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14 months out,but new info has me very worried
by NeedExpertiseinPA, Jun 10, 2007 12:00AM
Posting again because of new troubling info. To refresh, my possible exposure situation: 20 minutes of unprotected oral and vaginal sex in March 2006 with a female whose status I'm not sure of. She told me over the phone that she is not HIV+, but I did not ask her for paper results.
Since that time I had the following diagnosed ailments: 2 rounds of tonsilitus within 3 weeks of the event; vitreous detachments in both eyes about 8 weeks after, ongoing mild follicultis on scalp, low back pain, ongoing fatigue and dry mouth, achey (achy) joints, a UTI in Jan 07, and two apthous ulcers about 2 weeks ago. My skin is also more sensitive and the most minor scratches seem to stay red longer and take longer to heal.
Over that same time period I've had the following tests: about 10 Orasure Rapid HIV 1/2 tests; one HIV-1 DNA PCR @ 16 weeks; two HIV-1 RNA PCRs @ 6 months (<400 sensitive) and one year (<50 sensitive). I have also have a few oral fluid and direct blood draw EIAs. All came back negative or non-detected. I also gave blood on two occasions after six months (thinking that after that point, I was in the clear), once at 6 months and also at 10 months. I have not been informed of any problems since those two blood donations.
The January 07 UTI and the mouth ulcers got me worried, so I asked for a CD4 count, thinking that would resolve it all, to see that I was healthy. Last week I got the results: CD4 count 414; CD4 % 37; and total lymph count of 1100. HOW CAN THIS BE?? Websites, including this one say that a normal CD4 count should be well above 500 and that some advocate starting HAART treatment at <350. I'm only 64 away from that!
The only tests I have not had are HIV-2 PCR or cultures. 1) What is your opinion of this? Are there other HIV tests I should take? 2) Is there anyone in particular I should see? (immunologist, certain HIV specialists, oncologist??) 3) If not HIV, then what can be causing this?
I've considered that my body might just operate at a lower CD4 than most, but even that would be wierd. My lymph counts over this time period have been: 1020 - March 06; 1330 - May 06; 1760 - August 06; and now 1100. 4)Does it seem that my lymph count in March 06 (1020), was suggestive of ARS or primary infection? Even if I had the same CD4 % back then, it would have been 377. I'm calling my primary to see what my counts previous to March 2006 may have been to see.
I'm very upset about this, even more so than when I first wrote you all. I don't know what to do - I've seen many doctors for many things over the past year and it doesn't seem to be stopping. With a CD4 of 414 and a total count of 1100, my cd4/cd8 ratio would be a troubling .58. Please help me. I appreciate any further advice.
Since that time I had the following diagnosed ailments: 2 rounds of tonsilitus within 3 weeks of the event; vitreous detachments in both eyes about 8 weeks after, ongoing mild follicultis on scalp, low back pain, ongoing fatigue and dry mouth, achey (achy) joints, a UTI in Jan 07, and two apthous ulcers about 2 weeks ago. My skin is also more sensitive and the most minor scratches seem to stay red longer and take longer to heal.
Over that same time period I've had the following tests: about 10 Orasure Rapid HIV 1/2 tests; one HIV-1 DNA PCR @ 16 weeks; two HIV-1 RNA PCRs @ 6 months (<400 sensitive) and one year (<50 sensitive). I have also have a few oral fluid and direct blood draw EIAs. All came back negative or non-detected. I also gave blood on two occasions after six months (thinking that after that point, I was in the clear), once at 6 months and also at 10 months. I have not been informed of any problems since those two blood donations.
The January 07 UTI and the mouth ulcers got me worried, so I asked for a CD4 count, thinking that would resolve it all, to see that I was healthy. Last week I got the results: CD4 count 414; CD4 % 37; and total lymph count of 1100. HOW CAN THIS BE?? Websites, including this one say that a normal CD4 count should be well above 500 and that some advocate starting HAART treatment at <350. I'm only 64 away from that!
The only tests I have not had are HIV-2 PCR or cultures. 1) What is your opinion of this? Are there other HIV tests I should take? 2) Is there anyone in particular I should see? (immunologist, certain HIV specialists, oncologist??) 3) If not HIV, then what can be causing this?
I've considered that my body might just operate at a lower CD4 than most, but even that would be wierd. My lymph counts over this time period have been: 1020 - March 06; 1330 - May 06; 1760 - August 06; and now 1100. 4)Does it seem that my lymph count in March 06 (1020), was suggestive of ARS or primary infection? Even if I had the same CD4 % back then, it would have been 377. I'm calling my primary to see what my counts previous to March 2006 may have been to see.
I'm very upset about this, even more so than when I first wrote you all. I don't know what to do - I've seen many doctors for many things over the past year and it doesn't seem to be stopping. With a CD4 of 414 and a total count of 1100, my cd4/cd8 ratio would be a troubling .58. Please help me. I appreciate any further advice.
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WBC = 4.1
Total Lymphs = 1148
Would that suggest, based on the other info posted above, that I operate at a low lymph count than others, and that's just the way it is? If my CD4 % were fairly consistent, then a 37% back then would result in 424, only 10 points higher than my most recent one. Is there any other HIV test I should/could take at this point to erase all doubt. I don't want to keep wasting time or money, but having results from a wide variety of tests/types makes sense to me, rather than pinning it down to one test at one specific point in time, especially with the things I've had over the past year. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.