Question
Will ARVs still work if my partner’s CD4 count is 75?
5 September 2011. Related: All topics, Opportunistic infections, Starting treatment.
My boyfriend just recently found out that his CD4 count is 75 and the doctor told him that it’s too late and that the ARVs might not work.
– How true is that?
– And could I be the cause of his breakdown because I have been on ARVs for the past 4 months and he didn’t want to take the pills and continued to have sex without the use of a condom.
– Now he blames me and says I’ll be the cause of his death. Am I really?
Answer
Thank you for your questions.
It is not too late for your boyfriend to start taking treatment. The doctor is not correct in saying this. Studies have shown that people can start taking treatments regardless of how low their CD4 count is. Majority of people starting treatment achieve an undetectable viral load within about 3 months.
According to studies, with a CD4 count of 75, it is possible that your boyfriend could have been positive for a few years already. He is therefore not accurate in saying that you will be the cause of his death.
Studies have also shown that with treatment, people living with HIV can expect to live long healthy lives. It is therefore recommended that your boyfriend starts taking treatment as soon as possible.
As your boyfriend’s CD4 count is below 200, he could benefit with taking septrin. Septrin is an antibiotic that will protect him from getting Opportunistic Infections. These are infections that a person with a CD4 count of below 200, could easily develop.
Hi Natash,
For me to be able to help you, I’m going to need to ask you some questions.
Are you on medication? If you are what are you taking? How long have you been on it for? Do you know what your CD4 count is?
With regards to the weight loss, how much weight have you lost and over what period of time? What medicine has your been been giving you?
afternoon,Please help am HIV Positive it been a year now but I have a problem of losing weight,loss of appetite diarrhea and vomiting ,I consult my doctor and he gave me some medications but nothing help.
Hi Marcus,
The only thing that can increase a persons CD4 is meds. If you’re on these then you’re already doing the best thing possible.
am HIV what else should I take to push up my CD4
Hi Ssentongo,
It all depends on which ARVs you’re taking. What are you on?
How long do ARV.s last in the body, is it 24hr only or beyond?
Hi Boiki – as your question was not linked to the origanl question I posted this as a new post – please see the answer here:
http://i-base.info/qa/12060
I recently found am hiv positive in june I started taking my medication around July my cd4 count was 203 and now am experiencing a loss of fat in my body.but am keeping in taking medication.what must I do cause I used to be muscular to maintain my body on the right tract . Am eating lot of vegetables and high protein food and high fiber. Help ?
ARVs work by reducing your viral load. This is the amount of HIV in your blood.
All ARV combinations quickly reduce your viral load by about 90%, usually within the first few days. And then it continues to fall – but not as quickly – until it becomes undetectable.
You can find out more on this question here.
How long do ARVs take to start to working in your system?