Question
I am just diagnosed with a CD4 count of 10?
7 December 2011. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, Newly diagnosed, Starting treatment.
I’ve recently tested HIV+ and unfortunately my CD4 count came out at 10. I am not ill, but do i have the chance to live any longer.
Answer
Hi
As well as being HIV positive, your CD4 count is very low. Unless you were only infected very recently, this means your HIV is very advanced.
Using ARV treatment (ART) as soon as possible is important. ART will reduce the serious risk of HIV-related health complications.
The medicines will still work for you. There are many reasons to be hopeful and optimistic.
Because your CD4 count is uder 50 there is also a chance that other infections (called IRIS) might become active during the first few months of treatment. These are usuallly easy to treat, but tell your doctor about any new symptoms over the next months.
Also, please be very careful not to miss any doses of your meds. This is called good adherence.
Your doctor should also give you antibiotics to protect you from other infections. This is usually cotrimoxazole (often also called Septrin or Bactrim) which is a combination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole. This treatment should continue until your CD4 count gets much higher (at least above 200, maybe above 350).
While your CD4 count is still below 50, including now, your doctor should also examine your eyes. This is to check whether a viral infection called CMV is affecting your eyes. CMV can cause serious and permanent vision loss.
For more information see this guide to starting treatment, called Introduction to ART.
If you were not expecting to be HIV positive, this will take a while for the news to sink in. It will get easier – and hopefully you will get a good response from treatment.
These two links might help:
Just diagnosed:
https://i-base.info/just-found-out
Who can I talk to:
https://i-base.info/who-can-i-talk-to
Note: This answer was updated in December 2016 from a question first posted on 13 September 2011.
What if I was just recently diagnosed but already with a CD4 of 186? My earliest unprotected sex was 4mos ago and I got really sick a month ago.
Hi Winnie,
Has your husband been taking ARVs since May? If he has what medication has he been taking?
My husband was diagnosed with HIV at may ..he is suffering with severe headache since may
Hi Dnardi,
I’m sorry to hear about your husband’s diagnosis. But has he started HIV treatment (ART) yet? As Simon says, even when starting treatment with a low CD4 count, the medicines will still work for you. There are many reasons to be hopeful and optimistic.
Please let us konw if your husband has started ART. There’s a lot of info in this Introduction to ART.
Hello my husband was diagnosed with aids, he has a CD4 count of 4. Please some one help me understand is he going to be ok?
Hi Francis,
A CD4 count doesn’t tell a person if they are positive or not. To know your status you need to have a HIV test done. Have you had one done?
hi, i tested for HIV but my CD4 count was 402 does this mean am HIV + or – please i need a reply
Hi Chuma,
If you can please follow the advice that’s in this link: https://i-base.info/qa/4643
When are you due to start medication? How is your health at the moment?
I have just been diagnosed with HIV and my CD4 is 20 starting on treatment very soon. I am soo scared what if I get very sick, and not be able to go to work. I am the bread winner at home.
Hi Penny,
It’s good that you’ve started ARVs. But if you feel sick it doesn’t mean that the meds are failing.
Are you taking any other meds such as antibiotics? Starting treatment with a CD4 count of 79 often means taking an antibiotic to help stop risk of other infections.
Taking ARVs reduces the level of HIV in your blood to tiny amounts. That means your CD4 count can recover.
Please tell your doctor exactly how you’re feeling and what symptoms you have. You can ask if you need other treatment while your immune system gets the chance to recover.