Question
Does stress and lack of sleep effect your CD4 count?
9 September 2010. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, Starting treatment.
Does stress and lack of sleep effect your CD4 count? I am HIV positive and am medicated. I work in a, recently, stressful job and have been going through a lot of stress in my personal life. My viral load is undetectable and yet my CD4 count doesn’t appear to be moving in any direction (which can be considered to be good) yet I would have thought it may have increased?
Answer
Thank you for your question.
A lot of things affect the CD4 count including the time of day it is taken, exercise, diet etc. Stress and lack of sleep can also affect your CD4 count.
To enable me to give you a more specific answer it would help to know what your CD4 count is and how long you have been on treatment. Whilst most people start to see an increase in their CD4 count in the first months after starting treatment, some people takes longer to see more significant increases. About 10% of people do not get large CD4 increases, even when thier viral load is undetectable, though this is not well understood.
Once you are on treatment the most important thing to monitor is your viral load. Your viral load being undetectable is a really good. There is little anyone can do to increase their CD4 count. For more detailed information please follow this link to a similar question.
Hi Jane, a CD4 count of 497 is within a healthy range (430 – 1690). There are a number of causes for a decreased CD4 count.
Transient reasons include exercise, vaccines and time of the day.
Others include infection, cancers and autoimmune diseases.
What are other causes of slightly decreased CD4 count ? Like 497? Can osteoarthritis be a cause? – for a friend
Hi Norma, what was the result of your last CD4 test?
Yes I am still taking the Bactrim with the arvs
Hi Rony, it is difficult to be specific about a source to identify when you became HIV positive. Had you had any sexual encounters recently without using a condom? Other ways HIV is transmitted is explained here: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing
It is great that you have started treatment. Viral load will likely be suppressed within 3 months but commonly this happens within 1 month. Do you have a viral load test booked? CD4 count takes a little longer to recover. It also happens differently for everyone. It is difficult to say when your CD4 count will recover but if you continue to take treatment daily it will likely be above 400 by the end of the year.
Hi, my self Rony, I have been detected HIV + a month ago with CD4 count of 343, and since then I am taking the medication at night 11 pm while sleeping..
Till now I have not faced any physical problems, just a bit confused how I got affected.. and even my doctor also mentioned the source as UNKNOWN SOURCE in my file..
My question is.. by how much time, my CD4 count rise to 400+ and become undetected viral load with regular medicine..!!
Hi Themba, how long have you been on treatment? and do you know the name of the treatment you are taking?
And how long have you been having these problems with your legs? Is this a problem you have had before?
I am Themba I was diagnosed with hiv four days ago my cd4= 266.I am drinking my pills at 8 pm when I fall asleep my legs feel like a cramp un able me to sleep
Please help
Kindly Regards
Themba
Hi Norma, thanks for your comment. You are doing really well on ART and these are great results. The increase in your CD4 count is already protecting you from most HIV-related problems. You will probably get to above 200 this year and it should steadily keep increasing. Everyone gets a different response though, and slow and steady is the best.
From now on, keeping viral load undetectable is more important than your CD4 count. There are no specific risks you need to worry about.
Are you still taking antibiotics as well as your ART?
I was diagnosed with hiv a year ago with the CD4 count off 116. It has risen to 149 after taking arvs for a year. I have also reached undetectable levels of viral load. My question is will my CD4 count rise further to atleast above 200, and what are the risks of having a low CD4 count though I am virally suppressed? Thanks
Kind regards
Norma