AIDS to HIV

[cnd2013]

Hi everyone,
I have a question that I haven't found a clear answer for. Can someone diagnosed with AIDS return to HIV+ status if the opportunistic diseases that led to the AIDS diagnosis are cured or controlled?

I searched and searched and could not find a definitive answer. Any help or support is greatly appreciated. A very hard situation is quickly becoming the most awful experience of my life.

Also, are trouble swallowing solids, and irregular heartbeats common for someone who has been diagnosed with AIDS?

Thank you all in advance. I appreciate what you all are doing for myself and my partner.

[mecch]

Is this about your bf? 

"AIDS" means many different things.

People with AIDS can reconstruct their immune system and live a long time. Prognosis varies.  Having got this diagnosis means one thing when the person is sick and in a critical state.  What does it mean, AFTER the immune system is back in the safe zone? 

It is a meaningful diagnosis for other reasons - disability qualifications, for example... 

Also, it is personally meaningful, or not, to a person who receives it. That meaning changes over times.  Obviously if one is dying of AIDS, AIDS means AIDS.  What does it mean 10 or 15 years later if one is living more or less a normal life?

What exactly are your concerns?  Social meaning? Financial? Emotional? Medical?

Someone with HIV can never receive an AIDS diagnosis and later on develope some pretty serious health challenges related to or caused by HIV.  Or not.  SImiliarly, someone with and AIDS diagnosis can go on to enjoy good health again, but still be HIV+ obviously.

Your boyfriend has some serious challenges - is it the word AIDs that is worrying you or is it the challenges...

[cnd2013]

Thank you for your response.
Yes this is about my boyfriend. This week he was diagnosed with AIDS.

He has had irregular heartbeats, is having a hard time swallowing and his mobility and speech are the worst it's ever been.

My main concern is his health. I worry that he is only getting worse.

I'm not worried about benefits at this point. I'm primarily worried about his health. I posted out of fear, concern, and hopes that someone who has experienced this will tell me everything will be okay. I know we have a long road ahead of us. I felt much stronger inside when it was just HIV.

Thank you for your response.

[mecch]

About the word and diagnosis AIDS - your bf was in a worst, and critical state, when it was "unknown" or a lie or false belief about being negative.  And also worst when he was diagnosed HIV+ but hadn't had the diagnosis "AIDS" yet.

I don't think anyone here can comfortable say HE, in particular, is going to be fine. Only can say what is generally true - people come back from destroyed immune systems, and it takes a varying amount of time. 

Your bf has already seen CD4 improvement in his short time in treatment.  The brain challenges, well far beyond my expertise and experience to comment.  What do his doctors say? 

You should know, if an HIV+ person is in a bad state, and then starts treatment, there can be a passage called IRIS.  Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. You can google that -- the wiki article is good. Its bad news and good news.

Maybe what you need to be keep in your heart to give you hope is that he is on this great medicine and has already shown CD4 improvement.  If he is having IRIS, on top of his brain scarring, then perhaps the motor skills may seem to get worse, before in the long run, they get better...   The worsening in the short run may be a necessity to get back to health.

I am sure mental health counseling or even just a mental health consultation and evaluation would be great for him. Which you mentioned in the other thread. 

I would assume the neurologist or ID doc who has identified the brain issues, and plans to treat it at the appropriate time, has made some sort of evaluation. Your bf must be in a terrible emotional state and perhaps his family and you can't give all the reassurance, information, and whatever mental health support may be necessary to get him thinking positive again and start fighting. 

The most reassuring and optimistic thing I first heard after my diagnosis wasn't that my loved ones loved me and were there for me.  It was my ID doctor saying - business as usual, life span as usual, etc. (well, that fit my situation, your bf obviously presented in a very critical state....) 

I still take a lot of reassurance and find power in my doctors who tell me the facts about what I can expect, what medicine offers me, what my personal role is in my health, etc etc...  They are the experts...

[2tcells]

im no expert all i know about aids is my own experiance in i found out i had aids 2 cd4 count and all sorts of infections 3 months ago but have noticed poor memory and stuff like that for a few years...im on meds now and its getting better. i feel better than ever! and increased memory. i donnt know his situation but i hope this gives you hope

[2tcells]

and from what i understand when your above 200 cd4 count you dont have "aids"...meaning your risk of oppertunistic illness is low. but my dr. says they dont use the word aids anymore anyways

[darryaz]

my dr. says they dont use the word aids anymore anyways

I believe "Advanced HIV disease" is the current term.

[oksikoko]

There are two ways to get an AIDS diagnosis: low t-cells (or t-cell percentage relative to total lymphocytes) OR getting one of the AIDS-defining opportunistic infections.

My understanding is that once you have an AIDS diagnosis (or stage three HIV disease or whatever) you have it for life, even if your T-cells improve or if you recover from whatever opportunistic infection gave you the diagnosis.

While this sounds psychologically irritating, it is actually beneficial since having that label can help with certain social/government benefits that a person with advanced HIV may need whether or not his/her t-cells climb back up to 201.

Please do correct me if I'm wrong.

[Schnauzer]

Please do correct me if I'm wrong.

Unless something has changed recently, you are correct.

[2tcells]

There are two ways to get an AIDS diagnosis: low t-cells (or t-cell percentage relative to total lymphocytes) OR getting one of the AIDS-defining opportunistic infections.

My understanding is that once you have an AIDS diagnosis (or stage three HIV disease or whatever) you have it for life, even if your T-cells improve or if you recover from whatever opportunistic infection gave you the diagnosis.

While this sounds psychologically irritating, it is actually beneficial since having that label can help with certain social/government benefits that a person with advanced HIV may need whether or not his/her t-cells climb back up to 201.

Please do correct me if I'm wrong.

That sucks i wanted to have hiv lol

[mecch]

I'm sure you can have "the AIDS" if it pleases you. With the "the" and all the trimmings.

Most of the HIV- public (besides doctors, social benefits bureaus, and insurance companies) doesn't finesse these labels.  Though in recent years I have notice the balance shifting, in the media, to reporters and journalists being more aware than not that there IS a complex and diverse, not uniform, experience of people living with HIV. 

[aaware72]

There are two ways to get an AIDS diagnosis: low t-cells (or t-cell percentage relative to total lymphocytes) OR getting one of the AIDS-defining opportunistic infections.

My understanding is that once you have an AIDS diagnosis (or stage three HIV disease or whatever) you have it for life, even if your T-cells improve or if you recover from whatever opportunistic infection gave you the diagnosis.

While this sounds psychologically irritating, it is actually beneficial since having that label can help with certain social/government benefits that a person with advanced HIV may need whether or not his/her t-cells climb back up to 201.

Please do correct me if I'm wrong.

Hmm...I asked this question of my ID when I first found out.  I had two opportunistic infection at the time of diagnosis with a CD4 count of 230.  He told me that that use to use the 200 CD4 as the difference between AIDS and HIV.  However he said that that is not longer used.  I'm confused.   I will always have HPV and my ID say I may recover from mild case of ADC? 

[wolfter]

Once you have an AIDS diagnosis, you always have it.  It means you've acquired and immune disease.