Question
What does a CD4 count of 11 mean?
21 April 2011. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, Living with HIV long-term, Newly diagnosed, Starting treatment.
Hi
My friend just got diagnosed with HIV. His T-cell count is 11. What does that mean?
Thanks
Answer
Thank you for your question.
I am sorry to hear about your friend’s diagnosis. It is never easy finding out about an HIV diagnosis and your support to your friend is very important during this difficult time.
If your friend’s CD4 count is 11 then they need to start HIV treatment immediately. For everything you and your friend need to know about starting treatment please follow this link to our guidebook ‘Introduction to Combination Therapy’.
About 25-50% of people with a CD4 count below 50 who start treatment experience symptoms of IRIS (Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome). This is where the immune system, as it starts to recover, suddenly realises that there are a lot of infections it has to fight against that it was perviously to weak to react to. This can cause additional infections like TB and CMV to show and patient can sometimes start to feel quite ill. However, the good new is that w hilst IRIS can make things a little more complicated, it is easy to treat. For more information please follow this link.
Hi Andy, thanks for your email and for this info. You have had a fantastic response to treatment (ART) – both against the viral load and seeing your CD4 count recover so well.
Although your doctor might like your VL to be less than 20, being consistently less than 50 is a wonderful result. Nothing serious will happen while your viral load stays this low and there is no need to change treatment to try to get it any lower.
Taking Biktarvy with food might increase the levels of some of the meds but this may or may not make any difference. Perhaps try this consistently for the few weeks before you next have bloods taken. I still wouldn’t worry about this either way if you are otherwise good at taking your meds.
Hello! I hope all is well!
I’ve been hiv poz for 4 years it will be 5 years in October this year. Doctor ordered genotype test to see what meds will work for me, however the test was never performed. At first my cd4 was 186 with viral load in the hundred thousands. I was started on Bactrim until I became undetectable. My viral load dropped to 48 with cd4 over 800 while taking biktarvy. Speed up to today my cd4 is over 700 with viral load at 90. Doctor did a retest and viral load is 42. A genotype was done again because he says he wants that viral load to be 20 or less. I’m a little nervous because I’m almost 5 years in and my viral load hasn’t gotten to where the doctor want it. I’m in the USA and I’m a patient of Loyola medicine. Is there anything I can do to increase the chances of lowering my viral load by 20. It doesn’t seem far away but yet so far away. I do have joint pain at time amd tired a lot. Doctor told me not to worry but I’m worried because I was told my viral load needs to be 20 or less. Please any advice would help. Any supplements or food/fruit I should be eating. I drink occasionally, maybe a drink or two on weekends… should I stop having cocktails on the weekends idk. Thanks in advance
Hi Zodwa, thanks. How is your friend doing? Are they currently well or do they have symptoms? If their CD4 count is really only 11 it is important that they start HIV meds as soon as possible. Thye also need antibiotics called cotrrimoxazole and to have their eyes carefully checked for CMV disease. Are you sure the viral load is only 400? it would normally be much higher, maybe 400,000.
There is no test for when they became HIV positive, likely at least several years ago. Either way, HIV meds are needed urgently.
Viral load is 400 and cd4 is 11, the person recently got diagnosed. Can you tell when time first time the viruswas in the immune system
Hi Beth – thanks for posting and for sharing your experience. Your example will help a lot of people who are in a similar situation. It is great you have taken your meds seriously – and that you have had such a strong response to treatment.
I had a cd4 count of 11 when I was diagnosed 3 years ago and I’m up to 250 now it’s not a death sentence as long as you take your meds every day
Hi Thembelihle,
I’m sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis. But please see this link to just found out. There’s a lot of info in this link about how we all feel when we find out we’re HIV positive.
But it’s good to know that many people who test HIV positive with a low CD4 count recover when they start HIV treatment (ART).
If you live in South Africa you can contact the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) at this contact link. They can help with local support for access to treatment.
But what do the doctors say about your difficulty breathing? You can ask them to find out what’s causing this.