Question
How can my CD4 count increase and I am not on treatment?
9 March 2012. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, Starting treatment.
I just found out that I’m HIV positive during my pregnancy but my husband is negative. The first time I took test for my CD4 count they were 671 after a week I took the other one they came back 697 and mind you at that time I was not on a medication up until now as I’m waiting for the medical aid to send me the medication in the next coming 3 days. I just need a clarity on that how possible is that my cd4 count to increase if I’m not on medication.
Answer
I can understand that you are puzzled by the slight increase in your CD4 count, even though you have not started your treatment.
It is normal for CD4 counts to fluctuate. The fluctuation could be a result of many things such as the time of the day, exercise, how tired or stress you are and whether you have other infections like a cold or the flu.
The only way for you to increase your CD4 count is by starting treatment. There are no other products such as vitamins, supplement or herbal remedies, which can help to increase your CD4 count.
HIV medication works by stopping the virus from replicating itself. Once the viral load has been reduced (to less than 50 copies), then your CD4 count will start to rise again, but not normally to the level before infection.
Staying healthy by eating a nutritious balanced diet, exercising regularly, and stopping smoking can help to reduce stress levels. All of these can help to maintain a healthy immune system. This will not necessarily increase your CD4 count but it can help to maintain it.
There are a few factors that you need to know before starting treatment. I include a link for you on starting treatment:
https://i-base.info/guides/starting
Please take your time reading it and you have any further queries, do write back to me.
Can I ask, whether you are receiving prenatal treatment at the moment? If you do not have any, perhaps you can try contacting your local hospital for assistance.
It is important for the members of the health care team to have specialist experience with HIV positive women. They can give you the extra support throughout your pregnancy.
For more information on HIV and pregnancy, please follow this link to our guide to HIV pregnancy and women’s health
i tested last yr november and my cd4 count was 589. The nurse told me i must wait for 6 months to test again. What should i do? Whats should i eat to maintain my cd4 count?
Hi Tarun,
HIV is treated using antiretrovirals (ARVs). Please see our Introduction to combination therapy which answers lots of the first questions people have about HIV treatment. Please let me know if you have any questions after looking here!
please tell me permanent treatment of HIV 1 because I suffer from it.
Hi Eric,
If you have been missing lots of doses, but still taking a few, it is possible that you will have developed resistance. Because your viral load was over 500 in February it is possible you had already developed resistance at that time. The only way to find out is to go to the doctor and have your viral load checked, and a resistance test (if available) if this is not undetectable.
If you have developed resistance there will be a different combination you can take. It is important that you go to the doctor soon, because if you have developed resistance your treatment will not be working so well and your CD4 count can drop. Please see our drug resistance guide for more information.
I was diagnosed with HIV in 2006, I was 26 years……I was at 129CD4 count…….When I started feeling sick I started treatment. I got all the way up to almost 500CD4 count….I was undetectable for 5 years until now docs were like wow! I went into the hospital back in Feb of this year for some kidney infection that the doctors was confounded about how I got and my CD4 was 2something and viral load 500+ AFTER 5 YEARS UNDETECTABLE!. Kidneys got clear & I left…. My luck got worse and my home was broken into……I pretty much stopped taking my meds since Feb/March because I was discouraged really bad……I take Epzicon, Norvir, & Reyataz……Am I now resistant? I still have a lot of meds……I’m scared I am resistant…I heard It’s hard for those particular meds to build resistance…But What do I do????
Hi Thokozile,
Although the names of your medications have changed these are the same drugs, just with different names.
Kaletra and Aluvia are both brand names for a drug called lopinavir/r.
Lamzid is a combination of two drugs – AZT (zidovudine) and lamivudine.
I haven’t heard of colmzid before, and the combination of ‘aluvia and lamivudine’ would normally need another drug with it. Can you check the names of all the drugs you are taking now and let me know what these are?
Nausea and stomach problems can be side effects of all of these medicines. Your doctor should be able to offer you a different drug combination that has fewer side effects. So long as you don’t have any drug resistance it should be very easy to change to a different treatment.
If you tell me which country you live in I will suggest a local group who could support you if you need help speaking to your doctor. For information about the different drugs available please see this meds list.
Im agemf fb tested posiitive 2007 kaltra and lamzid 2010they kalitra andgive me aluvia and lamzid change to colmzidfrom sept i start sick vomiting dirrhea i went hospital they have my cd4 count was 808 viral load 40 also many thing like lung,liver and done gastroscopy and clonoscopy by the sad there nothing by my is i have stomach pains nause and constipation im still in bed they again change meds gave me aluvia, and asprin lamivudine but now istill that symtops i dont what to do pls help.
Hi Secametsi,
Weight gain isn’t normally associated with HIV but can be connected to HIV treatment. Are you on treatment?
I m 21 yrs I m hiv positive I dnt know hw much is my cd4 count I just ffind out 5 months ago, but nowdays I m gaining to much weight than before being positive what should I do
Hi Nontombi,
I’m sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis. How are you coping? Please see this previous question for information about how one person can be positive and the other negative.