Question
How can I lose weight without it affecting my CD4 count?
15 September 2010. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, Supplements and herbs.
Hi
I am a lady of 27 years who is HIV positive but not on HAART. I have been gaining weight a lot this past 8 months. I am worried because my CD4 count is 370 this month. Now I want to lose weight but I am afraid that if I start to lose weight I might get sick or something could happen that would make me sick while my CD4 is still high. I do want to lose weight quickly though. Please help.
Answer
Thank you for your question.
There are ways of losing weight healthily by sticking to a balanced diet and an exercise regime which will not affect your CD4 count. Ensuring you have a good diet and exercise regime can actually help to maintain a healthy immune system. It will not make you sick if you lose weight properly.
Weight loss is better if it is done slowly because the slower it comes off the longer it will stay off. It is not about losing weight fast but about doing it healthily. If you are able to then you could go to your local gym and get a personal trainer to help you with an exercise routine or ask your HIV doctor to refer you to a dietician. This way you can ensure you are losing weight in a way that will improve your health rather than jeopardise it.
For information about what constitutes a healthy balanced diet for positive people please follow this link.
For tips about how to lose weight healthily please follow this link.
My name is lerato
Iv started my HIV treatment but I’m told I need to take tb tablets also for a year. I’m loosing my weight so badly. What should I do??
Hi Lerato,
In some countries if someone who is positive lives in a TB prone area they will be advised to take TB meds, this is especially the case if their CD4 count is low. However, TB meds shouldn’t make you lose weight. If you’re having issues with your medication you’re going to need to talk to your doctor about this.
Hi Lejoy,
How much weight have you lost? Have there been any changes in your life style?
I am loosing weight and I just started drinking my meds on Nov, wat could possibly be the cause of my weight loss
Hi Cathy,
How much weight have you gained? What is your diet like? Do you exercise?
I’ve started taking my arv which is tribuss I’ve gained so much weight in a period of a year and I don’t want to gain weight
Hi Kenny,
For some people who start meds with a low CD4 count, it may never get above 200. For other like you, its gone up quick and is nearly close to normal. As to why this has happened, its not possible to say. This is because we are all different. This is something to be happy about.
As to whether it will drop back to low levels. This will only happen if there is a problem with your medication. Which there clearly isn’t.
What could be the reason for my CD4 to jump from 36 to 336 in 5 months. I’m taking odimune. My viral went from 11 000 to undetectable in the same period, which I understand. But as for the CD4 I don’t understand such a big jump. Yes, I’m happy but scared at the same time what it might drops at the same rates that it went up.
Hi K, in the UK your CD4 count would be checked again. If it is really 60, then it might be that you have drug resistance and need to change treatment. Do you have viral load testing in your clinic? If yes, please let me know the result. If no, your doctor should talk about changing treatment. What is your current treatment? Getting your CD4 count above 100 and then higher is much more important than your weight at the moment.
mine is not a comment but a question. I knew of my HIV status in july 2014 and my cd4 was 152.in July 2015 I was diagnosed TB in my intestine s and the surgery was done.I briefly stopped taking my drugs for 10 days since I could not drink even water.in September this year I went for cd4 count test and it was 60 and weight was 72kg meaning I was heavier than what I was 12 months ago .
my worry is why is it that my weight is higher and my cd4 is such low as compared with2014 where my cd4 was 152 and my weight was 52kg.am I not in danger if so how best can I deal with this condition