Question
Which foods increase CD4 count?
18 January 2016. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, Starting treatment.
I want to increase my CD4 count. Which foods should i eat to do this?
Answer
Hi,
A healthy balanced diet is important for everyone, especially people with HIV.
However HIV treatment is the only thing that will reliably increase your CD4 count. This will slowly start to happen after you start treatment, if you have not already.
You can have a look at this online guide for information about HIV and nutrition.
And our online guide with information about HIV treatment.
Hi guys,
I discovered i am +hiv in 2012,now i want to start my treatment and they said my cd4 count is 225.
I really want to start with the arvs but my fear is that i gave seen people living healthy without taking them but after starting with them they get sick & loose weight_can someone please explain what causes that?
Hi Nontsindiso,
Do you mean your CD4 count is 25? If that’s correct then it’s good that they checked for TB. That’s because having a low CD4 count can increase risk of TB.
But a side effect of Aluvia is nausea. You can read more about Aluvia here. Please ask your doctor to look at your treatment and see if there are other meds that would be better for you.
I default for about 2 yrs then I go the clinic again they said my joint cell is 25 they check TB and after that I started some meds Aluvia and Lamivudine but now it’s been 4 days I’m vomiting nausea dizziness and no energy pls help
Hi Mop,
Your doctor should have tested for viral load and CD4 when you tested HIV+. This can help work out what HIV meds you can start with. What country do you live in, let us know please. It should be okay to go to any health centre to check.
I got to know i am hiv +2 months ago and i started art right away…I didn’t know a lot about disease then but after my first appointment with doctor,i learned a lot myself on internet concerning the disease and realize the doctor didn’t let me know my cd4 count and viral load which i want to know,i then decided to ask the doctor on my next appointment with her but she told me unless 6month time of taking the medications before my viral load and cd4 count will be test but i really want to know it and know how I’m improving before that 6 months said by the doctor…So want to ask if i can go to any health center to check it myself?
Hi Pearl,
Its common that people default when taking ARVs, the important thing is that you want to restart them. The best thing to do is to book an appointment with your doctor. Ideally they should check your CD4 count, viral load and run some resistance tests. They may need to change you to a different medication, so not the one that you were on before.
Once that’s done then you should be good to restart meds.
Hi how can I restart med after default
I have been his positive for the past fifteen years. When I found out I started meds then I stopped for some years and I started to get sick and lose alot of weight. The only thing that helped me was starting back meds and I am so happy that it’s free in our country. The clinics here are very knowledgeable about the virus and they always council new HIV patients. The stigma is real but you can live a healthy and happy life. Eat right as well
Thanks
Hi Shan, There’s a lot of research going on around a cure for HIV. But it’s not easy because infected CD4 cells naturally go to sleep. And that makes it difficult to target them with HIV meds. You can read more here about the HIV cure puzzle.
I am sharuk 26,
We are living in a very advanced world our scientists are discovering new wonders ..they are going moon ,space and living there then why cant develop a medicine for hiv cure? any conspiracy is behind this?