Viral Load and vaccinations

As a newly diagnosed Hep C person and am doing as much research as I can, I have run across quite a few comments regarding Hepatitis C  Viral Loads and vaccines. Namely Flu vaccines, Hep A & B vaccines, and the like, causing your viral load to sky rocket. Is this a fact and can anyone explain how this happens?

I've probably had this Hep C for 30 something years. Over that period of time I've never gotten flu shots. But about four years ago I began getting them every year, until now.

This year I've had a Pneumonia shot (my second in 10 years), a Tetanus shot, and am currently getting the three shot series for Hep A and Hep B.

My current Viral load is about 350,000. Should I expect a 10 or 100 fold increase in my viral load.

Any info would be much appreciated. Also, if viral load goes up into the millions, can I expect faster desease progression?

Chow for now, Merry Christmas,
DoMusic

[chcnme]

Hi Domusic.  That's interesting; I've never heard that before.  
I think (but I'm not sure) that docs are still recommending vaccines against A & B for those diagnosed with C.  A&B vax was recommended by my first doc.  Neither doc ever recommended Pneumovax or flu shot (but may have if I had asked.)  I got A&B series about three years ago because it was recommended.  

Great viral load!  

I have no idea if those vaccines will cause your VL to jump into the millions, or if it does jump - if it means faster progression.  I would think if it DID mean that, then A&B vaccines (or any that the doc has recommended you receive on account of Hep C)  would be recommended with a caution or warning (??) But - I don't know.

Chow back! And Merry Christmas!

[copyman]

after the hep a vac my viral load did increase to 20 mil but then cam back down. viral loads fluctuate all the time so i do not know for sure if the vac was the cause, it is possible that with hep c a trillion virons a day are made and depends on how many your immune sys kills off that day. and a proven fact is that the viral load has no bearing on liver damage.

[Mister beagle bailey]

Hi and Merry Christmas.  I have not heard of this but is a good question.  I have been infected since 1997 but have been getting flue shots since 1991 with no problem.  If it does cause a increase, I'm sure it's only temporary.

Beagle

[HCA]

Don't attach any importance to this,but I had a flu jab one year
before my hep c was diagnosed and got the worst dose of flu I have ever known-never again!

[GrandOak]

Viral loads do not mean much beyond determining if tx is working and whether you've eradicate the nasty little spike balls from your system.  Some have observed that it does wax and wane during the week with respect to your IFN shot.  Some even figure that it does so during the day.  These suggest that during tx you should have your PCR done on the same day with respect to your IFN shot and near the same time in order to obtain the most consistent measurement.

When I was tagged a nonresponder last month, they emphasized that the hardest thing I would probably have adjusting to was putting less emphasis upon VL, particularily since so much is placed upon it during tx simply to determine if meds are working.

As for the flu shot, when I was treating my allergies I got them regularily.  I vividly remember one year about 15 or more years ago when a particularily nasty strain of the bug hit the States and knocked many folks down for 2-3 wks and for me it was only a few days.

As I understand it, many vaccines are not a guarantee that you will not get the virus, they only prepare your body to fight it if you do by teaching it how to make the anti-bodies to combat it if you do contract it.

[Toby G]

Glad you ask! I too was wondering that and am ready for my 3rd and last inoculation for hep B, Im also do for my blood work for 3rd Month and if viral load is not down 2 fold, insurance company stops paying! Think ill wait till after blood work to get last Inoculation, Thanks for bringing that up, My doctor said that after the 3 hep B shots, was good for life ,but the hep A shot only good for 6 months

[sallyo]

Not sure I understand if you do or do not have hep C.  How would a Hep B series of vaccinations decease hep C vl.  How would the insurance justify nonpayment.Maybe I missed something

[domusic]

I'm also getting my Vac A/B shots with #2 coming up in January. From what I understand, timing is very important to the vaccines working. Might be well to take this into consideration.

I hope all works out ok for you and good luck. Merry Christmas also.

DoMusic

[scubadiver30]

When I first got DX with Hepc I did the whole round of vaccines A & B and tetanus. The A&B never caught but the Tetanus shot skyrocketed my enzymes to the 300's and then they never went down lower than 170( it also wiped according to my doc little strains of geno 1aI had??) I had to get 3 PCRs to make sure I was geno 2b only (my other doc told me It was a false postive for geno1).. So I decided to TX anyway. Right now I'm on my 6th week of TX and my LFTs are in the 30/40s...
One thing, the tetanus vaccine did lower my VL from 5 mill to 2 mill (maybe was luck don't know) but the doc said it made the liver respond to everything within my body...
I got scared and never got the third tetanus shot and since I'm treating right now I'm gonna wait until I finish

saludos
scuba

[aiuta]

Domusic: I was told by two different medical professionals (one MD one RN specialist in hepatitis) that I COULD do the vaccines while on tx, so I did.  I already had been innoculated for Hep A, so I did the first 2 Hep B shots while on tx and will do the third in April.  My VL's still came back UND after the shots.


Toby G:  Not sure about the Hep A vaccine only lasting for 6 months.  I say that because when I presented symptoms of acute hepatitis earlier this year, they tested all my panels.  I had had the Hep A innoculation series 2 years prior, and I still had the antibodies.  I have read that if you get BOTH Hep A shots, the innoculation could last for up to 20 years.    

All my best, Aiuta

[GrandOak]

It seems both HAV & HBV vaccinations are given as standard protocol to treating HCV if one has never received them.  My understanding is that this is done because it would be fatal if one was to become co-infected with either of those strains while infected with HCV.

[NYgirl]

Most doctors advise that you have both vaccines (I did) and ALWAYS get a flu shot as you have a chronic disease of the liver.  I had no trouble both times I had mine (I've been treating over a year now on week 67).

[copyman]

the hep a vac is long term not just 6 months. you may waht to ask your doc again about this.