Question
Does my CD4 of 1000 means I was misdiagnosed?
14 November 2011. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
I have been HIV positive for 12 years and my cd4 has never been under 1000 what does that mean, my doctor always tell me that my cd4 is better than people who aren’t HIV positive, sometimes I feel that I was misdiagnosed could that be possible?
Answer
I am assuming that you are not on treatment and that your CD4 count has just stayed high since your diagnosis.
The range for a CD4 count in someone who is HIV negative varies with each make of test but is usually around 400 to 1600.
There is not much difference in health or life expectancy for HIV negative people wherever they are within this range. Some people just have a higher ‘normal’ count than others.
Similarly, HIV positive people respond differently to the virus. For some people their CD4 count drops quickly but for most it drops gradually over many years. For a very small percentage (less than 1%) their immune system stays relatively stable evan after many years.
It sound like you are just lucky and have a strong immune response. If your viral load is also undetectable then you are part of an even rarer group (less than 0.01% of HIV positive people) called an ‘elite controller’.
It is unlikely that the test was wrong and that you were misdiagnosed. If you viral load is undetectable though it will not do you any harm to retest for HIV if this is something you are worried about.
Very occasionally we hear of a report of misdiagnoses, sometimes even when people have used treatment for many years.
Hi Diana,
It’s good that you’ve started HIV treatment (ART). This means that your viral load is very likely to be undetectable before you next see your boyfriend. Being stable on ART and undetectable for several months means you can tell him that he is not at risk of HIV even if you don’t use condoms. There’s more to read about U=U on the link here.
It’s not possible to say if he is HIV positive, or that you are the one who infected him if he is positive.
But as Lisa says on this similar question here, you might both be lucky. It is common for only one partner in a couple to test positive, even if they have not been using condoms for years. But the only way to know is for him to take a test.
I recently tested positive and I started treatment. my CD4 cont was at 347 and viral load at 1094. How ever, about 2 moths ago I had countless unprotected sex with my boyfriend who I believe is hiv negative ( we are in n interacial relationship. I’m a black woman and he is white). I thought I was maybe infected a year a go right after I tested negative as I had unprotected sex with my then bf who I thought brought me fake negative results but The docter told me I was infected recently. Any how, I want to know if it’s possible that I may have infected my current bf. I dont know how to tell him that I tested positive. I’m afraid if he test negative he will live me and if he is positive he may never forgive me. My hope is that he is negative so I don’t have to tell him yet. But if he is infected n I don’t tell him then he will get sick.
I don’t know if I am making sense because I’m still emotional about the whole thing. Because of our studies, we currently live in different countries and he fly to me twice a year. We are supposed to see each other next December. I plan to tell him then but I’m afraid if I infected him he will get sick before then.
My whole story is messed up and confusing but all in all I want to know
do u think there is a chance he is not infected?
And how do I tell him I’m positive and he should get tested?
Hi Cassandra,
A false positive test is when the test result shows positive but the person is really negative. This can happen with antibody tests when the test picks up antibodies for other infectious agents.
Approximately 1.5% (15 out of every 1000) antibody tests are a false positive. The fourth generation tests have a much lower chance of a false positive.
This means that a small percentage of people who test positive on a rapid test (where the results are given within an hour) may turn out to be HIV negative.
A second blood sample will be tested in a lab to look for this.
You can read more about the window periods and HIV tests here.
I was misdiagnosed with hiv!!! Anyone tested positive get re-tested… I thought I was positive for 3 weeks… Had to attend hiv/aids alliance, tell anyone I slept with, counseling and more… for a doctor to later tell me I’m sorry we misdiagnosed you…. (misdiagnosed with blood test!!!)
Hi Jean, thanks for your comment. This service is for information rather than advice. So the information we post is based on evidence and guidelines. Each person is different and the evidence show that the vast majority of people living with HIV will progess without treatment. Exceptions are always interesting though because the range of responses to HIV is very broad. It seems you are lucky to have kept a high CD4 count without treatment, but it is reckless to suggest that everyone could do this – certainly not by vegetables and pilates. A lot has changed over the last 30 years in terms of treatment and how it is used. Luckily we now have effective treatment with few side effect that works well for most people. As a caution, although you have done very well until now, some researchers are concerned about the impact of ongoing HIV for decades without treatment. This means even people with strong immune responses are having different discussions with their doctors about the need for treatment. Also, if there is not strong evidence for the information we provide, I am very happy to say this. It is refreshing to hear someone say when they don’t know something and I say it often :)
My CD4 count this year is 1322 & not on medication. I was diagnosed in 1991 when cd4 was 1600+. The hiv consultant informed me people without the virus, their cd4 count is usually between 800 – 1200. It seems like people giving advice on i-base is giving conflicting information depending upon what question is asked. It would be better to say “I don’t know”, if unsure.
I would advise positive people to do your research first then, ask questions. I’ve found too many repeat what they’ve been told and labelled it as ‘truth’, even though they have no real life experience of hiv themselves.
I am so glad I ‘stuck to my guns’ when a hiv Consultant began pressuring me to start on anti-virals back in 1995. It didn’t seem logic to me to start with such a high cd4. I guess it’s life’s stresses that is keeping things in check for me. I agree everyone’s immune system is different. My advice is to know your body and listen to it. Eat your greens ie vegetables more than fruits, and drink water rather than tea, coffee and sodas, and do some exercise – whatever you can manage (i.e. stretches, yoga, body balance, pilates).