Question
My CD4 count is very low, will treatment still work?
4 January 2016. Related: CD4 and viral load, Opportunistic infections, Starting treatment.
I recently found out my CD4 count is 4. I feel fine I only started having skin problems recently. I’m starting with ARVs soon but Im afraid they will kill me as I believe my body is not strong enough. Can treatment really work when you have a CD4 count this low?
Answer
HI treatment (ART) can work at any CD4 count, even when the count has become very low.
In your case, because your CD4 count is only 4 it is very important that you start ART quickly. This is because your immune system is very weak and you are at risk of developing infections like TB or pneumonia.
ART is very effective, even with very low CD4 counts. After starting treatment your CD4 count should increase to safer levels.
More than 1 in 4 (25-50%) of people with a CD4 count below 50 cells/mm3 when they begin ART get symptoms of IRIS (Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome).
IRIS is when the immune system reacts to infections that is was previously too weak to respond to. This can cause infections like TB and CMV to flare up and need treatment. While IRIS can make things a little more complicated, it is usually easy to treat. This article from thebody.com has information on IRIS.
Although it is normal to worry about starting ART it is very important that you don’t delay. The longer you wait to start, the higher the risk of serious HIV-related illnesses.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
This answer was updated in January 2016 from a question first posted on 21 January 2013.
thanks for your response
I’ve started treatment last Thursday and all I’m experiencing so far is a headache that goes away when i take a panado
i don’t have my viral load results yet i will let you know once i do
Hi Sifiso,
A CD4 of 4 is very low. However, if you start treatment you body should be able to recover. You do though need to start treatment, and as soon as possible. Because your CD4 is 4, please see here for what else you need to consider:
https://i-base.info/qa/4643
As to why its 4, I can’t say. Do you have your viral load results?
And yes there is hope.
hi all
everything just happened so fast I’ve just been diagnosed with HIV+ and CD4 count of 4 i just have flu and I’m panicking as i haven’t started with ART I’m scheduled for a class tomorrow,what confuses me is that i tested negative 2 years ago but now but now my CD4 count just decreased liked this.
will i get better after starting with treatment?
will my body work well with treatment?
is there hope?
thtanks
Hi Rosy, thanks for the nice feedback. I am glad everything is getting better now.
Thanks once again Simon Collins.
I went back to my doctor and he gave me the correct name which is Tenovir (Viread). I did research about it and now I know the side effects, effectiveness,resistance as well as drug interaction. I am so glad that I found i-base as it helps a lot.
Thank you
Hi Rosy – does your drug come with any packaging? In a bottle or a box? If not, then ask your pharmacy to explain exactly what it is – and then please let me know. We get many questions that ask about M171 and I can’t find any reference to it being for HIV. A lit of HV drugs is listed on this page:
http://i-base.info/guides/category/arvs
My CD4 was 10% when I started but I want to know more about is the drug I am taking. Its M 171 and looks exactly like ATRIPLA 123 but I can not find it anywere else on the web.
Hi,
A similar question has already been answered here: https://i-base.info/qa/9869
Can anything happen if you are both HIV positive and still having sex without a condom?
Don’t be scared, arvs will help u a lot, mine also was once 4 and I was coughing non- stop and find out I was having TB ,I treated tb and start arvs if u can see me now I’m very fresh and beautiful,-i was also scared of arvs side effects but nothing happened. Get well soon.