderately Immuno-Compromised"
Post by: Since2005 on October 09, 2011, 06:00:34 am
Hi,

I have been Poz since 2005 (Well that explains my screen name). My last month's reading on the stat was: CD4: 564, VL: 2953, CD4%: 25%

I believe this will change drastically as I am starting to see more symptoms. Currently I am noticing some 'skin disorder'. I am seeing some area on my hand and elbows are getting darkened ( not much but still..). It could be due to some vitamin deficiency and my voice is getting more 'husky' meaning I am losing my voice. Pretty scary stuff to me as I have not seen any other symptoms before except I had developed some 'rash' about two and half months ago. I believe these symptoms due to 'moderately immuno - compromised' issues.

My stat that you are seeing above is my first ever. My doc has scheduled another blood drawn this month. Usually it’s every three months but I did not have any other taken before so to get a trend, he scheduled one sooner.  I am pretty worried about my symptoms. These are not that visible yet but still everything counts and could turn into a huge problem. Other than that, I am pretty healthy. I am going to see the doc this/next week and will figure out what's going on more about those symptoms. I am currently not on meds. I will decide on that after I get a bigger picture of my immune system (I will get another count this month and we will take it from there.)

Everybody is different and the virus affects everyone differently and mine is more towards the skin :). Sorry did not mean to laugh but one thing I have learned after being absent from treating the virus is that you got to monitor your health regularly. I am just lucky to have that started at a perfect time so to speak.

Its pretty clear that your (OP) trend is downwards and I am glad you are being monitored. Good luck with your exam and the decision that you are going to make on taking meds and overall on your health.
Title: Re: "Moderately Immuno-Compromised"
Post by: surf18 on October 09, 2011, 09:38:30 am
i was dx'd with tcells around 220. i had zero energy. zero. thats what made me go to the dr for a physical ,never thinking in a million years what i would be told....
i also had gingivitis that i couldnt get rid of , despite the fact that i floss twice a day and use listerine. i later found out that is a sympton of this.i also had a constant dry cough and i dont smoke. that too i believe is a sympton. i also had my first sick day from work in 25 years earlier in that year due to a nasty cold i couldnt shake.
Title: Re: "Moderately Immuno-Compromised"
Post by: Since2005 on October 27, 2011, 10:13:06 pm
Hi,

I wanted to bring this up to say that I misspoke about my condition. I have gone to the doc and he confirmed that the skin conditions that I was referring to is not due to HIV/AIDS. I wanted to make sure I speak about this so that others are not misinformed by me.

I have learned my lessons. I guess I am super anxious, so if anything that's unusual I feel like that's due to HIV issues. Apologies for the confusion.  Well, next time, I will get the info from doc first before I express my opinion.

Good luck to all AIDS peeps!