One month after Peg+TDF+NTZ tx

[April9903]

I had my blood work done after one month of tx.
ALT= 145, AST= 113, AFP=16.1 , supposed to be less than 8.0 .
The rest is normal.
My doc said it is normal that those values are higher because of the treatment.
I know about ALT, AST but I am scared that AFP is also very high. AFP is a cancer marker , right? Should I worry about higher AFP?

At the moment I stopped HepTec products I feel it's so much tablet already.
But should I start taking them again?

[joc2011]

Ok. May thanks Stef.

[stef2011]

it s all normal, all signs of immune activation probably

[joc2011]

Hello Stef. Is it normal to feel a heaviness in your lower abdomen every now and then? Based on my last results, it was suggested i might be clearing naturally based on having Hbeag negative, und dna and high alt and ast, but yet to confirm by the hbsag quantity test. My question is: is it normal to feel this heaviness in my lower abdomen during clearance? I currently take vid d-5000 iu, vit b vit e, selenium, and lots of fruits and vegetables. i also feel tired a lot and feeling easily hungry. these could be a result of inteferons acting, but not sure. What do you think?

[April9903]

I cannot do HbSAg quantification in my country. I always do it in Bangkok Bumrungrad International hospital.

[Jeff912000]

By the way april.  Which country do you live in?  It seems easy for you to find HbSAg quantification.  I live in singapore but cannot find it.  

[joc2011]

Many thanks Stef. Will go to Dubai to have this test this month, will post result once i know.

[stef2011]

do not stop viread alinia sim for any reason, fever and nausea are probably intf and alt 94 infected cells killed by immune system, find a way to check hbsag quant because that s the only test to show clearance and change doctor he works to keep you chronic the only way to know if you can stop viread is hbsag quant and i dont think your doctor has that data to say you can stop

[joc2011]

Was feeling feeverish with nausea for two days now so went to see my doctor to run some tests. Did my liver function test results yesterday. and they look very high. SGPT (ALT): 94 and SGOT (AST): 40.

Last time i checked which was September 2011, these were my previous results: SGPT (ALT): 9 and SGOT (AST): 15..

I have HBSAG: + (Still have not had the chance to do a quantitative HBSAG), HBSAB: Negative (Last time i checked, not checked recently), undetectable HBDNA, HBEAG: Negative, HBEAB-Positive.

Have been on Viread since March 2011 till now. Taken Alinia + sim at sometime for 6 months and stopped. Doctor is planning to stop Viread in two weeks since i have been on viread for almost 2 years. Says i might not be needing it anymore.

Could this elevated results suggest i could be clearing HBSAG????

[joc2011]

Was feeling feeverish with nausea for two days now so went to see my doctor to run some tests. Did my liver function test results yesterday. and they look very high. SGPT (ALT): 94 and SGOT (AST): 40.

Last time i checked which was September 2011, these were my previous results: SGPT (ALT): 9 and SGOT (AST): 15..

I have HBSAG: + (Still have not had the chance to do a quantitative HBSAG), HBSAB: Negative (Last time i checked, not checked recently), undetectable HBDNA, HBEAG: Negative, HBEAB-Positive.

Have been on Viread since March 2011 till now. Taken Alinia + sim at sometime for 6 months and stopped. Doctor is planning to stop Viread in two weeks since i have been on viread for almost 2 years. Says i might not be needing it anymore.

Could this elevated results suggest i could be clearing HBSAG????

[Jeff912000]

I think it is too early to say response or not.  At 12 weeks, it is just getting started.  24 weeks is better.  

At worst case, you can do sequential treatment.  Then MY or replicor may be out by then.  

[April9903]

Thanks for all the info.

[stef2011]

http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?forums/gcmaf.10/

to learn about gcmaf there is a CFS forum all on gcmaf patients on trial with this, i strongly suggest to use the probiotic one instead of injections although making the probiotic is a pain
reliable gcmaf is gcmaf.eu or maf314 austria and kassel clinic

it is on trial on autism, CFS and aids but the probiotic is without sides so it won t hurt

[stef2011]

3054iu/ml is at 14weeks, not before starting therapy

i think you did not respond but anyway you can stop at 48weeks with intf and keep tdf only for 2 years and then retry intf

Where can I buy probiotic gcmaf ??

it is best to do it when you finished intf, you can buy it by doctors in austria or germany.austrian clinic is the easyest to contact and deal with:

http://www.santos-koenig.at/

my guess on ultra fast cirrhosis regression is both gcmaf and heptech worked together, i think the effect was too fast, i still have to meet researchers to see nodules reabsorbtion in particular

[April9903]

@veteranB
Thanks for your comment.

@Stef
Thanks again.
What do you mean by baseline HbsAg?? Isn't it the one before my tx (3054.03 IU/ml) ? HbsAg is down only around 200 IU/ml and I thought it might be slow. But I'll check again in 24 weeks time. Where can I buy probiotic gcmaf ??

[stef2011]

the response is not good and very slow, do we have baseline hbsag?most of decline happens between baseline and 24weeks, our goal is get it to 1000iu/ml or less

hbvdna still detactable is not so good, ast/alt is good to stay like this

as to changing tdf id not change it for now, just be sure to take tdf with food and possibly apart from other drugs

as to osteoporosis if interested in trying to find a cure and not something to slow it down, i think probiotic gcmaf can be tried, the cost is 1000€ every 3 months plus colostrum but that would be 6-7€ per day, not so much

[veteranB]

You are doing well I say continue the course.. Surface antigen and dna are both going down, so you are responding. Please post your results at 24 weeks.

As for changing tdf to etv I am not sure if you gain anything, both drugs are similar. You may try to lower the dose of TDF to half a pill or taking it every other day as some people do.

But you are for sure responding to treatment. And I think your doctors are doing a very good job, very good combo they chose.

[April9903]

After 14 weeks of Peg+ TDF+NTZ

In March 2012
HBV DNA --  450,897 copies/ml
HBsAg (Quantitative) --  3054.03 IU/ml (cut off= 0.05 IU/ml)
HbeAg  -- Neg
AntiHbe -- Pos
Fibroscan =  4.2 Kpa
Geno Type C
Precore BCP ( T 1762 / A 1764 ) Mu
PC codon 28 Mu

22-October 2012
HBV DNA --  186 copies/ml
HBsAg (Quantitative) --  2869.70 IU/ml (cut off= 0.05 IU/ml)
25-OH vit D3 --61.3 ug/l
ALT - 81 u/l
AST - 89 u/l
Platelet Count is low - 140

My ALT, AST is slowly going down. Do you think HbsAg is going down slow?
I have one problem now. My osteoporosis is not improving and I am taking TDF.
My othopedic doctor said it's ok. But I am on another medicine for my bone; "Stronium Ranelate".  Should I change to ETV ?????

[April9903]

Thank you, Stef. I have lots of aloe plants in my garden. I'll peel them and try to use it on my skin. I eat the white jell sometimes. I totally forget about it.

[stef2011]

it is a common side when intf activates immune response, check all natural ways to lessen itch because drugs usually work lowering immune response and this is not what we need now

pure aloe creams might help reducing skin cytokines, i used it myself because my cytokines due to imiquimod make my skin burn under sun and aloe worked great

[April9903]

I was happy that I have no more sides after very first time. But on 6th shot I feel itchy on every part of my body. Actually this started 2-3 days before I had the 6th shot. Gets worst after 6th shot. Big rash on my back, stomach, arms ,legs, palms and it's very itchy. I am scratching all the time. It's terrible. I have to see my doc if this continues he might prescribe me some medicine.

[April9903]

ok, I'll keep that in mind and will try to increase the dosage of NTZ at a later time.

[stef2011]

you can retry to increase ntz dose other times when you feel it can be ok, we all had one time diarrea but usually it resolves itself in about 3 days if not it means you cannot tollerate more than 1.5g because your gut bacteria is weak

my tollerable level was 1,5g at first but after using probiotics for about 6 months i could up to 3g-3.5g.the max dose used on aids trials was 4g while hcv trials used 2.7g

[April9903]

Thanks for your answers.
One month before the tx ALT was 85, AST was 37 and AFP was 2.8 but before that ALT and AST was always around 50 to 65 and if I do my 45 minutes exercise it went up to 85, 95 but never over 100 like now.
Hopefully Hbsag goes down like stef said.
For HBV DNA test the blood will be drawn before the 13th shot my doctor told me. HBsAg also will be checked around that time.

I am taking NTZ 3 times a day, 1.5g. I tried 4 times but I had diarrhea and although I took probiotic it didn't stop and I had fever also. So I stayed with 3 tablets a day. And it's ok now and I take every second day a probiotic. I cannot buy the type of probiotic you told me in my country, stef. I use "Saccharomyces boulardii" 250 mg as I can buy them easily.

I have to make my blood work again after 8th shot and I'll let you all know.

[stef2011]

if alt baseline was around 50 and now alt is 145 you are getting immune system well activated, i guess both hbvdna and hbsag might be going down now