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Author Topic: do drugs affect cd4 count?  (Read 6256 times)

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Offline lost_boy

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  • Posts: 110
do drugs affect cd4 count?
« on: June 18, 2010, 04:11:22 am »
Quick question here.  Do taking drugs (marijuana, cocaine) affect your cd4 count?

I ask because after I was diagnosed last year, I went slightly off the deep end. I drank quite a lot. A lot of my friends have been into drugs, but I've never tried them, basically because I've never had the inclination and also because they really messed up my brother.  But more recently when I've been quite a low ebb I've thought, who cares, I'm not going to be able to do this once I start meds. So I've tried a couple of lines at a party last weekend, didn't do much for me, but it was a few days before a blood test.  Overall it is a pretty stupid rationale, but there you go.

So yes, will this have affected my cd4 count blood tests? 

I should mention that I'm not planning on making a habit of this!  The other thing on my mind is, that I've started seeing a rather nice guy. But, I'm going to have to disclose that I have HIV to him now. Dammit, this disease makes everything complex :(

Offline Boze

  • Member
  • Posts: 477
Re: do drugs affect cd4 count?
« Reply #1 on: June 18, 2010, 10:05:43 am »
Occasional doobie or a line should not affect your cd4 count. Becoming a hard core drug addict would :)

==========
Aug08 - Seroconversion
Mar10 - Diagnosis; cd4 690 - VL 19,000
Apr10 - cd4 600
May10 - VL 4,500
Jun10 - started Atripla ; VL 113
Jul 10 - UD vl, CD4 590
Aug 10 - UD, CD4 810, 52%
Nov 10 - UD, CD4 980

Offline hotpuppy

  • Member
  • Posts: 555
Re: do drugs affect cd4 count?
« Reply #2 on: June 19, 2010, 07:44:05 pm »
Lost_boy,
   Pretty much any stress affects your numbers.  Drugs (which includes alcohol) are hard on your body and the desirable affects need to be weighed against the negative affects.  In particular, alcohol makes your liver work overtime so it's best to cut back on drinking.... but you don't have to quit.

  As for your CD4 in particular.... any little thing can drive your numbers down temporarily.  This is why regular checkups are very important to establish a trend.  Having a sniffle can depress your numbers, or fighting with a BF or GF, as can stress at work.  

  Bottom line is that stress is toxic.  Eating right, getting lots of sleep, being at peace with yourself and not doing too much booze will go a long way towards helping your body fight HIV.

  It is completely normal to question alot of things when you become poz.  We all have gone through that.  Feel free to ask in the newly diagnosed or Living with forums if you want to hear how other poz guys and gals handled challenges you may be facing.  Each of us has felt helpless, alone, doomed, etc at one time or another and some of our responses to those moods may help inspire you to a solution that lets you overcome the situation.

   With proper medication and a good diet there is no reason you can't expect to live a normal lifespan.  

Welcome to the forums,
Brian
Don't obsess over the wrong things.  Life isn't about your numbers, it isn't about this forum, it isn't about someone's opinion.  It's about getting out there and enjoying it.   I am a person with HIV - not the other way around.

Offline lost_boy

  • Member
  • Posts: 110
Re: do drugs affect cd4 count?
« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2010, 04:04:25 am »
Hey Boze, thanks for that. Not planning on becoming a hardcore drug addict anytime soon :P

Brian, thanks for the reassuring words. I'm trying not to let it bother me, but it's hard sometimes. It's getting easier with time though, as it all becomes "normalised" I guess. I'm probably not going to lay off the booze though. I'm Scottish, I kind of enjoy it :P  Though maybe in a bit more moderation now...  :)

Offline veritas

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,410
Re: do drugs affect cd4 count?
« Reply #4 on: June 23, 2010, 08:55:16 am »

lost_boy,

You might be interested in these links:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070820105240.htm

http://www.jimmunol.org/cgi/content/abstract/146/1/81

http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7289

Alcohol is clearly not the best choice (an occasional drink I wouldn't worry about).

FYI,

v

Offline tommy246

  • Standard
  • Member
  • Posts: 435
Re: do drugs affect cd4 count?
« Reply #5 on: June 26, 2010, 12:41:29 pm »
in my opinion you will lose cd4 and % much faster drinking to much and doing to much coke
jan 06 neg
dec 08 pos cd4 505 ,16%, 1,500vl
april 09 cd4 635 ,16%,60,000
july 09 ,cd4 545,17%,80,000
aug 09,hosptal 18days pneumonia cd190,225,000,15%
1 week later cd4 415 20%
nov 09 cd4 591 ,vl 59,000,14%,started atripla
dec 09  cd4 787, vl 266, 16%
march 2010  cd4 720 vl non detectable -20  20%
june 2010  cd4  680, 21%, ND

 


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