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Need help with lab results, I believe they show infection!
Feb 8, 2010
Please Doctor help me with this question. I have posted a few times but I got some lab results that are really troubling me. I know you said I could not be HIV positive if I tested negative at 5 months but I had a CD4 count done and well as a CD4 /CD8 ratio. My doctor told me my ratio was 1, which all information online points towards HIV infection and he said I had a CD4 of .20 I asked if that was a percentage and he said it was weight related. I am in a lot of pain, abdominal, lost weight, shingles. My wife has had a dry cough for 6 weeks now and is fatigued. I am scared and I do not understand those labs, if I did not have HIV my ratio should be double not 1. I feel like I am dying and no body will help me, I really need your advice, sincerely Mark.
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Response from Dr. Frascino
Hello Mark,
Why do you feel like no one will help you? If you have ongoing symptoms of pain and weight loss, you should have a thorough evaluation by a competent internal medicine physician. Fixating on HIV is not helpful. CD4 counts can vary for many reasons other than HIV/AIDS. I have no idea what your doctor meant by CD4 being "weight related," as absolute CD4 counts and CD4% and CD4/CD8 ratios have nothing to do with weight.
If my reassurance is not sufficient for you to shake your (unwarranted) HIV worries, get a six-month HIV-antibody test. Should that too prove to be negative, as I strongly suspect it will, you will hopefully put your fears of HIV permanently to rest and refocus your energies on finding out the true cause of your problems! I don't believe you are dying, nor do I believe you have HIV.
Good luck Mark. Write back when you have your true diagnosis sorted out and I'll post your response for our readers.
Dr. Bob
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