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Author Topic: Vitamins and supplements to take when not on ARV yet?  (Read 14999 times)

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Offline pinoypositive

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Vitamins and supplements to take when not on ARV yet?
« on: June 16, 2012, 10:46:25 am »
Hi friends!

I was diagnosed last March 29, and my confirmatory result came in early May. I went to a local HIV hub, and my initial labs were taken. However, the CD4 machine is still under repair (one of the problems being in a 3rd world country, Philippines). The doctor told me that it will be repaired either this June or July, but the fact that I don't know my real health status still bothers me.

I may look and feel healthy, but I read somewhere that it's not a guarantee to high CD4 count.

So what I'm doing right now is I get enough sleep, I do simple exercises, and not stress myself too much with work. I also take vitamins and supplements. I actually wrote about that in my blog: http://pinoypositive101.blogspot.com/2012/06/5-pre-arv-supplements.html

I would like to ask for your opinion on what vitamins and supplements should I take to keep a high CD4 count? What are the other things I should do to boost my immune system?

Thanks!

PinoyPositive
http://pinoypositive101.blogspot.com/
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Offline Lovewell79

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Re: Vitamins and supplements to take when not on ARV yet?
« Reply #1 on: June 26, 2012, 11:18:17 am »
I have struggled with getting my CD4 count past 500 these past two years.  I've tried Selenium, Vitamin C, D, and B12.  Believe it or not....I know I couldn't, I started taking DoubleX from Amway.  I actually became a distributor myself. I'll even send you a bottle for you to try! My CD4 is past 600 now and still climbing!

Offline spacebarsux

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Re: Vitamins and supplements to take when not on ARV yet?
« Reply #2 on: June 26, 2012, 12:34:52 pm »
Just take it easy and try to chill buddy. High stress can depress the immune system.
Infected-  2005 or early 2006; Diagnosed- Jan 28th, 2011; Feb '11- CD4 754 @34%, VL- 39K; July '11- CD4 907@26%,  VL-81K; Feb '12- CD4 713 @31%, VL- 41K, Nov '12- CD4- 827@31%

Offline pinoypositive

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Re: Vitamins and supplements to take when not on ARV yet?
« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2012, 05:16:50 am »
Lovewell79,

Wow, that's so generous of you. I wish my CD4 would be more than 500. Although I know that in the future, I will start taking ARVs, I am still hoping to get a good initial CD4 count.

Thanks!

Offline anonomous

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Re: Vitamins and supplements to take when not on ARV yet?
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2012, 07:49:58 am »
hi

Im new with this so please be pasient with me im not sure about alot of things at this point in time, i was diagnosed 3 weeks ago as hiv positive with my 1st elisa test with a cd4 count of 533 the clinic doctor put me on 500 mg absorbic acid and a multi vitamin syrup and told me to eat healthy,are there any other ways to keep healthy and my cd4 count high?

Please any advice or even help will be so appreciated as im alone and have no guidelines to this

Offline jkinatl2

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Re: Vitamins and supplements to take when not on ARV yet?
« Reply #5 on: July 11, 2012, 04:55:53 pm »
hi

Im new with this so please be pasient with me im not sure about alot of things at this point in time, i was diagnosed 3 weeks ago as hiv positive with my 1st elisa test with a cd4 count of 533 the clinic doctor put me on 500 mg absorbic acid and a multi vitamin syrup and told me to eat healthy,are there any other ways to keep healthy and my cd4 count high?

Please any advice or even help will be so appreciated as im alone and have no guidelines to this

Unless you have been diagnosed with a vitamin deficiency, taking excessive vitamins can seriously damage your organs. Many of our members take a multi-vitamin pill, but many do not.

If you are diagnosed with malabsorption, or suffer from a poor diet, you can and should be getting your required nutrients through good, healthy eating habits.

There are no natural compounds I know of that will combat HIV by raising cd4 cells or lowering viral load.

As far as multi-vitamins are concerned, I have seen zero evidence that pills costing seven to ten dollars a month are less effective than those costing ten times that much. Although the case could be made for the overall health of the person selling aforementioned expensive vitamins. Financial health, at any rate.

"Many people, especially in the gay community, turn to oral sex as a safer alternative in the age of AIDS. And with HIV rates rising, people need to remember that oral sex is safer sex. It's a reasonable alternative."

-Kimberly Page-Shafer, PhD, MPH

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Offline TheRoof

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Re: Vitamins and supplements to take when not on ARV yet?
« Reply #6 on: July 12, 2012, 12:42:56 am »
I think taking a multi-vitamin and some fish-oil wouldn't hurt. But of course it's all subjective.

If I do notice any benefit it is the placebo effect. My advice is try to keep your stress to a minimum, try to relax, and live a mentally/physically healthy life. (aka. take care of yourself)

Then when it is time for treatment. -- It will be time. I am a believer in the holistic approaches (With HAART) but the Virus is a tricky S.O.B.  and no amount of yoga/vitamins will help. That is a fact. Which I am sure you know.  My advice:  just watch over yourself and always talk to your doctor about any question you have.

(That is the advice I would recommend and have been following for four years)  :)

Offline pinoypositive

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Re: Vitamins and supplements to take when not on ARV yet?
« Reply #7 on: July 13, 2012, 03:54:38 pm »
Hi everybody.

Thank you all for the reply. I actually had my CD4 Count on the latter part of June, and fortunately, the result is 518. My hub's HIV specialist do not recommend ARVs for me yet. However, what he suggested is that I take multivitamins daily with sufficient amount of Vit. C, get enough sleep, and exercise. My next CD4 Count is on December.

Thanks for being with me in this journey.

Pinoy Positive
http://pinoypositive101.blogspot.com/

Offline Newguy

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Re: Vitamins and supplements to take when not on ARV yet?
« Reply #8 on: July 19, 2012, 07:52:24 pm »
Although vitamins do not have a direct anti viral effect they might offer other important benefits. Since you have constant cellular damage caused by the HIV, an increase in antioxidants might be warranted to clean up any harmful residual chemicals that might be created as a result of this extra cellular damage. These residual chemicals can attack other healthy cellular structures and cause even more damage. So I would think the vitamins would be useful in an HIV infected person to clean up any damage caused.

Just a thought


Offline jkinatl2

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Re: Vitamins and supplements to take when not on ARV yet?
« Reply #9 on: July 19, 2012, 09:56:30 pm »
Although vitamins do not have a direct anti viral effect they might offer other important benefits. Since you have constant cellular damage caused by the HIV, an increase in antioxidants might be warranted to clean up any harmful residual chemicals that might be created as a result of this extra cellular damage. These residual chemicals can attack other healthy cellular structures and cause even more damage. So I would think the vitamins would be useful in an HIV infected person to clean up any damage caused.

Just a thought



So long as you are not mega-dosing and permanently fucking up your liver or kidneys.

However, there is no research to indicate that pill-form anti-oxidants make a difference in the "chemical residue" of which you speak.

I would recommend at MOST a decent multi vitamin. Spend the rest of your cash on healthy food, where most of your nutrients should originate.

"Many people, especially in the gay community, turn to oral sex as a safer alternative in the age of AIDS. And with HIV rates rising, people need to remember that oral sex is safer sex. It's a reasonable alternative."

-Kimberly Page-Shafer, PhD, MPH

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Offline Ann

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Re: Vitamins and supplements to take when not on ARV yet?
« Reply #10 on: July 20, 2012, 01:08:18 am »

I would recommend at MOST a decent multi vitamin. Spend the rest of your cash on healthy food, where most of your nutrients should originate.


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Offline Miss Philicia

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Re: Vitamins and supplements to take when not on ARV yet?
« Reply #11 on: July 20, 2012, 01:18:59 am »

I would recommend at MOST a decent multi vitamin. Spend the rest of your cash on healthy food, where most of your nutrients should originate.


... and maybe a cooking class for some people on the board.
"I’ve slept with enough men to know that I’m not gay"

Offline mecch

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Re: Vitamins and supplements to take when not on ARV yet?
« Reply #12 on: July 20, 2012, 07:49:41 am »
Although vitamins do not have a direct anti viral effect they might offer other important benefits. Since you have constant cellular damage caused by the HIV, an increase in antioxidants might be warranted to clean up any harmful residual chemicals that might be created as a result of this extra cellular damage. These residual chemicals can attack other healthy cellular structures and cause even more damage. So I would think the vitamins would be useful in an HIV infected person to clean up any damage caused.

Just a thought
Another thought.  You are newly infected and as you say can't wait to get the virus out of you.  The words above represent emotions about HIV and a strong visual metaphor: cleaning (mostly, but also damage and war). 
My doctor specifically recommends against anti-oxidants.  And he's a medical doctor, HIV specialist, professor, and scientist.
“From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need” 1875 K Marx

 


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