Question

Is treatment working for me?

25 March 2013. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.

I started ARV drugs with a CD4 count of 410 and I have been taking it for 5 months , but I once missed my timing for the drugs and took it with a different time.

My questions are:
1. what will be my current cd4 count?
2. is the drugs working for me?
3. what is the meaning of undetectable?

Answer

Answer: Rebecca McDowall

Hi,

Thanks for your email.

1.  CD4 counts vary a lot between different people. Some people will see a big increase a few months after starting treatment while others will see no, only very little increase. This graph highlights average increases but unfortunately it’s not possible for me to guess what your CD4 count will be. When is your next CD4 count test?
2. The way that you know whether treatment is working for you is to check your viral load. If treatment is working well you would expect this to be ‘undetectable’ after 5 months on treatment. If you don’t have access to viral load testing you would know treatment was working because your CD4 count would remain the same or increase over time.
3. ‘Undetectable’ is used to describe a viral load test result of 50 or under. This is the aim of treatment because it means that HIV is not multiplying in the body and is therefore unable to damage the immune system. Do you have access to viral load testing?

You can read more about CD4 count and viral load testing in our Introduction to combination therapy guide.