Viral Load "9" after 8 weeks. Doc says same as und.

[Carlhcv]

So after starting out at almost 4,000,000 my viral load is now 9 after 4 wks of int/riba and 4 more wks with the victrelis. I was hoping for undetectable but the doc said that 9 is just as good at this point. My understanding is that I must be und at 24 and 36 weeks or tx stops. It looks like I'm in this for the full 48 weeks. Is 9 as good as und at this stage? One more question; How much is an International Unit (IU) of blood in a measure that I can understand? That is, is it a few drops? A few ounces? A pint? Thanks.

[Dee1956]

I also wish the best for you. I remember my Quest blood work said <43 and my doctor said it was UND

As important as the test is it should be given out on a more consistent basis <9 sounds pretty good to me!
Congratulations!  The Vic will really help you.  There are a lot of people who did that and will be able to help you along the way.

[pooh55811]

Wishing for the best for you, Carl.

[Carlhcv]

Thanks for the answers. I will get a copy of the VL test at my next doc visit. Remember though that undetectable does not necessarily mean zilch or tx would be stopped at that point. We need to be sure that there is not one single stubborn virus hiding in our body, waiting to start multiplying when the coast is clear! Very helpful answers.

[hepcat1954]

VL is measured by IU/mL.  You now have 9 IU/mL of HCV (IU per milliliter) of your blood.

The human body has approximately 5 liters of blood (5,000 mL).  So you now have 45,000 (9 * 5000) IU of HCV in your body.

That may sound like a lot but when your VL was 4,000,000 IU/mL, you had 20,000,000,000 IU of HCV in your body.

IU is not a unit of measure of blood but how many virus is in a certain quantity of blood.

[pooh55811]

"So after starting out at almost 4,000,000 my viral load is now 9 after 4 wks of int/riba and 4 more wks with the victrelis. I was hoping for undetectable but the doc said that 9 is just as good at this point. It looks like I'm in this for the full 48 weeks. Is 9 as good as und at this stage?"
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Does your test say Detected  or  Undetected anywhere on the test?

What exactly does the test say?

Most tests state Det or UND on the test result although there are some tests that do not include DET or UND in the results.

My 4 week test said <43 DET.

All of the subsequent tests said <43 UND.

My 48 week EOT test said <5. It was a different test.

So I am wondering what the exact reading on your test was.

There is no such thing as,  "as good as UND." If your test said <9 Detected or DET, then the virus is Detectable. Detectable at a minute quantity is still Detectable. It is NOT the same as Undetectable.

If you can type in the exact wording of the entire test result, then we can better respond.


The 8 week test determines the length of time you will treat. So the result is important. However, if I recall correctly, you will be treating for 48 weeks regardless, I believe. Still, it would be good to know whether you are DET or UND at week 8.

Best of luck.

[hcvJames]

I'm not sure the deal with victrelis but with Incivek it was VL tests at 4 and 12 weeks. You could be <43 at 4 but had to be UND at 12. IDK some docs call <43 UND some don't. In my book undetected is UNDETECTED as in nothing, nada, zip zero zilch. How can 9 at 4wks be und when 9 at your last determining VL test is NOT und? The qualifier .. at this point .. is ok though because you still get to go on. Anyway don't worry to much about it, take it as a good sign showing your system is responding. Your go or no-go VL test is the one ..

An IU is ... "I. U.= international unit. This is a unit used to measure the activity (that is, the effect) of many vitamins and drugs. For each substance to which this unit applies, there is an international agreement specifying the biological effect expected with a dose of 1 IU. Other quantities of the substance are then expressed as multiples of this standard. This also means that this measurment is not based on sheer volume or weight of the substance, but rather the effect."
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/149809
Which means to me .. uh .. a few drops at most, cuz I don't know of any med's requiring a few oz's or a pint of .. except beer .. but since having hep C, and stage 4, that's one med that won't be prescribed again.