Question
Please can you answer these three questions about CD4 count?
9 October 2013. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
Please can you give me advice about these three situations?
Situation 1: I am last two years positive. age 33 man. i am not on medicine. my cd4 1515. viral load undetectable.
No smoking no drinking. Eat well. Can I live long?
Situation 2: I am fit and hiv+ my last cd4- 1200. no viral load. I am not on meds because i am afraid about ARVs.
what can i do? what is the right time to start ARVs? can I use a healthy diet to improve my CD4 count without using ARVs for 15-20 years?
Situation 3: My CD4 660 viral load 400. i am not on med. if my CD4 is over 500, does that mean i am normal as HIV negative person? I am slim so what can do to increase my weight?
Answer
Hi,
Thanks for your emails. Please see our Introduction to combination therapy for general information about CD4 counts, viral loads and starting treatment.
Situation 1
A CD4 count of 1515 is high but still in the normal range. The ‘normal’ range for HIV negative people is 400-1600, so you are right at the top of this. This suggests that your immune system has not been damaged by HIV. It is very unusual to have an undetectable viral load when you are not on treatment. A very small number of people do have this, but it’s important to check with your doctor if this is correct.
If these test results are correct this means you are doing very well. You will need to be monitored regularly by a doctor. If your CD4 count drops you may need to start treatment with ARVs. In the UK people usually start treatment when thier CD4 coiunt is between 350 and 500. So long as you start treatment if/when you need it your life expectancy almost the same as an HIV negative person.
Situation 2
When you say you have ‘no viral load’ do you mean that you have been told this is undetectable, or that you do not have access to viral load testing?
A CD4 count of 1200 is very good. In most countries people don’t start ARVs until their CD4 count is below either 500 or 350.
Almost everybody needs treatment at some point but the time it takes between infection and your CD4 count dropping to 350 varies a lot between people. Please see this page about average time to treatment.
No foods, supplements or herbs can increase your CD4 count. ARVs are the only medicines that can do this. Eating a healthy diet may help to maintain your CD4 count for longer though and is good for your health generally.
Situation 3
Are you HIV positive? I have assumed that you are in answering this question, although you as if you are normal ‘as HIV negative person’.
A CD4 count of 660 is very good, and a viral load of 400 is also good. This shows that your immune system is still strong. Please see this page for information about CD4 counts and risk of illness.
If you want to gain weight you will need to increase the number of calories you eat. If you are worried that your weight is too low and you can not gain weight it’s important to discuss this with your doctor.
It’s good that you’re on meds and that your viral load is undetectable. It show that your meds are working.
But as it says above in answer to question 3, the way to increase your weight is to increase the amount of calories you eat. You can speak to your doctor about being underweight if you think your weight is too low.
I have been living with HIV for 3 years, I’m on meds, and my viral load is undectable as the nurses told me. But am stil taking my meds, but I wanna gain some weight, what should I do?
If you test HIV negative using HIV antibody tests, then the clinic could use a different test. Jane you ever had a viral load test.
my cd4 count is 283 in february but hiv negative. Repeated hiv test on 27 may and it is still negative. What could possibly drop my cd4 count and what must i do to boost it
Sorry to hear you’re having a tough time at the moment. But it’s good news that you’re on treatment and your viral load is undetectable. And it’s usual for CD4 counts to increase slowly once HIV is suppressed. But it sounds like your doctor is giving you good advice to change meds. Feeling moody or not sleeping well is a reported side effect of one of the drugs in Trivenz. You can ask your doctor what new meds you can change to. But you shouldn’t be changed to meds when there is drug resistance. Some meds can cause changes in body shape, but you can ask your doctor about possible side effects to all the new meds that are suggested.
Hi, I’ve been HIV positive for 14 years. I started my meds 3 months ago as my CD4 count was less then 200. My viral load was 40000 copies. But my problem is I can’t bear the pain of the side effects. I feel like I’m losing my mind and my head is very heavy, and I can’t focus. It’s like I don’t even know what’s going on lately, but I am healthy. It’s affecting my head and I can’t even think. So the doctor suggests to change the meds. But now my CD4 count is growing very slowly. Now it’s 201 and the viral load is undetectable, meaning HIV is suppressed. But my worry is changing the meds. How safe would that be as the doctor said there is a slight resistance and the 1 he’s going to give me could lead to a long term abnormal body shape. Should I continue with the 1st meds or maybe listen to him? I can’t take the side effects of Trivenz anymore. I feel like I’m going crazy and my skin is itching unbearably.
HIV negative people have CD4 counts anywhere between 400 to 1,600. HIV positive people find that their CD4 counts go up once they’re on HIV treatment. So CD4 counts can go up to 700, or even higher.
I tested today. My CD4 count was 700. I’m worried. Do HIV negative people have such CD4 counts?
It’s great that your HIV treatment sounds like it’s working very well. Having a CD4 count of 600 and a viral load of 25 will keep you healthy. But HIV treatment needs to continue to keep it this way. If you stop treatment your viral load will go up, and your CD4 count will go down. Is there a reason why you might want to stop treatment?
I’ve been HIV positive for 3 years. Now I’m on treatment so my CD4 count is 600.My viral load 25. Can I stop the treatment?