once cd4 count is low is full blown aids imminent?

Question

or can the count go back up & viral load down?

Answer 1

A CD4 count gives a good indication of how profoundly the disease has affected your immune system, and, as was noted in other answers, once it drops below 200 you are considered to have full-blown AIDS, though what that means in terms of vulnerability to opportunistic infections varies by the patient.
The good news though is that your CD4 count can indeed go back up and your viral load can go down if the disease is properly treated by HAART (highly active antiretroviral treatment) -a combination of (usually 3) drugs that must be taken regularly. HIV and AIDS is now a medical subspecialty all by itself, so get in touch with a doctor and get on the meds you need. We can slow the disease and may even be able to stop it indefinately with the proper drug combination, there are many HIV positive people who are, with some help from the meds, living normal lives now.

Answer 2

The CD4 count can be low for various reasons, AIDS being one of them. Obviously to have 'full-blown AIDS' - you have to be positive for HIV. If you are, and your CD4 is less than 200, then you are considered to have AIDS.

Even if your counts are greater, but you have suffered opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis, other pneumonias, meningitis, fungal infections, etc - those are considered 'AIDS-defining illnesses', irrespective of the CD 4 count.

The CD4 count if taken during an active infection is further depressed. It is more reliably tested for when there is no active infection. Generally speaking, the count will progressively decline over the span of years if the HIV is not treated but can certainly improve with HIV meds.

Answer 3

Yes, but only with medication. When one becomes infected, he has HIV. HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system. Your immune system is protected by T-Cells (white blood cells). In a typical person, there will be between 500-900 T-Cells in a drop of blood. After getting HIV and it being in your body, it will start destroying T-Cells. One must continuously go in and have the level checked. Once the level reaches about 200, then they consider a person as having full blown AIDS. The T-Cells will continue to die unless the person starts medication. Once on medication (a "cocktail"), then the virus will be suppressed and the T-Cells will begin to build up again, hence leaving the AIDS stage and reverting back to HIV. It should be known though, that once on HIV medication, a person can never get off. If a person does get off, the HIV will figure out how the medication is helping you, mutate and the medication won't work anymore (essentially). So yes, a person can go from HIV, to AIDS, to HIV. If your friend did have AIDS and now has HIV, then he is probably on his "cocktail".

Answer 4

the count can hopefully go up with appropriate treatment, in that case AIDS can be avoided, good luck

Answer 5

You need to seek the advice of your healthcare provider at this point. Hope it works out. God bless you.

Answer 6

difficult thing. check out on to google and yahoo. this could help!