Question
CD4 has dropped on treatment
4 June 2013. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
Please help me, with tears I write this letter.
I have been on ARV drugs for 6 months now. Before I started the drugs my CD4 count was 410. This month , I went to redo the CD4 count and I was told that my CD4 count is 303. Why me?
Please what should I do? I have never in my life skipped one dose. I am so scared.
What is the way forward? How can my CD4 count drop because I have never been sick?
Answer
Hello,
Thank-you for your email. I’m very sorry to hear how worried you are. It is important not to panic, your CD4 count is still quite good and it is unlikely that you are going to get ill while it is this level.
It is important to discuss your CD4 count results with your doctor. If your CD4 count is decreasing while on treatment it could be a sign that you are resistant to some of your medications and that you are not getting the full benefit of your ARVs.
Another test that can be used to see if your drugs are working properly is a viral load test. If treatment is working effectively then your viral load should be around 50 or below. Unfortunately viral load testing is not available in all countries due to cost but you can ask your doctor if this is available.
It is also possible that there is an error with your test results. It’s a good idea to have another CD4 count test to make sure that this result is correct. If it is, and your CD4 count is continuing to decrease then it is important to discuss changing treatment with your doctor. This is likely to require changing all of your drugs for the highest chance of success.
It’s important to try not to panic- there are lots of different HIV drugs and it is very likely that there will be a combination that works well for you.
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