Does An Elevated Red Blood Count Indicate Hiv

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Understanding HIV-Related Lab Tests I: Complete Blood Count and Blood Chemistry

Lab Tests Are Important Tools The Basics Complete Blood Count (CBC) Blood Chemistry (Chemistry or Chem Screens) The Bottom Line Lab Tests Are Important Tools Having regular lab tests is a necessary part of good health care. Lab testsare important tools that help you and your health care provider keep track ofhow you are doing in the following areas: Immune System Status How HIV is affecting your immune system If you...

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Elevated red blood cell count / polycythemia

Since June of 2006 my lab work shows my red blood cell count going higher and higher. I switched to a new med combo in June of 2006. For the past 6 years I was on Combivir and Kaletra with excellent results. My new combo is...

Response from Mark Holodniy, M.D., F.A.C.P., C.I.C.

Stanford University, School of Medicine

Your doctor may be correct. However you don't indicate what your red and white cell values were and are currently to determine how significant the increase was and if this is a problem or not. Many things can cause polycythemia (drugs,... Read more »

persistent sore thraot lasting for 3 weeks, elevated white blood cell, and invisible blood in urine (white and red cell)

i had unprotected sex with one girl before 7 weeks and 4 days, and after 4 weeks u start feeling fatigue and sore throat no more sgins and sometimes abdominal pain ... i went to the clinic and make CBC and the result was normal except for the WBC...

Response from Joseph McGowan, M.D., F.A.C.P.

North Shore University Hospital

The symptoms you describe are not typical for acute HIV infection other than the sore throat which can be seen. It is possible that you have contracted an STD such as herpes which can give you urinary symptoms and would not respond to antibiotics.... Read more »

Red blood cell indices and recent infection

My question is in reference to recent exposures (under 1 year) to Hiv and whether or not certain abnormal RBC indices are usually seen? Is this more common in the later stages of Hiv/Aids, and/or with the use of certain medications? Thanks for...

Response from J. B. Molaghan, N.P., A.C.R.N.

San Francisco General Hospital

HelloDuring the phase of acute infection, some people do develop anemia with a lower than normal red blood count, hematocrit and hemoglobin. Also, the white blood cell count (WBC) and lymphocyte count can be decreased. This decrease is usually... Read more »

High red blood cell count; is this a set-up for a stroke?

You have helped me before so I have come back again. My HIV positive brother has a high red blood cell count and extremely high blood pressure. He saw a hemotologist today and the best info I could get from my brother is that they are going to...

Response from Bruce Dezube, M.D.

Harvard Medical School

Although many HIV patients have a tendancy to develop anemia (low blood count), it is indeed true that some develop too high of a red blood cell count. This condition goes under various names including erythrocytosis and polycythemia. His doctor... Read more »

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blood counts can indicate infection

Posted by Anonymous, 4 Replies

As an old timer of this board having had ALL the ars symptoms and 20 negative HIV tests including PCR&#8217;s DNA bDNA I recently received the results from a blood count that shows my lymphocyte percentage which was 45 right at the top of the... Read more »

White Blood Count Question

Posted by Anonymous, 4 Replies

When you get a standard blood workup from the doctor and they say your white blood cell count is elevated would that correspond to a recent HIV exposure? I was not sure if an HIV exposure would cause a decreae in white blood cells or an increase. I... Read more »

CD4+Tcell count indicative of nothing.

Posted by TonyF, 4 Replies

This, rather than being a myth the public promotes, could be considered a myth that the medical establishment promotes. We are led to believe that our bi-yearly doctor checkup of our CD4+Tcell count is a good baseline determination of where we... Read more »

Low WBC from a Complete Blood Count...

Posted by Anonymous, 3 Replies

I had a Complete Blood Count done for a regular physical exam. The results freaked me out, I have a low White Blood Count of 3.8 out of the lab norm of 4.5-11.0. My Neutrophils percentage was 39.3% with the lab norm of 50-70%. My lymphocyte... Read more »

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