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Author Topic: help me understand my counts  (Read 7035 times)

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Offline zola

  • Member
  • Posts: 21
help me understand my counts
« on: May 14, 2009, 06:41:04 pm »
Hi all, was back for more blood today, got a look over my last two sets and am a little confused
first results CD4 360, V/L 16000 no meds
second results CD4 347, V/L 8700 started meds
been on the meds for 25 days now and apart from a bad rash that has come lasted 1 week and now gone I'm fine fingers crossed.

I'm just a little confused why both counts dropped with no meds. Also my infection time is a wonder as i can only pinpoint one time i should any tell tale signs was Feb this year. Can lifestyle affect this. i work hard and was wondering if over training could be a poss for my numbers.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Offline Assurbanipal

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,177
  • Taking a forums break, still see PM's
Re: help me understand my counts
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2009, 08:08:52 pm »
Your two prior tests showed basically the same results. 

It is only natural to invest a lot of emotional energy in the test results, but in reality they are an indicator of the range of where you are at, rather than a precise measure. The results are reported with a lot of misleading precision -- if you remember your high school physics classes where you learned about significant digits, these results only have one or sometimes two significant digits even though they report a lot more than that.

So if you took two blood draws on the same day you wouldn't be likely to get identical results. 

Current guidelines are that a significant change is more than plus or minus 30% on the CD4 count and one third to three times on the viral load.

Hope you get great (significant  :) ) results from the next test!

A
 
5/06 VL 1M+, CD4 22, 5% , pneumonia, thrush -- O2 support 2 months, 6/06 +Kaletra/Truvada
9/06 VL 3959 CD4 297 13.5% 12/06 VL <400 CD4 350 15.2% +Pravachol
2007 VL<400, 70, 50 CD4 408-729 16.0% -19.7%
2008 VL UD CD4 468 - 538 16.7% - 24.6% Osteoporosis 11/08 doubled Pravachol, +Calcium/D
02/09 VL 100 CD4 616 23.7% 03/09 VL 130 5/09 VL 100 CD4 540 28.4% +Actonel (osteoporosis) 7/09 VL 130
8/09  new regimen Isentress/Epzicom 9/09 VL UD CD4 621 32.7% 11/09 VL UD CD4 607 26.4% swap Isentress for Prezista/Norvir 12/09 (liver and muscle issues) VL 50
2010 VL UD CD4 573-680 26.1% - 30.9% 12/10 VL 20
2011 VL UD-20 CD4 568-673 24.7%-30.6%
2012 VL UD swap Prezista/Norvir for Reyataz drop statin CD4 768-828 26.7%-30.7%
2014 VL UD - 48
2015 VL 130 Moved to Triumeq

Offline BlueMoon

  • Member
  • Posts: 680
  • Calling from the Fun House
Re: help me understand my counts
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2009, 08:13:57 pm »
Zola, those aren't significant differences and are well within normal variations and test tolerances, especially the CD4.  What is important is that your viral load becomes undetectable and your CD4 begins an upward trend, now that you are on meds.  You may not see an increase in CD4 every time, but that is ok as long as the general trend over several tests is upward.

It's good to see that you are tolerating treatment.  You should be about due for another lab test.  I would expect the viral load to already be undetectable, or close, since you started with such a low number.  Your doctor can tell you if you are "overtraining".  
It's a complex world

Offline zola

  • Member
  • Posts: 21
Re: help me understand my counts
« Reply #3 on: June 06, 2009, 03:09:55 pm »
hi all,
 just got the latest results after being on the meds for about 4 weeks,
CD4-396
V/L-76
really chuffed thingds seem to be going well. just in the process off getting a new doc as i've moved hope it goes just as well. will keep yous informed.

Offline newt

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,900
  • the one and original newt
Re: help me understand my counts
« Reply #4 on: June 06, 2009, 05:16:06 pm »
Zola

What everyone else said. Viral load can be 3 x higher or 1/3rd the result. CD4 count can be +/- 50-100 on each test. That's the limit on accuracy for the tests.

- matt[

PS - 76 on viral load after 4 weeks is really good :)
"The object is to be a well patient, not a good patient"

Offline aztecan

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,530
  • 36 years positive, 64 years a pain in the butt
Re: help me understand my counts
« Reply #5 on: June 06, 2009, 06:33:01 pm »
Hey Zola,

Since everyone else already explained it very well, I will must add that dropping to a viral load of 76 after four weeks is excellent!

HUGS,

Mark

"May your life preach more loudly than your lips."
~ William Ellery Channing (Unitarian Minister)

Offline zola

  • Member
  • Posts: 21
Re: help me understand my counts
« Reply #6 on: June 07, 2009, 03:12:21 am »
Just like to thank you[s all for the nice comments, hope it is U/D at the next results will let yous know.

Offline zola

  • Member
  • Posts: 21
Re: help me understand my counts
« Reply #7 on: July 07, 2009, 02:28:37 pm »
Hi all newest update as of today i'm U/D . Over the moon although they forgot to do a cd4 count.

Offline Assurbanipal

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,177
  • Taking a forums break, still see PM's
Re: help me understand my counts
« Reply #8 on: July 07, 2009, 03:53:38 pm »
Congratulations!
5/06 VL 1M+, CD4 22, 5% , pneumonia, thrush -- O2 support 2 months, 6/06 +Kaletra/Truvada
9/06 VL 3959 CD4 297 13.5% 12/06 VL <400 CD4 350 15.2% +Pravachol
2007 VL<400, 70, 50 CD4 408-729 16.0% -19.7%
2008 VL UD CD4 468 - 538 16.7% - 24.6% Osteoporosis 11/08 doubled Pravachol, +Calcium/D
02/09 VL 100 CD4 616 23.7% 03/09 VL 130 5/09 VL 100 CD4 540 28.4% +Actonel (osteoporosis) 7/09 VL 130
8/09  new regimen Isentress/Epzicom 9/09 VL UD CD4 621 32.7% 11/09 VL UD CD4 607 26.4% swap Isentress for Prezista/Norvir 12/09 (liver and muscle issues) VL 50
2010 VL UD CD4 573-680 26.1% - 30.9% 12/10 VL 20
2011 VL UD-20 CD4 568-673 24.7%-30.6%
2012 VL UD swap Prezista/Norvir for Reyataz drop statin CD4 768-828 26.7%-30.7%
2014 VL UD - 48
2015 VL 130 Moved to Triumeq

Offline AboutToStart

  • Member
  • Posts: 134
Re: help me understand my counts
« Reply #9 on: July 09, 2009, 11:56:23 pm »
As far as I know it's really the trend, rather than just the absolute numbers.. I was having two opposing trends that I could not understand: over the last 6 months (4 labs, no meds) CD4 was declining constantly (480, 350, 290, 305, 280) so the trend is def DOWN, but VL - at the same time - was also decreasing (36K, 32K, 30K, 28K)...
So while I understand numbers are not precise - VL still shows a constant trend of slow decrease thou CD4 has really fallen and I'm about to start meds now..

Any Explanation??

Offline zola

  • Member
  • Posts: 21
Re: help me understand my counts
« Reply #10 on: July 14, 2009, 09:50:22 am »
your looking for an explanation as to why both counts are falling, yep me to seems a lot to understand that before i was on the meds both sets of numbers would both drop. i was of the basic thinking that if cd4 is down v/l would probs be up and vice-versa any heads up guys.

Offline zola

  • Member
  • Posts: 21
Re: help me understand my counts
« Reply #11 on: October 07, 2009, 03:59:31 am »
Just a quick update y latest numbers are

CD4-280 from 350
V/L- U/D

Any ideas why my cd4 is still dropping, get my next labs today by phone will post laters.
Cheers guys

Offline Nashvegas

  • Member
  • Posts: 196
Re: help me understand my counts
« Reply #12 on: October 07, 2009, 05:00:58 pm »
As you can see from my signature, my CD4 counts have gone up and down over the course of time, and that's pretty normal, as long as you're staying undetectable.  I wouldn't sweat it, and hopefully the long-term trend will be positive. 
8/12/06 - sero-conversion
9/14/06 -- Positive Test results confirmed
9/21/06 -- CD4 - 586; viral load 8,000; 29%
12/25/06 -- CD4 - 373; VL 2,800; 23%
2/10/07 - CD4 - 228; VL 865; 25%
3/15/07 -  CD4 - 365 (no viral load test)
5/1/07 = CD4 - 341; VL 4,358; 27%
8/1/07 - CD4 - 315; VL - 2,300; 25%
9/20/07 - CD4 - 378
11/22/07 - CD4 - 257; VL 7,300;
2/27/08 - CD4 231 (16.5 %), VL 5,960
5/20/08 - CD4 229 (18.3%), VL 11,100
6/17/08 - CD4 166 (14.5%), VL 9,030
6/17/08 - STARTED VIRAMUNE + TRUVADA
7/2/08 - CD4 272 (20%), VL 113  :-)
7/16/08 - CD4 -217 (21.1 %), VL - Undetectable
7/30/08 - CD4 - 220 (20.4%). VL - 92
8/14/08 - CD4 - 280 (22%) VL-undetectable
1/04/09 - CD4 - 250 (28%) VL-UD
5/15/09 - CD4 -393 (28%) VL-UD
8/15/09 - CD4-346, (26%) VL-UD
11/15/09 - CD4-373 (28%)

Offline zola

  • Member
  • Posts: 21
Re: help me understand my counts
« Reply #13 on: October 24, 2009, 03:54:44 am »
Just got my latest labs hope this is them bottomed out now and ready to head upwards.

CD4- 280
V/L- u/d

Offline zola

  • Member
  • Posts: 21
Re: help me understand my counts
« Reply #14 on: April 08, 2010, 12:50:47 pm »
Hi all, its been a while but here i go. Having just got my latest counts there seems to be no change for the past year, now while i', not complaining i cant get my head round why my CD4 is not climbing.

latest results
CD4 300
v/l   u/d

Any thoughts.
cheers
Jimmy

 


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