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Author Topic: Tested HIV+ and then got my CD4 counts that put me into the AIDS category  (Read 10787 times)

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Offline mxpxrwk

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I was diagnosed HIV+ late october. I went in for my first check up. I was very anxious and nervous.

The doctor has all kinds of blood work done . I came back for results and find out i have AIDS because my CD4 count was 82 and VL 850,000.  This is was really got to me and made me really sad and depressed.

So the doctor prescribed Bactrim and antifungal meds. after a week of taking it I was doing okay but then developed a small rash and a fever that lasted for 4 days... my temp went from 102 to 104 I took tylenol and cold compresses and even took cold baths.. that temporarily relieved my fever.. but and hour or 2 later I was up in the 103s again. So i decide to go the ER and they put me on IV and give me antibiotics amoxcilin and Tylenol with codene. I took it but i still was the same I went back to the ER and they decided to admit me into the hospital... all my blood test were fine nothing out of the ordinary... so i was on an IV and under observation for 3 days. my fever finally went away on day 2. turns out I could have been allergic to bactrium.. so i leave the hospital and Im feeling fine....i go back to work and the following day i notice small specs or red on my arm around the area where the IV was put in. i ignore and thought it would go away... soon that speck was all over my body my legs arms and forearms... my skin was emitting alot of heat... the rash is on the skin.. it itches here and there...

So i go to the clinic with My HIV doctor and she says it might just be an allergic reaction mind you I have stopped all medications so it's not possible for me to have an allergic reaction to any meds....

I was suppose to start Atripla but i didn't cause the doctor says that can cause a rash tooo.

The doctor gave me a cortizone shot and benadryl and Calamine lotion... it looks like the rash is calming down a little.... I really want to start treatment already but I guess all these set backs don't allow me too.. anyone have a similar experience... what else could cause a rash like the one i have... it's all over me like a sunburn almost...please help
CD4: 94 VL 675,000 (January 2009)

Offline Matty the Damned

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Welcome to the Forums. Sorry to hear about the diagnosis. Glad you found us.

Your rash sounds very much like an allergic reaction to the Bactrim. There are alternatives to that drug such as Dapsone.

I would suggest you take a look through our Treatment lessons. These contain a wealth of information designed for the layperson.

MtD

Offline mxpxrwk

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Thanks for welcoming me to the forums
Well i was taken off the bactrim the day i went to the ER and for 3 days i didn't take it all .. would i still have an allergic reaction after i went off of it? I don't have a fever either.

I suffer from Anxiety with panic disorder so all this is very overwhelming and every pain i feel makes me nervous
CD4: 94 VL 675,000 (January 2009)

Offline Matty the Damned

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TMP-SMX (Bactrim) allergy is horrible and it can take a few days to resolve if you had a bad reaction. It sounds as though you did.

As you would know anxiety can exacerbate these sorts of things. Do you have medications to help you control your panic attacks?

MtD

Offline mxpxrwk

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Wednesday of last week was the last day i took bactrium.. i felt fine after i left the hospital this past sunday.. monday i had a smalll rash and i kept growing....


I do take anti-depressants Zoloft and the doctor gave me klonopin...

Im really trying my hardest to keep it together.... My mind keeps going everywhere....I made an appointment with a HIV therapist hopefully this will help me out..

and these forums help alot too
CD4: 94 VL 675,000 (January 2009)

Offline Rev. Moon

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Hello and welcome to the forums.  Sorry about your recent diagnosis and the difficulties that you have had. 

I saw in one of your other posts that you are about to start taking Atripla.  I see here that you have postponed it due to this rash that you're dealing with.  Hopefully it goes away soon (Bactrim can be rough --and just from personal experience I had a nasty rash when I first seroconverted, although mine was apparently exacerbated by Augmentin).  Don't be too afraid of Atripla; not everyone experiences that side effects that you have read about.  Some do, some don't.  Hopefully you will be part of the latter group.

Do you have an idea as to when/how long ago you may have been infected.  Just asking because your current viral load and symptoms may be representative of the acute initial infection.  The low CD4 value is not something that you should panic about; once you are able to initiate your HAART you will see an ideal drop in VL and a gradual increase in CD4 numbers. 

Last, were there genotype/phenotype tests made to determine if this was the right course of treatment for you.  If not, try to get them; they will give you some peace of mind and help you feel more educated/empowered at fighting this virus.

Hang in there; you are going to be fine.  For now just focus on avoiding excessive stress; work with your doctor(s); and --as mentioned by MtD-- see about controlling your fears (seeing a counselor/therapist that specialises in working with HIV patients would be good for you).

Best of health and luck,

m.

"I have tried hard--but life is difficult, and I am a very useless person. I can hardly be said to have an independent existence. I was just a screw or a cog in the great machine I called life, and when I dropped out of it I found I was of no use anywhere else."

Offline mxpxrwk

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My last negative test before I found out I was HIV + was about 10 month.   I have been fine right up until the day I was given the news of being HIV...

CD4: 94 VL 675,000 (January 2009)

Offline Ann

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mx,

Going by your recent negative result, it sounds as though you are in the acute stage of hiv - meaning it's a recent infection. It's not uncommon for someone who has recently seroconverted to have numbers like yours and in most cases they will improve on their own without meds. How long they remain improved is anyone's guess - some people will need meds within two years, while others can go for many years.

The fact that your latest rash started at the site of your IV line means that it most likely is an allergic reaction or possibly a bacterial problem. If that were me, I would not add any new drugs into my system until things calmed down. Your body is in an uproar trying to deal with your new hiv infection - give it a chance.

Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

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"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline mxpxrwk

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I really want to start treatment ASAP cause I don't  want to end up reallly sick.. im worry alot.. so when i get a slight fever or notice any changes  iin me i panic and that's when i get depressed......


My CD4 went from 82 to 94 and VL was 850000 and went down to 600000 but things might change...


the doctor gave me benadryl and a cortisone shot and some soothing lotion for the rash...


please tell me it gets better once i can get my CD4 up and VL down
CD4: 94 VL 675,000 (January 2009)

Offline Matty the Damned

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Things get better when your CD4 goes up and your VL goes down.

Really they do.

MtD
(Who once had 15 CD4 cells)

Offline mxpxrwk

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Re: Tested HIV+ and then got my CD4 counts that put me into the AIDS category
« Reply #10 on: January 23, 2010, 08:14:26 pm »
thanks everyone!

this isn't easy for me... i've been in bed alot.. sleeping alot and just trying to feel better.

this is very overwhelming to me..and sometimes i feel like im going to lose it.

I'm trying hard to not let this get me down... I really need people to talk too...

what worries me is when i think im getting better i get worse.. bad news after bad news is not helping me feel better..
CD4: 94 VL 675,000 (January 2009)

Offline GNYC09

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Re: Tested HIV+ and then got my CD4 counts that put me into the AIDS category
« Reply #11 on: January 23, 2010, 10:51:36 pm »
Many people are allergic to sulfa drugs like Bactrim.  Have you spoken to your doctor about taking Dapsone instead?  Also, you may want to find a nearby support group - it helped me when I felt overwhelmed by my diagnosis and illness.  Meditation also helped me - you may want to give it a shot.

Good luck!!

Offline mxpxrwk

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Re: Tested HIV+ and then got my CD4 counts that put me into the AIDS category
« Reply #12 on: January 23, 2010, 11:07:20 pm »
I was given dapsone. but since I developed a rash the doctor asked me not to take anything but the zoloft and benadryl Prednisone...


Im scared that my CD4 will go down more and I don't want to end up getting PCP and having to be hopsitalized.... :(
CD4: 94 VL 675,000 (January 2009)

Offline Ann

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Re: Tested HIV+ and then got my CD4 counts that put me into the AIDS category
« Reply #13 on: January 23, 2010, 11:11:41 pm »
mx,

Your CD4 has already started to go up without meds - which is what happens during acute infection. The numbers often start out bad then improve whether or not hiv meds are taken. It takes the body some weeks to adjust and fight back. There is no reason to think your CD4s won't continue to improve.

Hang in there!

Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline mxpxrwk

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Re: Tested HIV+ and then got my CD4 counts that put me into the AIDS category
« Reply #14 on: January 23, 2010, 11:16:44 pm »
thanks ann that makes me feel better. Now i got to get rid of this bad rash which bugs the hell out of me
IT's even on my face...but only itches in certain areas not everywhere
CD4: 94 VL 675,000 (January 2009)

Offline Rev. Moon

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Re: Tested HIV+ and then got my CD4 counts that put me into the AIDS category
« Reply #15 on: January 23, 2010, 11:21:16 pm »
thanks ann that makes me feel better. Now i got to get rid of this bad rash which bugs the hell out of me
IT's even on my face...but only itches in certain areas not everywhere

It will go away.  Right now your body is fighting and the immunological response manifests in different ways.  Once you start meds you will see things getting better.

Don't over-stress by thinking of worst-case type of scenarios; you want to make sure that you get better.  Right now just work with your doctor and try to take it easy.

It does get better!

m.
"I have tried hard--but life is difficult, and I am a very useless person. I can hardly be said to have an independent existence. I was just a screw or a cog in the great machine I called life, and when I dropped out of it I found I was of no use anywhere else."

Offline mxpxrwk

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Re: Tested HIV+ and then got my CD4 counts that put me into the AIDS category
« Reply #16 on: January 23, 2010, 11:23:31 pm »
that's the bad thing i am the kind of person that thinks about the worse... I feel like being out I'm going to fall or lose control ....


My friends are helping me out alot...

But it helps more when i hear all this from people that have gone through this before...

CD4: 94 VL 675,000 (January 2009)

Offline Ann

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    • Num is sum qui mentiar tibi?
Re: Tested HIV+ and then got my CD4 counts that put me into the AIDS category
« Reply #17 on: January 23, 2010, 11:24:41 pm »
mx,

The continuing rash is why I said it would probably be better to not rush into putting more new meds into your body for now  and it looks like your doctor is saying the same thing. Let things settle down. As you are still in the acute infection stage, don't worry, nothing bad is going to happen to you. It takes a while for hiv to take its toll on the body and it's usually only when someone has been poz for a few years and has low CD4s that Opportunistic Infections (you'll see them referred to as OIs here) can take hold. PCP is one of them - and PCP is very rare in primary/acute infection.

So for now, let your body get over the allergic reactions you've experienced and see what your next set of labs bring. You will probably be pleasantly surprised by the continuing improvement.

Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline skeebo1969

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Re: Tested HIV+ and then got my CD4 counts that put me into the AIDS category
« Reply #18 on: January 23, 2010, 11:37:03 pm »



   Sorry to here of your recent diagnosis and welcome to the forums.  The symptoms you describe are much like the ones that I went into the hospital with during my acute infection stage.  Like you, I also had issues with Bactrim.  You've received some great advice and I just want to add to what the others have said, it will get better as time goes along.

   Keep reading and posting your fears, it does help trust me.
I despise the song Love is in the Air, you should too.

Offline mxpxrwk

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Re: Tested HIV+ and then got my CD4 counts that put me into the AIDS category
« Reply #19 on: January 23, 2010, 11:43:37 pm »
I went into the hospital because my fever was not coming down... they hooked me up to a IV and just kept checking my temp. 102 was average and they would give me tylenol..

after 2 days in the hospital my fever finally went away.... I went to work monday  ( this is when i noticed some red specks on my right forearm I just figured it was nothing) and half day tuesday to see my doctor.. she figured it was the bactrim... so she gave me dapsone.. i was going to start taking it ... I went to work on wednesday without a problem on thursday I had to go to court so i was there from 8 to like 11 i went home and slept all day..that's when i started feeling sluggish...

my rash covered my legs thighs and ankels and forearms and now my face look flushed...


CD4: 94 VL 675,000 (January 2009)

 


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