Question
Am I at risk of OIs in the 8 weeks before I see my doctor?
3 October 2008. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, Opportunistic infections.
Am I at risk if I have to wait another 8 weeks to see my doctor?
My CD4 is around 200 and my viral load is just under 20,000, and I am not on meds yet. My CD4 has been on a steady decline since I found out I was positive 6 months ago, I was only infected about 18 months ago. Is it really unusual to have such bad numbers after a fairly recent infection?
And am I at a really high risk of OIs for the next 8 weeks? I’m really scared! What OIs should I be aware of?
Answer
First, calm down! Even though your CD4 count is 200, you are not at any immediate risk.
As you are anxious however, perhaps it may be a good idea to call your hospital and try to move your appointment earlier. The majority of the hospitals would usually agree to that. In any case, it is always worth trying.
Unfortunately, sometimes the infection progresses quickly and some people need treatment earlier than the majority of the other HIV-positive people. Sometimes that is a year or two after the infection. The treatment, however, works, regardless of how quickly you need it and you should not worry about that.
As for OIs, contact your hospital if you notice something unusual-coughs, pains, rashes, etc, though most infections only occur at lower CD4 counts.
Apart from that, everything should be OK, but again, because of your anxiety, rather than anything else, perhaps it is good to try to move your appointment earlier.
Comment