Question
Is my increase in CD4 count good?
19 December 2023. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, Newly diagnosed.
I’ve been on treatment TLD about 2 months, my CD4 count increased from 413 (27%) to 484 (30%). Is it a good result?
Also, which level it will increase?
Answer
Hi, how are you doing?
Yes. This is a good result.
You now have a CD4 count in a healthy range (430 – 1690).
This result shows that your viral load is being suppressed and HIV is no longer damaging your immune system. This is why your CD4 count has been able to recover.
CD4 count does recover slowly unlike viral load which changes rapidly. But you have already achieved a CD4 count within a healthy range. It does not need to increase further but it is likely to return to what your CD4 count was prior to being HIV positive.
Unless this was tested before being HIV positive, this increase is unknown.
Josh.
Hi Chiedza, it is great to hear how well you are doing on treatment. Thank you for sharing this.
I started taking kicotaf January and my cd4 97 and viral.load 192000 copies, after 5 months my viral.load undetectable with CD4 of 221.
Hi Aykhan, yes this is good viral suppression. Most people achieve an undetectable viral load after 3 months of treatment. Having your viral load drop from 900000 to 580 in only 2 months is a very good sign. This suggests that within the next month your viral load will be undetectable.
Taking your medication everyday when suppressed does not lead to HIV mutating. By taking it everyday you stop HIV from being able to replicate. It is replication that allows HIV to mutate and become resistant. Because you are stopping the replication by taking medication you are not at risk of developing resistance.
Hi Josh, thank you for your answer. By the way, my first viral load was around 900 000. Now it is 580.
As I mentioned before, I started treatment about less than 2 month ago.
Is this viral supression good? Am I able to achieve undetectable?
Also, if I suppressed virus, and I will take my medicine every day. Will the virus mutate and become drug resistant? Will it happen to everyone? What is the chance of this happen?