Hi Dr,

I was diagnosed HIV+ 6 weeks ago after having some mild fatigue but no other symptoms. Clearly I have had the virus for awhile because I found that my CD4 count was 58 and my viral load was 1.5 million. 3 weeks ago I started meds on a regimen of Norvir, Prezista, and Epzicom once a day.

I had labs rerun last Friday (3 weeks to the day after starting meds) and my CD4 count was 196 and my viral load was down to 1500. Would this be considered about average for someone just starting meds? I have to admit I was a bit surprised because based on what I have read I thought it would take longer for these counts to rise.

I'm currently on Bactrium daily, 1200 Mg Azythromycin once a week, and diflucan daily as OI preventatives. I'm hoping that in another few weeks I might be able to stop taking some of these prevention meds.

Thanks for all you do. I was shocked and surprised when I found out my status as I don't fall into a major risk group and have gotten annual physicals every year. But through all the shock and trauma, this site has been a Godsend.

Your response in 3 weeks would be considered somewhat better than average. Keep up the good work.