About Drug Resistance

[FlyingHippo]

Hi, all

     I was born with HBV and both E+ and S+, recently my ALT is getting up, latest test was 112.
     My doctor in China is planning IFN treatment for me since I am 31 years old (in China IFN treatment is the first choice for young patients), but I am preparing to have child this year, so it's really frustrating.
    TDF has not passed the long medical administrative approval process in China, so now the first line drug is still Entecavir.
    Can I directly skip IFN and take NUCs therapy?
    Is Entecavir safe if I am going to have a child?
    Another question annoys me all the time: If no drug resistance on NUCs within my life time, can I regard the NUC therapy  as a good way that makes HBV has no impact on the life span?

Thanks in advance.

[FlyingHippo]

A strong faith of curable drugs! ARC-520 is promising! Let's pray, dude.

[mustthinkpositive]

Stopping NUCs was not my decision. I was ignorant of the disease back then. Now I am more educated and well inform about it.

I guess we have new drugs coming in that are in clinical trial phase. Once these are approved to be safe and effective, we can wipe out the disease.

Before that happen, make sure we eat healthy, keep our immune system up, keep our body alkalise and be happy and enjoy life.

[FlyingHippo]

Thanks for your information.
Stop of NUCs must be considered carefully with professional advice from doctors otherwise viral load comes back. I have friends who take ETV over 5 years and determine to have a lifetime NUCs treatment. Good to see no drug resistance on them after 5 years mono ETV.
I haven't test my quantified HBsAg volume, as soon as my treatment is fixed, I guess it will be a must.

[mustthinkpositive]

I took ETV for 18 months. Then off it and took nothing for 18 months. Viral load came back, now on IFN mono.

IFN would be a good choice if ALT is high and E+. It means your immune system is active right now and IFN would stimulate it more to reduce HBsAg quantity, which if goes negative is the closest to a cure for us.

Do you know your HBsAg quantity in iu?

[liangzaizaia]

hi,just come to see,u know who i am.

[FlyingHippo]

I am male. And how long have you taken ETV? Are you now having Combo therapy?

[OrientS]

Are you a male? Not sure how NUCS or IFN can impact on sperm quality.

Anybody knows whether entecavir has an adversely effects on sperm counts or quality?

[mustthinkpositive]

Are you a male? Not sure how NUCS or IFN can impact on sperm quality.

Elevated ALT is a good indicator for treatment. I was the same as you and started ETV at age 30. ALT was 111. Now I am on IFN week 29th.

My problem now is that my skin is yellowish. Maybe it's always been yellowish, being Asian and all. Last check bilirubin level was within normal level.

My older brother just got blood test again and still Ag Positive so he is also chronic. LFT and blood count all normal, although ALT a bit upper level. On the bottom did say 1 to 2% clear Ag spontaneously every year. There is hope for inactive carrier that your immune system will one day clears it by itself if the Dr decide you are not a candidate for treatment. Dr say not a candidate for treatment as yet. Just monitoring. I said it's best to do ultrasound and fibroscan in my hospital.