Question
Which immune booster pills will decrease my viral load?
11 January 2016. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, Changing treatment, Starting treatment.
Which immune booster pills or herbal supplement can i take to decrease my viral load?
Answer
Hi,
Booster pills and herbal supplements will not reduce your viral load.
The only thing that can do this is HIV treatment (ART).
Once someone starts ART, viral load decreases very quickly – within a month or two it should be under 50 copies/mL (called undetectable).
If you have already been on HIV treatment for longer than this and you viral load is not under 50 you should speak to your doctor or clinic.
They can help you work out why the treatment isn’t working so well. They can let you know what alternatives are available.
You can find information about starting treatment and information about changing treatment in our online guides.
Hi McCoy, have you been told your recent CD4 count?
Had your viral load been steadily around 170 since you have been on treatment? and had you had a vaccine/been ill around the time of the viral load test? Both of these can cause a temporary increase in viral load.
It is also possible that this is a random blip which is a normal thing to do. Occasionally viral load can increase a smal amount by itself and then soon return to being suppressed. The other possible reason is that this was a lab error.
Have you been offered a further test to confirm what your viral load is?
PLEASE I HAVE BEEN HIV POSITIVE SINCE 2012 BUT START TAKING DRUGS 2020, MY VIRAL LOAD WAS 170 AND NOW AS OF FEBRUARY IS 368. ASSIST ME PLEASE
Hi Mahlako, are you on treatment? and if so how long have you been on it?
My cd4 count is 500 and my viral load is 3000 hou can I decrease my viral load
Hi Sonia, I will answer briefly here but also include a few lins for further reading. Please get back to me if you still have questions though.
1. Any viral load that is still less than 200 is still technically counted as being undetectable. It means you cant transmit HIV. This is usually a temporary blip that will go back down again without needing to change your meds. Especially if you have been on treatment for a while and had an undetectable viral load before.
2. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN IMMUNE BOOSTER. I write this in capitals so that other people with read this too. i-Base gets lots of questions from people looking for ‘boosters’ but they don’t exist – certainly not foods or supplement or other medicines. Sleeping well and leading a healthier lifestyle might help.
3. If you viral load stays above 50 for month than a few months, or keeps increasing, please see this guide. It explains more about whether you need to talk to your doctor about changing treatment.
https://i-base.info/guides/changing
4. Your doctor is giving you good advice, but explain how you feel. Sometimes though there is too much pressure to be less than 50 or less than 20, whne just being a little above these levels is still really good.
Hi. My viral load has increased to 140. My CD4 is 1500. Am I detectable now? How do I get my viral load back down to 20 or undeniable? What immune boosters can I take along with my HIV meds to achieve this? My doctor tells me not to worry. But I am, because every time I visit him it has increased.
Hi Nazir, have you been having your tests in the same place? and after these second results were you offered a test after to confirm they are correct? This is a significant increase in CD4 count over a short time. Have you also been told your CD4%? Increasing CD4 count would also indicate that your treatment is working and mean viral load would be suppressed rather than increase. What meds were you on and what do you take now? How much weight have you gained over how long?
Hi, I am Nazir. I am taking my meds but something ambiguous is happening. My CD4 is rising (480 to 675 in two month) but my viral load is also increasing (7000 to 9000) I have changed my meds but I now always feel sick. I have also gained weight.