CD4 declining 6-12-18 months evaluation

[nethan1621]

Has anyone experienced cd4 decline as similar to below numbers. UD but cd4 drops

First Diagnosed 21/JAN/2021
At the diagnosed - Cd4 760 VL 11,700
          6 months = cd4 621 VL UD
         12 months = cd4 618 VL UD
         18 months = cd4 612 VL UD


     
ART = Biktarvy

Other blood parameters are normal such as plate counts etc

Anyone here experienced the same ? ( of coz planing to discuss with my dr but just wanna know personal experience who has been on the same kind )

[Jim Allen]

Hiya,

How are you doing and feeling otherwise?

Your total count seems really stable. Considering they can vary by 100 points within the same day, yours are really stable. Not that it matters as your VL is suppressed, that's what the medication does, and CD4 count is within the normal range of 450-1100 +-

My own counts hovered between 900 and 1100 for a while, dropping into the 600 range between a visit and it means nothing.

Lots of poeple in the vampire thread sharing results. Prehaps have a read and it might be reassuring to see that we all have variances in CD4 count and it means nothing.
https://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=66320.0

By all means, talk to your doctor but your results seem excellent to me, I don't see any decline in what you posted.

[nethan1621]

Feeling like HIV neg … im not kidding.. its just like HIV neg.. i dont know
The future tho..

Thank you so much for the prompt reply with your experience and it is really reassuring.

[Jim Allen]

You're welcome, and glad to hear you are feeling fine.

[TGun]

had this happen much more significantly than your numbers,, felt fine the whole time... ID doctor made a guess that I ahd been also fighting off EBV reently to cause it,,, never really know for sure what caused it, but it eventually stopped and im climbng up again... its a slow process too.

[Bucklandbury]

Your numbers are great! And you are U=U. You are as good as it is going to get. ;-)

Keep taking your Biktarvy every day as prescribed.

==

VL per mL   CD4 Count   CD4 %   CD8 Count   CD8 %   CD4:CE8 Ratio   RBC   WBC
04/07/22   Undetectable (< 40)   271   24.80%   671   61.60%   40.39%   4.58   3.96
10/28/21   Undetectable (< 40)   356   23.11%   924   60.03%   38.53%   4.56   2.65
06/02/21   Undetectable (< 40)   311   16.13%   1402   72.79%   22.18%   4.4   2.85
04/12/21   211   258   10.07%   2011   78.45%   12.83%   4.03   4.52
03/16/21   1,500,000   60   8.67%   496   71.21%   12.10%   4.09   2.53

[BKKKevin]

Here is a good summary of CD4…

https://www.verywellhealth.com/understanding-absolute-cd4-count-and-cd4-percentage-48617

You might look at you cd3 percentage too but I guess you will find your in an acceptable range…

If you want something to obsess about track you weight… In the first 3 years of being diagnosed, on meds and undetectable I gained 30pounds… I don’t think the meds were the cause… I chalked it up to a slowdown in my social/sex life and a loss of desire to keep myself on the market (siting on the couch reading forums)… I realized my weight gain and took all the weight off by obsessing on health and exercise (Which I have direct control over)… now 5 years out I’ve lost the 30 plus another 20!…  I can see my ads again!… My Doctor has lowered my Lipitor and took me off blood pressure meds… Says I’m a poster child…

[BKKKevin]

You might look at you cd3 percentage too but I guess you will find your in an acceptable range…

I meant cd4 %... Which is a much more stable measure over the long term... And as you will read once your cd4 gets in an acceptable  range (like yours) It's value and fluctuations become irrelevant...

[kentfrat1783]

Have you talked to your doctor about your concerns?  The numbers do fluctuate and I've been told to get the test done the same time of day as they do change. 

Then again this is coming from someone that stays in the high 200's and low 300's range but I just talk to my doctor and get their opinion.   

On another count, how do you feel?  That is also key.

[leatherman]

I hope no one minds that I grabbed one of my old posts rather than think this through and rewrite it:

Here's a lot of other cd4 info I pulled from previous replies I have posted:

cd4s are variable; they can change by 100 pts in a day

CD4 counts are best viewed as the graph of at least 3 tests over at least 3 months time. A one time test doesn't tell you much. It's always about the trend (up or down) over 3 or more tests.

the cd4 test is simply a snapshot of your cd4 count at that moment. Cd4s fluctuate all day long, and by up to 100 points either way. (lower in the morning, higher in the everning) Exercise lowers then raises your cd4 temporarily; while smoking will raise then lower the amount. there is no treatment for raising cd4s. All we can do is remain virally suppressed, through adherence to daily meds, so that our cd4s are allowed to flourish without being used up by HIV

because the immune system you have is based on your genetics, there is no magic number of cd4s. cd4s are a part of our immune system; therefore a cd4 count is not a measure of "healthiness" although the thinking is that more cd4s equals a more robust immune system. Being a quantitative measure not a quality measure though, the cd4 count does not reflect whether you have a strong/effective immune system. Some people with low cd4s are rarely "sick", while others with high counts can experience health issues. Having a high cd4 count does not mean you should feel well/healthy - that mainly depends on your food, exercise, and bad/good habits, although an immune system fighting off the germs does certainly help one to feel good

Your cd4 count from last time to this time only changed by 79 pts which is statistically nothing, so there is nothing to worry about

It's funny that even my advice below the line in that quote is still valid here.
Your cd4s clearly stabilized right around 615-620ish after the meds reduced your viral load to UD. That's a great thing! not a worrisome thing.