Just diagnosed: Is it still possible I cleared the virus?

[dixx]

Just got diagnosed HCV+ on Monday and have to wait to mid-June to take the additional tests for viral load and genome type - this seems like an excruciatingly long period of time! In the mean time I have many newbie questions and no one to ask. Apologies in advance:

My AST is 139, my ALT is 274. Is there any reason to still think that I might fall in the 25% of HCV+ patients that have cleared the virus? I'm thinking I've had the virus for 20 years or so, but I am symptom free at this point. Would red wine (2/3 of a bottle a night) and Ibuprofen (800 to 1600 mg daily) have any effect on those numbers?

Also, with numbers like that should I not be hurrying things up a bit to get going on the diagnoses/prognoses or should I just chill? ...good or bad news, I think I'll be fine, but the not knowing is awful.

Thanks!

[mikesimon]

That means more to me than you know. I appreciate your kind words of support. Thank you & Be well. Mike

[Snookmiester]

Stage 3 fibrosis, is bridging fibrosis.. The beginning of cirrhosis.
And as far as CBC results, they can fluctuate daily, weekly.. Your ALT's can be elevated one day, then a day or two later fall within the normal ranges. CBC is complete blood count.  
If you have not done a PCR, which is a viral load test and the ONLY way to measure if the virus is in fact "active", you can not assume you have HCV. Like I said before, if you have ever been exposed to HCV, you will always test positive for the antibodies, even if the virus is not active or present. Even if you fall into the 15-20% that clear without meds.  
You asked if "other" factors raise ALT's, and that is why I answered...Because they can.But with the elevation of your ALT's, I would assume the HCV is the cause. All the other factors do not help though.

[dixx]

Sorry, that ISN'T what you said is it? You were responding to my original post, saying that it is still possible I fall within the 25% that have cleared the virus. I think I may be getting my abbreviations confused. It was your comment about redoing my CBC that had me leap to that conclusion. My CBC has the AST, ALT and my antibody reactive results, is that correct? There's no real reason to redo those is there? I assume I'll be doing a PCR when I finally see gastroenterologist (is there a short-hand symbol for gastroenterologist? gx or something maybe?). If I happen to have cleared THEN I'll go back and retest.

Goodness snookmiester, born w HCV! At 26 you are the ultimate HepC veteran. It never occurred to me before, but I bet there's plenty of you - you and my infection are about the same age!

While we're educating me I can't work out from Google what a Stage 3 fibrosis means. Is fibrosis pre-cirrhosis? Is that a good thing (compared to cirrhosis)?

[mikesimon]

My numbers are up again today. I will hear from TP soon about what to do. Mike

[52TELE]

Hi Rich. I pretty much was able to do the same thing. Actually it was a year before I got started on the treatment. I had some knee issues that I knew I had to take care of before starting tx ,I'm really glad I did now because I cant imagine going through a knee replacement while on tx , and I couldn't have made it another year on the old one. Took a vacation , trimmed some trees and otherwise kind of prepaired myself , in so far that it is possible to prepair for the unknown. At some point I guess I said "its all done" and went about the business of screwing up the next year or so for me and my family(lol). So many of us dont have time to think about whats about to happen , and in a lot of cases , thats good because we sometimes have a tendency to be able to talk ourselves in to or out of anything. But those lab results dont lie. Its there and Is certainly not going away on its own.
I dont know why I'm rambling , already had too much coffee and Riba.
Take care , nice talking to ya.

[friole]

Welcome to the forum, dixx.  Sounds like you have tested positive for the antibodies and are doing research.  THat is what I did in 1993 - and, I tell you, there is a heck of a lot more out there now on hep C then there was in 1993.  Yes, June is a long time to wait for the next round of tests.  I see no reason the doctor could not have already ordered the tests but that is the way doctors work.

Chances are you do have active chronic hepatitis C (by the way, this is a patient forum -- no docs here) but you will find that it is nont a death sentence.  Lifestyle change, maybe, but death sentence, no. I have totally normal liver enzymes thus no doctor has ever suggested I have further tests.  It was a blood donor test that showed me to be hep C+ in 1993,  Still, after 35 years infected, I have relatively little liver damage, and am now almost done with the treatment.

I wish you  luck.  This waitning anxiety is just awful.

Hi, Cuteus, how are you this fine THursday morning?  Have you been to NO yet?

[RichCM]

Just some other info. Before you get to the point of going on tx. Get in touch with your insurance co.ahead of time. Maybe someone at the doctors office could help you. When all the test results came back, and I was ready to start treatment, my insurance co. had me wait an additional two to three weeks due to medication costs and needed a special override.Try to get everything in place, keep the stress level low.

[amirtracy]

Sorry to break in. just looking for mike. hoping for good news.

[Alady1620]

Sorry to hear of your diagnosis.  Your numbers are quite high but there is always hope.  :)

[mikesimon]

Nothing yet Tracy but I feel better just knowing that you thought of me. I'll know soon - by early afternoon I expect. And I should say that though this has me on edge it's probably not a big deal - I'm just making it a big deal. My problem is that I get so many labs and keep them all for reference that when something out of the ordinary occurs I can consider it in a long history of lab reports and sometimes that can be unsettling. The last time I saw numbers like these was in 2003 when I was still detectable for HCV. At least I had an undetectable <5iu/ml Heptimax 2 weeks ago so that's not the problem. I'll keep you informed. Thansk Tracy. Mike

[NYgirl]

I agree with everyone else = those numbers are too high for something to NOT be killing off the cells in your liver and since you already did have a pos diagnosis...it looks like you might get ready to know you have the disease.

We were ALL freaked out when we found out we had it you know...and now are living life and going on and actually find at times that we are enjoying ourselves like normal.  It's not an easy thing (treatment) but it's doable. It's not the end of the world and as far as diseases go...thank God for this one there IS a cure.

Learn as much as you can now...this is the time to find out all you can about killing this disease so when the time comes for decisions you know what you are deciding about.

Best of luck

[amirtracy]

Hi there Mike. Please post as soon as you hear. i've been thinking about you alot. i've got a great friend in miami who had a transplant/hcv in 2003 and he went thru something similar w/ elevated #'s. he's fine and i'm sure you are as well. i know it's hard NOT to worry but hang in there. we got your back. ;) t.

[52TELE]

Sorry to but into the thread,  but I wanted to ask whats up with your home computer? Are you getting that worked out?

[NYgirl]

I have to find all the discs and then just reformatt the hard drive. I was going to do it last weekend but then after shot night was SO SO SO SO LAZY that I just couldn't bother.

It's bizarre not having it work...I've had one since 1992 when they were just little tiny things with only 4 megs of ram...it sits right next to my bed on my desk so I can actually lay on the bed and type...so I am addicted!

Hopefully this weekend I'll get it together and find everything. I used to have ALL of the discs in one case...until my 17 year old decided one day SHE was going to fix it.........................................and now of course they are scattered all over the place.

Why can't they just put things BACK?

[amirtracy]

hi dixx. i can't add anything useful- just to let you know you've come to the right place. once the new wears off it's not as scary as it is right now. best of luck.


hi there debby! just saying hello and hope you have a great day! if anyone deserves some time off of work it's you.  tracy

[52TELE]

I have had to order new recovery disks from the manufacturer before. I know for Sony you can order them on line and get them in the mail a couple of days later.

Put things back..? Mine wont even own up to ever seeing it.
cell phones , chargers , disks whatever.. "I dont know , I've never seen it"

[Mister beagle bailey]

I agree with all here and having to add.  But I did want to say welcome and glad you found the forum.

BEAGLE

[NYgirl]

I know I have them all....it's just going through probably 10000000000 discs that they are all mixed up in.  And the fear that it WONT solve the problem is probably what is making me put it off.

It makes no sense but I'm almost like afraid to do it...and I've reformatted it many times before but this time I'm like my GOD what will I do if it's dead argh!

I will do it this weekend since we have an extra day for Memorial Day and usually by Monday I feel rested you know? Probably by then I'll be going NUTS and have to do it beforehand!

Hi TRACY! :)

[cuteus]

Kath; I just got back from NO, the ceremony was lovely as was the stay in the Bed and Breakfast.
Have to say that what the govt has failed to do in NO is an embarrassment and shameful. I can almost bet that the folks in FLA have their lives restored faster than the Big Easy, being that big bro is DC and pushing for things to happen. I can't help but feel angry when I see so many places still boarded up.
  
Are you done?? did Chellski and Sandi have a PCR yet?

Mike; what's up? I guess your readings by what you wrote. I must catch up in the reading dept. Good luck.

[ohgreat]

I am from Texas!  or Treatment... or something...

[dixx]

Wow! Thanks for all these thoughtful responses. Glad I found this forum.

Perhaps because of my high numbers, my doctor didn't even tell me about the possibility of clearing the virus. That, now short lived, hope came from my own research.

My relationship w wine and alcohol is over NO PROBLEM - now coffee is another issue. I was recently wondering if I was starting  to drink too much anyway. Now I don't have to wonder.

Ironically I'm in the best shape of my life, except for my liver of course. Since my wild and crazy days I've lived a very northern cal. clean life: low fat diet, almost no recreational drugs (none in the last 10yrs) and regular exercise.

I'm hoping that that elimination of the wine will help my AST and ALT no.s. I've always eaten well, but there's some room for improvement there too. Is that a possibility or is the only way to get those no.s down or prevent them from going up through tx? Since I'm symptom free I'm wondering if there's any other way than tx to slow the deterioration. Do most people start tx when they are symptom free?

[cuteus]

what a familiar feeling!  You get told you are reactive for hep c and you are shocked and terrified. You do some searching and find out you might be a lucky 20-30% that cleared on their own, and you pray this is true for you, even though a small voice keeps telling you that 80% don't.  The waiting is excruciating, the worse part after dx. You wait for the PCR, the biopsy,  and then the results. It is a killer. You don't have to be a personality A to feel the torture.  In the end, it will most likely be ok, based on statistics. You might have mild liver damage, in spite of the enzymes elevation. Do ease off on the alcohol, for now. Stay tune to this forum for information and support, it will be a lifesaver at times.  BTW, we have had at least 5 members that came back to tell us that they cleared on their own and need no
treatment.

[jmjm530]

Hang in there man, we're all pulling and praying for you! Let's hope it's those 50 push-ups monkeying around with your enzymes. BTW you're putting me to shame with those numbers, so I guess it's time to get on all fours and start working out :)

-- Jim

[amirtracy]

i'm praying for you mike.