Question
Is my CD4 count and viral load within the normal ranges?
12 October 2010. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
I am currently on treatment my latest result were: viral load 29 and CD4 count 431 is this within accepteble ranges?
Answer
Thank you for your question.
Your results are very good. Once you are on treatment the most important thing to monitor is your viral load which should, wherever possible, remain under 50 copies/mL. Some people get the occassional ‘blip’ where the viral load goes up a little bit and then down again. This is nothing to worry about. Your viral load of 29 is very good.
Which treatments are you on? Have you experienced any side effects? When did you start treatment?
For more information on CD4 counts and viral load please follow this link
Hi
Great that you are doing well on treatment. I had a couple of comments if this is okay.
One is just that I was curious why you decided to start treatment so early with such a high CD4 T-cell count. Some people do this to be less infectious to their partners, and there are other reasons why this may be a good idea. Guidelines generally don’t stress the importance of treatment at such high CD4 counts – but of course this is an individual decision, and there may be other reasons for this.
Secondly, although your viral load has come down from 16,000 to 134, most of this would have happened during the first few weeks. 16,000 is a low starting level and many people would expect to get an undetectable result within the first month, or certainly within the first three months.
I mention this because Complera include three drugs – rilpivirine, tenofovoir and FTC.
The first of these, rilpivirine, has a relatively small dose (25 mg) and this means you have to be strict with how you take it. Rilpivirine needs to be taken with food and the food should be at least 500 calories, or you don;t get a high enough dose.
It also needs to be taken close to the same time each day. Rilpivirine is not one of the drugs where you can let this go a few hours either side.
See these links for info on rilpivirine and Complera (called Eviplera in Europe)
We hear from lots of people who have not been given this information and I wanted to check that you had this. It is important to help you make this combination last a long time.
I hope everything else is going well and that the last year has become easier since getting your diagnosis.
I found out I was poz last yr and my Viral load was 16,000 and Tcell counts were and still are 1300. I didn’t get on meds til April of 2012 and today in July my viral load has went from 16,000 to 134 already…..they say i have a strong immune system, I take this new med called Complera and you only have to take 1 pill a day.
Everything sounds fine. CD4 counts fluctuate and are the most important test for deciding when to start treatment. Your doctor won’t see any difference between 172 and 200.
Once you are on treatment, getting your viral load to undetectable becomes the main aim. You response so far sounds good – your viral load has gone gone by more than 100-fold (ie more than 2 logs). It should continue to go down further so long as you are good at adherence and don’t miss doses. Your CD4 count will probably increase a bit later – it sometimes takes a couple of weeks or even months to see this.
See some of the other posts about CD4 and viral load for more information.
Hello I was infected in March of this year, and diagnosed in April. I have been on meds for about 45 days. My viral load was 91,000 and cd4 was in the 200s my viral load is now 800 but my cd4 count is 172. Is this normal? 0s
Hello LLoyd,
In the UK guidelines recommend starting treatment when your CD4 count is 350 or less. This is because your risk of getting ill increases when your CD4 count is below this point. This does not mean that you will definitely get sick, just that it is more likely.
In some countries the guidelines recommend starting treatment when your CD4 count is 200 or less. Again this is because, when your CD4 is under 200, you are at higher risk of getting ill. Has your clinic said when they plan to start your treatment?
These risks are described here: Your CD4 count and the risk of becoming ill
If you could tell me which country you live in I can find out what the guidelines say for your country. Then I will be able to advise how you can proceed from here.
I was diagnosed with hiv 6months ago and did the cd4 count tests and am on 248 is this safe because l havent started taking any medication and l am doin all this through a clinic of which they are making us wait and l hve been researching ans kniw on 200 am likely t fall into the AIDS zone what do l do and have been getting big pimples on my face
Hello Heta,
It sounds likely that you have experienced a viral load ‘blip’. This is where your viral load jumps from undetectable and then drops back down below detection by itself within a few weeks. It is a good idea to have another viral load test within the next few weeks to check this result if possible. Because viral load testing is not very accurate your doctor is unlikely to be worried by one test result which is detectable. S/he will only want to change your medicine if your viral load continues to be detectable after another test. Please follow this link for more information about viral load blips .
I’ve been HIV positive for six years. I used to take Atripla now I’m on Isentress (raltegravir) and Truvada (tenofovir +3TC).My viral load used to be undetectable.
Today for the first time my viral load is <150 but detectable.
Are my medicines working for me or not? Or my doctor will change my medicine? Or is my disease in advance stage?
Will my viral load return to undetectable soon without changing the drug ?
Hi Ricky,
Thank you for your question. I am sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis. Your viral load and CD4 count are very good. You will not need to start treatment right away. However, it is good to begin collecting as much information about treatment as you can so that you can make informed decisions about your health when the time comes to start treatment. For more information you should read the i-Base ‘Introduction to Combination Therapy‘ guidebook. You should also read about CD4 counts and viral loads and how they change as the infection progresses by following this link. That way you can better understand what you can expect to happen in the next few years.
Good luck and if you need any further information please do not hesitate to contact us again.
Charlie
Morning, my viral load is 23 and CD4 count is 510. I’m new to this and am still waiting to see a doctor. I found out I was HIV positive yesterday, are these results good and will I need treatment do you think?
Regards Ricky