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 Anonymous
The most important thing that you need to do now is start medication for the HIV. This will immediately begin to work. What this means is that your CD4 will slowly rise and your viral load will begin to drop.The viral load will drop quicker.
Its important that you are monitored by your doctor for opportunistic infections. If there are signs of these, these will need to be treated.
Because your CD4 is below 50 you should also follow the advise that’s in this post.
Though it may seem like a tough time at the moment it will get easier. ARVs are though the key to this.
Because you’ll be starting meds very soon, please see the following guide:
http://i-base.info/guides/starting
Being able to also talk to someone might help. Is this a possibility?
I found out I was positive 4 years ago. I was told not to take meds because my CD4 was 500. Last weekend I had a short breath, the doctor checked my CD4 count and found out that is was 14 and I’m having a pneumonia … so they gave me antibiotics and ran some blood tests… so today the results said my CD4 count is 10 and I haven’t taken treatment and I don’t know what to do but am meeting doctor on the 24th. Am I gonna die?
Hi Xolie,
A CD4 count of 1560 is excellent. With ARVs it will remain HIV.
What is it that you’re scared about?
My CD4 is 1560 ,but I’m scared
Hi Adebayo,
Please follow the advise that’s in the above post and begin ARVs as soon as possible. Once you do this, your CD4 will begin to rise.
Pls am scared now. Just conducted a test and discovered that my CD4 count is 40. What is my hope? What can I do to swiftly boost my CD4 counts?
Hi Amanda,
ARVs will boost your immune system and control your HIV. For HIV there isn’t really anything else that you can do.
What can i use to bóost my immune system…..
Hi James,
The term, ‘Full blown AIDS’ is rarely used, so I’m not sure why your boyfriend’s doctor is using this. Yes his CD4 is low, however there are much lower. Its actaully still quit common to be diagnosed with a CD4 in single digits.
If the ARVs that he was originally given are not working, then its normal to stop them. From what you’ve said it sounds like they are running tests to see what he can and can’t take. These are called resistance tests.
Once his doctor knows what his body will accept, the ARVs that he’ll take will begin to work straight away. In time his CD4 will go up. How quickly this will happen I can’t say, however it will go up. His viral load will also come down.
Because his CD4 is 150, he will be more prone to opportunistic infections. These, however are treatable. Is he currently taking co-trixmoxazole?
Hi my partner has full blown AIDS as his CD4 count is below 150 (this is what the hospital has said), however, he has stopped taking medication, as it was suggested that this wasn’t working. He has had some blood tests, to see what medication he can take, and will take 2 weeks to obtain the results. My question is, When he starts the medication which will help, will it be a case of the immune system is soo low and knackered, could his CD4 count still go up?
Lastly, with his CD4 being like this, could he get a brain infection?
Thanks
James