Question
How can I get my CD4 count to increase?
26 May 2011. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
Hi – what can I do to help increase my CD4? I have just found out I am at undetectable level after 8 weeks on treatment which is great. my CD4 has gone from 95 to 166 (after 4 weeks) and is now 173 after 8 weeks. I know it can take time for the CD4 to recover when the base level is low as mine but I am still disheartened as I was really hoping for it to have rebounded a bit better than this. What can I do to help it increase? Many thanks for your advice.
Answer
Thank you for your question.
Your CD4 count is doing really well and increasing nicely. Most people take 6-12 months for their CD4 counts to increase significantly. You are doing really well and have nothing to feel disheartened about.
There is very little anyone can do to increase their CD4 counts accept using HIV treatment which you are already doing. However, there are some things that you can do to maintain your CD4 count and ensure it stays up. This includes eating a healthy balanced diet, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, not getting stressed out, not smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation and generally looking after yourself.
Hi KKlove – you are 20 and life expectancy is roughly another 50 years to age 70. Best advise is to not smoke cigarettes.
Please ask any questions, including your meds once you have started by email rather than by comment:)
questions@i-base.org.uk
Thankyou so much. Any tips on prolonging my life? And can i update you about my meds id I’ll start them next next week? Thanks
Hi KKlove
Interpreting the CD4 count of about 250 can mean two main things.
1. You were recently infected (within the last few months). Your immune system has dropped in early infection. As this is below 350 the recommendations are to start HIV treatment (ART). It is okay to do this in two weeks.
or
2. You are ore likely to have caught HIV several years ago (maybe more than five years ago – maybe 20 years ago). Your CD4 count has gradually dropped to 250. As this is below 500 in chronic infection all guidelines also recommend ART. It is okay to do this in two weeks.
In both cases it is good that your doctor has recommended ART. The timeline for doing this in two weeks is also okay.
I’m sorry yeah thats my cd4 count.
Hi KKLove, are you sure this was your viral load and not your CD4 count. This is important for the information I would give.Please read though this guide for more information about your situation now:
http://i-base.info/guides/starting
Hello there. My viral load yesterday is 249. My doctor doesn’t gave me arv’s yet. He just gave me isoniazid for 2 weeks before arv’s. And a flu vaccine. any comments about this one? And tips to prolong my life? Thanks.
Hi KKlove – HIV treatment in the UK is available free. Other than my previous answer if you want to discuss this more please email these questions to me at: questions@i-base.org.uk.
Thanks for consistently responding on me. I hope you understand that I’m still on the state of understanding and little by little accepting these shocking changes in my life. I wanna know if i can go to uk for treatment. Is that possible? Thanks god bless you!
Hi KKlove, being positive doesn’t mean you have to change your whole life – unless these are things you want to do for other reasons. Treatment is available free in the UK, but you can get treatment in the Phillipines where you already live. Your symptoms now could easily all be related to the stress. If you are not sleeping, this will make you tired :)
Thanks for cheering me up. I’m from the philippines. I just wanted to know if i can go to uk for treatment? Is it possible? I hope i can still live like normal people and live a longer life. I am in depression right now. And my muscle aches. I kept on thinking about my health and that gives me insomia. My over all physical appearance looks great though. But i get tired easily. Im drinking vitamins and eat a lot of vegetables and healthy diet.