Question
How can I increase my CD4 count without ARVs?
8 January 2016. Related: All topics, Newly diagnosed, Southern Africa, Starting treatment, Supplements and herbs.
I have just found out that I was HIV positive in March, last year. My CD4 count was 270.
I did another test and it was 284 and my doctor said I must start treatment.
I just want to know what I must do to increase my CD4 count without taking treatment.
Answer
Hi, how are you doing?
The only way to increase your CD4 is to use HIV treatment (ART).
Your doctor is giving you good information and advice.
Nothing else, including multivitamins, supplements or herbal remedies can increase your CD4 count. Looking after yourself is important – for example, eating a balanced diet, keeping physically and mentally active, reducing stress, sleeping well etc. But increasing your CD4 count is only proven by using effective HIV meds.
Even though some companies advertise this vitamins and supplements can help your CD4 count, these are scams. There is no such thing as an “immune booster” and no “immune booster” will help your CD4 count or help control HIV.
Why do you want to delay ART or look at other options? HIV meds are really effective – this is what they were designed for.
ART stops HIV from replicating. The main aim is to reduce your viral load to an undetectable level (less than 50 copies/mL). As your viral load goes down, your immune system start to repair itself. This means that your CD4 count will slowly go up to higher levels again.
Currently South Africa recommendation starting treatment when the CD4 count is below 500 cells/mm3. This may change in the future and treatment might be recommended at any CD4 count. (Note: South African later changed to recommends treatment at any CD4 count).
Here is a link to more information about starting treatment. Please take your time reading it and if you have any further questions do write back to me.
Are you receiving any support from other people? Getting support from your local support group or a counsellor can help you to come to terms living with HIV. Also you will be able to gain and share experiences with others who are in the similar situation as you, rather than having to deal with it in isolation.
This answer was updated in January 2019 and January 2016 from a question first posted on 2 March 2012.
Hi. How are you coping with being HIV positive? It does get easier.
Different countries recommend treatment at different CD4 counts. In the UK and most countries this is at or around 350 so this is a good thing to be discussing with your doctor.
See the Introduction to Combination Therapy for more info:
http://i-base.info/guides/starting
Especially the section on “when to start treatment”
I hope everything goes well.
i was recently tested positive and my CD4 Count was 357 can i now start to be on HIV medications
Hi.
It is great you have been diagnosed and have started treatment. Your CD4 count is still pretty good and it is likely to increase again now you have started HIV meds.
So called “immune boosters” will not make any difference to this. These are marketing scams that just take you money. The reason they can say “no side effects” is because they contain no active ingredients! I know the claims sound impressive, but the advertising is just marketing and they are scamming you.
HIV meds work by reducing your viral load so that your CD4 count can repair itself. Looking after yourself by eating and sleeping well, keeping active, reducing stress and having life goals, will all be good for your health.
I hope you are okay at coming to terms with HIV and getting the support from your friends and family that you need.
I am HIV+. My CD4 count was 164 by the time i tested which was in March. I started with the HIV meds that month. Now I’m also using immune booster “canova”. So my question is, is this booster help my CD4 counts to go up?
Hi Daniel
You have had a great response from treatment and your doctor would not be worried by these results. There is a lot of natural fluctuation with CD4 counts, especially at higher levels.
If you have access to viral load tests, this is more important once you have started treatment. An undetectable viral load result shows the meds are still working.
In the UK, viral load is the more important monitoring test for someone on treatment, especially if their CD4 count is above 350 as the risk of HIV cause any problem is now very low.
Please be careful in taking your meds and not missing doses. Otherwise things sound like they are going well.
I started taking HIV meds the first time I got my CD4 count of 460…then I had tested again after 6 months and it went up to 618 then up again to 840…now I just had my latest CD4 count which went down to 720. I just wanted to know if I am still doing ok? Or sometimes the CD4 count normally goes down and up again? I never changed any routines in taking my meds…what could possibly made it go down?
Hi Nitin,Please have a look at this similar question for more information and let me know if I can help after you have read it.
Hi,
I am detected HIV+ last month(March 2013). Last week I did my CD4 test and my count is 476. As per the guidelines I should start treatment once my count reach to 350. But few doctors have given advice that we can start the treatment immediately after HIV+ is detected. I have read somewhere that we should try to avoid starting the ART early as the virus gets immune to it.. I am pretty confused what should I do.
An HIV test is not affect by pregnancy status. If you were confirmed HIV positive during pregnancy, you will still be positive now.
Pregnancy can reduce your CD4 count though and it usually rebounds back to normal levels at the end of the pregnancy. This may be an explanation, but as you didn’t give the other results, Im not sure whether the changes were significant’
If you test positive on your pregnancy with a cd4 count of about 359 then goes up after you have your baby,does this mean you might not be positive it was just weekness of your body?