Question
If my CD4 count is 1295, does it mean I no longer have HIV?
15 March 2011. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
I am HIV positive. My first CD4 count was 685 and then it went up to 1295 does that mean I am healthy and is the virus cleared in my body?
Answer
Thank you for your question.
A CD4 count of 1295 is fantastic! However, unfortunately it does not mean HIV is cleared from your body. CD4 counts do fluctuate up and down. It could also be that you were recently infected and your CD4 count is increasing after the initial infection. For more information please follow this link.
The good news is that your immune system is very good as your CD4 count is so high.
What is your viral load result? Usually this would be detectable, even with a high CD4 count, though a small percentage of people (less than 0.01%) maintain a high CD4 count and undetectable viral load, without needing HIV treatment.
Is a Cd4 count 353 good or bad
Hi Zintle,
A CD4 count of 146 is on the low side.
But please let us know more. Have you been HIV positive for long? And do you have your viral load results? Please also tell us what HIV meds you’re taking.
My CD4 count is 146 is it okay??
Hi Shivani,
Although the ‘normal’ range for CD4 counts without HIV is between 400-1600 there are some people who naturally have a CD4 count higher or lower than this. This can, rarely, be 2000 or higher. This is unusual, but not impossible. It’s good that the doctors have said it’s okay.
It looks like your HIV meds are working well. Do you have access to your viral load result? Is this undetectable? Please let us know.
Hi, My name is shivani
I have been diagnosed with HIV 2 years back. That time i underwent a surgery after which my CD4 count was 250 or below. Doctors then started my medicines and now my current CD4 count is 2000. I have read online that normal CD4 count is between 500-1600. It is dangerous to have CD4 count up to 2000? How does my count is above the usual range? And doctor didnt said anything about it. They said it’s okay.
Hi Irslan,
I’m sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis. But it’s great that you started ART straight away.
That’s because ART dramatically reduces viral load as soon as you start. And viral load can drop by 90% within the first few days, and by 99% within the first few weeks.
Please see this page from ART in Pictures that shows what happens to CD4 and viral load on starting ART.
CD4 counts recover on ART but this happens more slowly than the drop in viral load.
Hai
I am 28 and i am recently diagnosed with HIV positive in last week of February 2020 and right after being diagnosed i started my ART treatment… the blood samples taken before the start of ARV shows the
CD4 as 320 and viral load is 748
I am very much worried about it please guide me about this
Hi Dhruv,
It’s great that your viral load is less than 10. That shows your HIV meds are working well.
But what does your doctor say about your CD4 count? You can ask if this drop is related to syphilis infections.
Taking HIV treatment (ART) can suppress HIV and give your CD4 count a chance to recover. However, ART does not protect against syphilis. But using condoms can.
Hello my VL is less than 10 but during last year my CD4 fell from 900 in jan 2019 to 412 yesterday . I had syphillis 2 times last year and this week I had balenitis from candida. I am very worried what should I do to increase my CD4 numbers again
Hi Colonel,
The advice as per the World Health Organisation is that everyone should be on ART, this is even if they have a high CD4 count.