Question
How can I increase my CD4 count without ARVs?
8 January 2016. Related: All topics, Newly diagnosed, South 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.
I am already on ARV’s…
Lamivudine 150/300 mg & Efavirenz 600 mg and also Purbac. But my cd4 is declining. I feel so lethargic and most of time I struggle to breath. I will go back to my Dr and ask him to reconsider changing my medication. Thanks for the feedback.
Hi Mokgopa,
I’m sorry to hear you were unwell and had to be admitted to hospital. A CD4 count of 17 unfortunately means that your immune system is very weak. Are the doctors giving you antibiotics to help stop other infections?
But how are you now, and what HIV meds are in the ART you’re taking?
The way to increase CD4 counts, and make your immune system stronger, is to take ART. That’s because taking ART stops HIV from damaging your immune system. Do you know what your CD4% is?
So if you’ve been on ART for more than a year it means that the HIV meds are not working well.
What does your doctor say about it? Can you to talk to them and ask if they can test that your HIV meds are the right ones for you?
Please let us know where you live. There could be support organisations that can help you locally to access the ART you need.
Hi , i need to know how can I increase my CD4 ,in 2017 I was admitted with a CD4 cont of 7 and viral load of 1028. i’m taking my ART but my CD4 it’s still 17.. what can I do?
Hi Carol,
Unfortunately there isn’t a cure for HIV at the moment in 2019. But there’s a lot of research still going on, please see this link.
However, HIV treatment (ART) can help stop your immune system from more HIV damage. ART gives your CD4 count the chance to recover. So although there’s not a cure right now, people who are HIV positive can have a life expectancy similar to someone who’s HIV negative.
As Simon says above, nothing else, including multivitamins, supplements or herbal remedies can increase your CD4 count. Unfortunately there is no natural remedy to cure HIV.
for how caN I cure my HIV with any natural remedy please add comment 2019
Hi Henry,
Its now recommended that everyone who is positive should be on treatment, so yes please start. There’s info about starting meds here: http://i-base.info/guides/starting
Hi,
How is my status after getting hiv positive from my test results after 11 months of being infected.
Is it early or late to get the treatment (ART)
Dear BMA – thank you for your detailed comments and also for the references to support you points which is a great help.
I also completely agree with your main point: that a balanced nutritious diet is an important part of everyone health, especially if they are also HV positive. Main other answers on this site empahsise the same things – that healthy lifestyle changes – good sleep, reducing stress, keeping mentally and physically active, having a balanced diet etc are all important to a good quality of life for HIV positive people.
The main context of this Q&A is that in many countries supplements and vitamins are advertised as treatments for HIV when there is no evidence to support those claims. For someone who already has a good diet, and ART, they would be better spending their money on something they enjoy better. The original question is also about alternatives to ART, and we always give a direct answer saying that ART is essential.
Although your references are interesting, these studies mainly related to problems when people do not have access to ART – and the last one is over 20 years old. In the context of modern ART – now recommended for everyone – and good diet, nothing is added from supplements and vitamins. The scandal of food insecurity is still reported as common in many countries though and recognised by global health agencies including the WHO as a serious problem.
I have also slightly edited my original answer to relect your points.
Hi, Mr. Simon Collins. I think you’re giving out incomplete information. Dieta help ARV to work better. In modern medicine there is no longer any question: the patient must take medication, sleep well, exercise and eat well.
The immune system can not repair itself without proper nutrition. This includes proteins and amino acids precursors of cell division.
Poor diet quality is associated with low CD4 count and anemia and predicts mortality among antiretroviral therapy-naive HIV-positive adults in Uganda.
Diet can raise the CD4, as undernourished people tend to have it lower. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23117502
Effects of antioxidants on CD4 and viral load in HIV-infected women in sub-Saharan Africa – dietary supplements vs. local diet.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22811378
Effects of vitamin E and C supplementation on oxidative stress and viral load in HIV-infected subjects.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9764785
Hi Rob,
It’s great that you started ART 10 days after testing HIV positive and that ART reduced your viral load to undetectable within 3 weeks.
That looks like your meds are working well.
But CD4 counts can go up and down. Please see this Q&A.
What does your doctor say about it? You can tell them you’re feeling tense and explain that it’s worrying you.