Question
Will Chinese herbs increase my CD4 count? Can I wait for symptoms before starting treatment ?
2 August 2007. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, Newly diagnosed, Starting treatment, Supplements and herbs.
Answer
Hi
Your question addresses 3 main points.
1. CD4 counts go up and down quite regularly. A doctor would not see any difference between 360, 300 and 310. The trend over time is as important as the actual count. Continue monitoring – currently things look good and stable. Your viral load is also currently very low. Most people do not start treatment until their CD4 count is around 200 cells/mm3 and their viral load is over 50,000 copies/mL.
2. I know of no study that shows that any herbal medicine, Chinese or otherwise, can have any positive impact on your CD4 count.Whatever the website says, it is likely to be false advertising rubbish at best, and at worse could make your health worse.
3. You dont need to start HIV drugs until you feel happy about this. Getting more information is a good idea, and taking time to weigh the benefits and risks in your mind may change how you feel over time.
However, it is very risky to wait until you have signs or symptoms.
Starting treatment before your CD4 count drops below 200 will protect you from most serious illnesses, will keep your CD4 count higher over a longer time, and is less likely to cause side effects.
Keep an open mind when talking to your doctor and ask as many questions as you need.
A friend of mine was diagnosed as being HIV positive 4 years ago. What worries me is that her doctor has not started her on the ARV therapy but her CD4 count has never been above 300. In fact over the past few checkups the CD4 count has even dropped to 200 but the doctor still hasnt put her on any drugs.
I am getting worried and have advised her to get a second opinion from another doctor since she is continouly having funny infections here and there. However, she is adamant that her doctor is right. Please advise me.
If your CD4 count is 200 then you should start taking treatment as soon as possible. You should not wait until your CD4 count is below 200. The new World Health Organisation guidelines recommend starting treatment when the CD4 count is around 350. I am not sure which country you are in and what the policy of that country is but most countries are starting treatment when the CD4 count is over 250.
Please see a full answer to this question by following this link
My CD4 counts is 200 but my doctor told me to wait and start taking HIV medication when my CD4 count is 180. Am I safe to do this?
I have been diagnosed HIV positive. In 2009 my CD4 count was 720 and my viral load was 840,000. My doctor advised no treatment but today my CD4 count was 130 and viral load undectable, should I start treatment with this CD4 count and undectable viral load?
For a list of vitamins and supplements which will help you maintain a healthy balanced diet please see this link. I am not aware that oranges are bad for your immune system. They are full of vitamin C which is good for you. There is no way of getting your CD4 count to go up without starting medication. Having a good balanced diet, staying healthy and stress-free should prolong the time before you have to start HIV medication.
Hi I tested HIV positive in April 2005 and so far my CD4 count has been good. I just recently had my bloods done and my CD4 has dropped to 425. What is the best type of fruit and vegtables to eat to boost my immune system? I’ve tried a lot of Chinese meds but have found they make my immune system worse. I try to eat 5-a-day but which is best? I heard that oranges aren’t all that good for your immune system. I do drink a lot of orange and grapfruit juice but can’t get my CD4 up. Can u help?
Thank you for your question.
When to start medication is a decision you have to make in discussion with your doctor. Taking vitamin C, selenium and eating well will not improve your CD4 count. Your CD4 count of 245 means you are already below 250. Current recommendations are to start medication at around 350. Once you start medication you will begin to see a rise in your CD4 count and your viral load should become undetectable after about 6 weeks to 3 months.
For more information about starting treatment please see the i-Base ‘Introduction to Combination Therapy’ guide.
I was diagnosed with HIV in April. My CD4 count is 245 and my viral load is 437,000, the doctor insisted I started ARVs but I want to wait at least by a month and try to stay stress free, eat raw fruit and veg and take Vitamin C, selenium and eat lots of fish.
I want my CD4 to pick, as I don’t want to take ARVs unless I drop to under 250. Is it possible or am I putting myself at risk. I am taking prophylaxis for TB and Pnemonia.
That’s a good question.
There are studies starting at the moment to look at whether or not HIV positive people should start medication before their CD4 count drops. This is a very controversial issue and you can find out more about it by following this link.