What is wrong

[lovingcosmo]

Hi out there. I'm very concerned for my health. I was diagnosed two years ago with HIV and Hep B. My cd4 was 33 when I was diagnosed and now two years after being on meds I'm only at a cd4 of 166 along with an undetectable status. Is this normal? I've tried talking to my doctor but I feel that I should be at a cd4 that higher. I do not miss doses and I've done everything that my doc has asked. Has anyone else experienced this? I'm now actually scared for my life.

[buginme2]

Your experience is not uncommon.  When people start hiv therapy with a low cd4 count it can take a very long time for your count to recover.  It may never fully achieve a >500 count. 

As long as you remain adherent to your meds and undetectable they will continue to increase bit by bit.  The important thing is not to stop meds since you started with such a low count.  If you stop meds you can experience a quicker decline. 

[hcj90]

I was diagnosed almost 2 years ago.  Started with CD4 of 47.  It went up to 184 and then down to 125, and my last labs were 219 and Undetectable.  Next labs in a couple of weeks.  I too was concerned with the slow rise, but my doctor told me with such a low beginning number, that it can take a while to see it climb. 

[Theyer]

Hello and welcome.

Your V/L is undetectable that is very important , crucial and your CD4 is rising slowly. The numbers are a guideline it is important to not let them make you ill. From 33 to 166 is fine over 2 years at one time it was a miracle , its a steady progression matched to an undetectable V/L unless you are also free style rock climbing , chicken drag duelling , dealing with alternative bankers in coca derivatives.I see no great reason to be scared for your life .

All the best
m

[harleymc]

Short answer nothing's wrong.

Like me you've kept your viral load supressed and your cd4s are trending up. It's taken 3 years for my cd4s to climb from 10 to 140. I'm quite ecstatic with those results.

[J.R.E.]

Hi There,

It can sometimes take a while to get the TCELLS built back up.  The main thing is you are undetectable. So that's good !

I was diagnosed two years ago with HIV and Hep B.

What drug regimen are you on?

http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/Viread_Emtriva_1667_23885.shtml

And:

http://www.aidsmeds.com/archive/Epivir_1579.shtml



Ray

[zach]

normal, when we start from a much lower nadir, the timeline is stretched out slower. i've only been above 200cd4 once, and not for that long.

keep in mind, those meds keeping us alive, only really do one thing. prevent hiv virus from replicating and infecting healthy cells. that is going to mean VL drops quick. but those meds don't have a direct impact on cd4 count. that is a secondary effect, with no viral load your body will begin a natural, and slow, process of rebuilding. cd4 will as result rise over time, again slowly.

one day the two graph lines will cross, thats a great turning point. instead of just looking at one lab result, and trying to read everything into it like chicken bones and tea leaves. over the course of a year or more worth of labs, you can do all sorts of pretty graphs with the results. seeing the VL line plummet, the CD4 line rise, seeing them cross, and get further away from each other. its cool. its the trends over time that tell the story. not any one lab result.

nothing is wrong. you are ok. you're gonna be ok.

unrelated
SMH... i may regret, but i can't resist, i have to ask, theyer, wha in der fuq is chicken drag dueling?