blip or breakthrough

just had an appointment with my hep c specialist.
He told me the fine difference between a blip and a breakthrough
A BLIP: after reaching non dectable and becoming again dectablle on therapy
            a"blip" is between 20 to 400 copies of the hepatitis c virus
With a blip continuation of therapy for 72 weeks or more.

breakthrough would be considered more than this,but actual number of copies  no idea,but probably over 400 !

[nygirl7]

A Blip continuation of any number by any doctor that I have EVER heard about is considered a non-response and when you go off treatment and the number skyrockets again........it's still a non-response...

This doesn't make any sense at all......I'd be really leery of continuing treatment past 24 weeks with ANY visable viral load because it means you chances of success are pretty much nil.  You are either positive or negative there just is no other way around it.  

You aren't even talking a one time false positive type scenario but just getting to UND and then going back and staying positive for 72?  If you are positive that long how to you think you can get to UND?

Very confused by this advice and it flies in the face of every single thing I've ever been told or learned.

[nygirl7]

Or are you talking a one time event - if so that could be a false positive (I guess you could call it a blip if you want) but if it never goes back to UND that's not good.....

Sorry just confused by this post completely!

[volvic]

suggest you google a blip and HIV and HV coinfected there is a lot written about blips!
Co-infected do sometimes have blips and in Germany do continue therapy.
Just received results of most of tests done and receive the big result next week and spezialist believes I will be non dectable again!
lets wait until next week before getting ourselves both confused. My information is based on two different and highly recognised hepatitis c specialist in Germany, who deal specifically with HIV coinfected hepatitis c patients.
Maybe it is also a financial matter and differences in medical practices in different countries whether to continue or not?
Again let us see what my big result is next week and how I develop with therapy over the next period-my 72 weeks if non dectable willend on the last friday of june.
I am not a specialist and just interested in sharing my own experiences and gaining from others.

k and specialist believes I will benon dectable.
Lets wait until next week before continuing talkon blip and whether to continue or  not

[volvic]

hi again,reading your answer again-the specialist presume that it is a one time event and should not happen again on Hepatitis c,
There are factors which cause blips,especially changes in medication levels or medications.
Specialist in Germany stop treatment if a blip happens again as this clearly shows non response!
Blip is a medically defined term and when I googled blip felt much better that I had googled it.

[volvic]

Finally got the call I have been waiting for and am again non dectable....

Seems blips are more of concern with those co-infected  and my specialist hopes I will remain non dectable and clear.... it would be my wish,but will just take each test as it comes and complete the 72 weeks.

Will keep you informed

[IAmTheWalrus]

I am not sure what the difference between a blip and not a blip is unless the blip is simply a test artifact (error). If you have reliable tests that show UND followed by one several weeks later durring TX it seems like NR or breakthrough to me.

I think that the only way it would be a blip would be if the virus showed up on a test and was immediately follwed up by a second test showing UND, no? I would prefer to call that a test anomaly or error.

[volvic]

it is medically  defined as a blip  and in Germany  regarded as something which does happen when somebody has two blood born viruses. There is a lot written about blips in treatment of HIV and Hep C

[IAmTheWalrus]

Thanks, I have not heard of it before. Is there somewhere I can read up on this phenomonon?

[volvic]

Hi,
just google "blips" with Hepatitis C and HIV there are many articles written about blips and you really need to sort through them to understand the significance of blips in coinfection.
I had also never heard of them until 3 different hepatitis c-hiv specialist told me about them. I really also thought there were just "breakthroughs"