Question
How can I increase my CD4 count?
28 October 2017. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
Hi i was diagnosed HIV positive in June 2017 when my CD4 count was 18.
I live abroad and had TB and pneumonia one after the other and was in hospital. I started antivirals about a week later after my CD4 result came back.
By October 2017, my viral load is 26 and my CD4 count is 288.
My Thai doctor said to take my tablet at the same time everyday this. I have don’t this and drink coconut milk and eat pumpkin this I have done 3 times a week since being diagnosed.
I still have a runny nose and my chest cough and I’d like to know if there are other things I can do to increase my CD4 and reduce my viral load?
Thanks
Answer
Thanks for getting in touch.
From your results its clear that you’re doing very well. An increase in CD4 from 18 to 288 in a matter of months is amazing. In time this will rise even more.
Your viral load is undetectable, so as long as you keep taking you HIV meds, you don’t need to take additional medicine.
The cough and runny nose are not likely to be related to HIV. This might just be coincidence that you have a cold for example.
It is good to look after other things in your life – i.e. reducing stress and having goals to be happy. Eating a balance diet is good, and keeping mentally and physically active is also good for the long term – plus not smoking.
The HIV meds are all you needs for your CD4 count and viral load.
Hi if i have CD4 count is 507 and CD4 helper t cells are 26.83% what are the chances that i m infected with HIV
Hi Khanya,
I’m really sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Have you been on HIV treatment long? And are you taking treatment for TB too?
Tribuss and Odimune are the same meds. But they have different names because they are made by different companies. Please see this link for more info.
However, it’s important to talk to your doctor about your treatment. Treating TB and HIV when you have a low CD4 count can be complex. But you can ask to speak to specialist doctors to help you with the best possible treatment.
If you live in South Africa you can contact the Treatment Action Campaign at this contact link. They can help with local support.
Please let us know how you get on.
My CD4 was 4 also diagnose with TB im itchy also have rash now ive experience painful eyes im using tb treatment im on art first i use Tribuss now its Odimune
Hi Arnav,
It looks like your HIV meds are working well. What meds are you taking? And do you have access to your viral load results? Please let us know.
Starting HIV treatment (ART) can dramatically reduce viral load in the first days and weeks. But CD4 counts recover more slowly. CD4 counts can go up and down in a single day. However, 378 and 398 is about the same.
Please see this page from ART in Pictures. It shows what happens to the viral load and CD4 count when we start ART.
Hi , when i diagnosed with HIV my CD4 was 214 and after 6 month it increases to 398 and then after six month it decreases to 378.Is it normal?
Hi Cynthia.
Are you on medication? A rise from 101 to 189 CD4 is good.
Hi my name is Cynthia and my cd4 count was 101 almost year later it went up to 189 is this bad
Hi Josh,
Please see Q13 here: https://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
I just started ART treatment/medication. Is it ok to take multivitamins at the same time and other health food supplements. For eg. Virgin coconut oil, turmeric poweder, spirulina, garlic etc?
Hi Kenzo,
It looks good that you’ve already made some recovery and now your CD4 count is 166. Your HIV meds look like they’re working well.
HIV drugs do not directly increase the CD4 count, but they help make an environment where this can happen. HIV treatment (ART) enables the CD4 count to increase to higher and safer levels.
In contrast to viral load, CD4 usually increases more slowly and steadily. The biggest rise occurs during the first 6–12 months and this continues over the second year. Reaching a CD4 count above 500 is referred to as normal, but even if it doesn’t reach this high, the risk of HIV-related complications is dramatically reduced.
Please see this page from ART in Pictures. It explains what happens to your viral load and CD4 count after starting ART.