Question
Should I worry about a CD4 drop from 470 to 275?
12 October 2016. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
Hi, My CD4 count has dropped significantly in the first 6 months of treatment. It went from 470 to 275. Is this normal? My doctor said not to worry. I’m taking Duovir & nevirapine. I will get my viral load on Monday. Thanks for the help.
Answer
Thanks for getting in touch. Its great to hear that you are on treatment and that your doctor is supportive. Other than your concern about your CD4 count, how you are doing?
CD4 counts can change without it meaning something is wrong. This is normal. There are also sometimes trouble with the CD4 test. This means your next CD4 count could easily be higher without doing anything.
In the UK the doctor would check this though with another CD4 test. When is your docotr next going to do this?
This link has more info about CD4 and viral load:
https://i-base.info/guides/starting.
The most important thing when beginning treatment is to not miss doses. This will help undetectable viral load more quickly.
If you have any other questions, please let us know..
Hi Winnie, it is good that you have been diagnosed. This means you can start treatment before your CD4 count fall any lower. So long as you start HIV treatment your CD4 count should get stronger. This invlvs being good at not missing doses.
hi I just found out that I have hiv nd my cd4 is 151, is it ok or should I be worried
Hi Robbie, thanks – and good you are so well. i-Base is in England and we have limited information about other countries. For mny countries though CD4 counts are only every 6 months and viral load might be only once a year. Actually this is pretty similar to the UK, but as the tests here are relatively cheap compared to the cost of treatment, it is easy to have unusual results confirmed with additional tests.
One other thing you could ask your doctor, is whether your CD4 percentage (CD4%) has changed. This is generally more stable thant the absolute count. If the Cd4 percentage is similar it confirms the the difference in CD4 counts is not important. See this link:
http://i-base.info/qa/18
Because your adherence is good, I expect you will be fine and the next count will be higher again. Please let us know what happens.
I’m doing great and feeling great – like my old normal self. Thanks for asking. I’m strong, sharp with no unusual episodes.
When I asked my doctor if I could get another CD4 to validate, he has discouraged it. According to him, the next one should after 6 months. I guess that’s the protocol over here in my country. Is that possible?