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.
Hi Joseph,
A CD4 of 225 doesn’t necessarily mean that you have HIV. Have you actaully taken a HIV test? If you have was it positive?
My CD4 count is 225 how do I have HIV?
Hi Shann,
How are you coping with your diagnoses? Are you able to get any support?
A CD4 of 192 may seem low, they do however go much lower. What’s important is that you start treatment as soon as you can. Being on treatment will help your CD4 to rise. For info on CD4s of less than 200, please see here:
http://i-base.info/qa/3560
As for why is it low. We are all different, some people can be positive for years and their CD4 will be high. Others can be positive for less than a year and their CD4 will go below 200. CD4s also dip to what may seem like low levels in primary infection. Once on treatment your CD4 will go up.
Have you started meds yet? And when will you get your viral load results?
hello
I have just been diagnosed. My CD4 is 192. I have been sexually active for a year at most and I believe infection was six months ago. Why is it so low? I also do not know viral load, am in a developing country.
Hi Bchid, yes, HIV meds should help increase your CD4 count. Please check with your doctor that your HIV meds are also treating your hep B.
I was diagnosed with hepatitis b and hiv1 and my cd4 count is 46. I have started treatment and I dont feel sick. The drugs should raise my cd4 count right?
Hi Pumzile
hello
Hi Vovo, it is important to ask the doctors for more information. Sometimes HIV can casue problems about walking byt the doctors need to find out what the problem is. Now he is on treatment his CD4 count should go higher and this might help.
My boyfriend just found out his HIV and is on tratment now but is very sick in and out of hospital,hes CD4count is 76, now the problem is he cannot walk he says he cant feel his feet and is very struggling…my CD4 count is 210 and am on treatment and dont feel sick at all i tested after him…what could be the problem with his feet? The DR’s are not telling what the problem is…Thank You