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hepititis c lab results
What is the significance of a score of 18,044,000 from a lab test called HCV QuantaSure Plus (Serial)?
My viral load is 720,000 plus how bad is this. liver
spec. What should I ask? I;m completely in the dark. I think I would have contracted this 25 yrs ago.
spec. What should I ask? I;m completely in the dark. I think I would have contracted this 25 yrs ago.
i just found out 2 weeks ago I have hepc. My viral load is 720,000 plus how bad is this. I go in 2 weeks to see the liver
spec. What should I ask? I;m completely in the dark. I think I would have contracted this 25 yrs ago.
spec. What should I ask? I;m completely in the dark. I think I would have contracted this 25 yrs ago.
I've had Hep C for many years. When I found out, I was obsessed with the viral load (count). After much researching and talking to experts in the field, I've discovered that the viral load really doesn't mean that much. It can fluctuate wildly from hour to hour. A test done in the morning may show high and a test done later in the day can be almost normal. The only REAL blood test that shows whether there is liver damage going on is the basic liver function tests. Viral load tests are horribly expensive. Do it once, do it twice, but then forget about it and try to get your basic liver function tests in the normal range. Last year I started a regimen of Liver Kampo, Liv52, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Selenium, and a mild anti-anxiety med (Stablon/Tianeptine, =need to order online until USA approves), and my liver function tests have been normal since then! First time in years. I did have a biopsy a few years ago, and it was helpful to have that baseline. But the important thing is that you look at your health 'globally'. Eat right, don't drink (rarely means a few drinks a year!), get exercise, get good sleep. See the liversupport.com site. They have very good advice. (Thank you Ralph!) Good luck to you all!
Was @ the Jan& Fr forum yesterday and a member there informed me that they don't do the PCR test I Canada as it is to expensive. jmjm i think mentioned that some docs use the CBC which i have had?????????/ you got me, I will inquire next time I go. She is with the same researcher that I am , I am accepted for his study, shes not in his study, maybe i will get PCR, will ask.
I was dx 3 yrs ago, should have had a bx then but was in denial I hate to admit, guess I thought it would go away, DUMB ME I looked at my old printouts couldn't see anything that resembles PCR unless I missed getting the first, will ask about it when I go again. In answer to Medicare, I am Canadian, I would have to pay the first $1200 every year that also includes all other meds, but being in this study, of course its free. My husband has Dual Amer & Can citizenship, and Schering Plough called me and I could have gone into a study in Southern California where we have a winter home but it was 1 1/2 yr study and if I was to stay in US that long I would loose my Can Medicare, am only allowed to be out of Canada for 6 months at a time. Anyhow I am puzzled as to this PCR test, will ask for sure, thanx
how about in bloodwork prior to that one? maybe the antibodies one, that is where a lot of drs start, they get a positive in antibodies and then they do a PCR to check for the active virus, Find your old tests.
Hi,Lab results: HEMATOLOGY PANEL, WBC DIFFERENTIAL, AST & ALT, FERRITIN from last year jumped up to 1305 two months ago, is that serious, Gastro didn't seem to think so??? I am genotype 1, bx(Ludwig criteria) Portal Inflamation grade 3, lobular grade 2, fibrosis stage 3, The increased iron stores are minor but unexplained,and are not considered to be contribtory to the liver disease is what my bx says.i am waiting to get more blood work then start a study, full dosage pegitron/redipen is my choice I can also choose pegasys. I am 65 fm and 25lbs overweight. Don't see PCR or Viral load. looking foerward to your response
Afraid I don't know about the ferritin levels. The others are standard liver and blood tests. It would be odd for them to type your genotype but not do the quantitative test. How long ago were you diagnosed, and when were you genotyped? I would request a PCR in any event so you have a current one.
Your biopsy indicates a lot of inflammation in the portal tracts which is where the virus first takes hold and starts to inflame. From there it moves out to the lobular - the whole liver. So you are more inflamed in the portals, but the inflammation is spreading to the whole liver. The fibrosis is the scaring -- so you are 3 out of 4 on scaring. Sounds like definitely time to treat.
Pegintron vs Pegysys. I know it is recommended to do the penintron if you are overweight but I (personally) don't think 25# is that great of an issue. Many lose that much on treatment. I have been on tx for 9 weeks now and have lost 10# - maybe less than the average. I think you would be safe on either one, but the pegysys seems to have less side effects and you should take that into consideration.
Go girl, I am curious - since you are 65 and on medicare (assumed) how will the prescriptions be paid? Do you have a supplemental policy that will cover? I ask beccause I started treating at 57 and one of my reasons for treating not wanting to deal with this on medicare and not being able to pay for the meds.
Kathy
Your biopsy indicates a lot of inflammation in the portal tracts which is where the virus first takes hold and starts to inflame. From there it moves out to the lobular - the whole liver. So you are more inflamed in the portals, but the inflammation is spreading to the whole liver. The fibrosis is the scaring -- so you are 3 out of 4 on scaring. Sounds like definitely time to treat.
Pegintron vs Pegysys. I know it is recommended to do the penintron if you are overweight but I (personally) don't think 25# is that great of an issue. Many lose that much on treatment. I have been on tx for 9 weeks now and have lost 10# - maybe less than the average. I think you would be safe on either one, but the pegysys seems to have less side effects and you should take that into consideration.
Go girl, I am curious - since you are 65 and on medicare (assumed) how will the prescriptions be paid? Do you have a supplemental policy that will cover? I ask beccause I started treating at 57 and one of my reasons for treating not wanting to deal with this on medicare and not being able to pay for the meds.
Kathy
What kind of tests have you had? The first test is usually a qualitative test. All it tells you is that you test positve for hepatitis c antibodies. If you do, you should get the PCR test mentioned above. This is a quantitative test (counts the virus per mL of blood). Often the qualitative test shows a false positive, so you must get the PCR to find out whether you have the virus for sure. There are many types of hepatitis c - they are called the genotypes and there is a separate test to determine which one you have. This must be done because the treatment time is different for different genotypes. I believe genotype 1 is the most common in the US. If the tests you refer to are liver enzyme tests then you still need to request these tests. Post what you have -- the forum members are really good with helping decipher.
Kathy
Kathy
I'm wondering why I have not had a PCR or Viral load had everything else you all have discussed, what is the termonology it would state on my printouts, maybe I didn't understand or bypassed it somehow? thanx am still waiting to get new lab tests to start study
Just try the Janis7hepc.com part of that address. You will see a whole list of topics. I suggest starting with the one, "Have you just been diagnosed" and reading about the blood tests there. This is an excellent sight, as you work thru the process of understanding what is happening.
What else do you know -- genotype, how long infected? Have you had a biopsy yet? The biopsy is the way to tell how much damage the virus has really done.
Welcome to the forum and good luck with the process.
What else do you know -- genotype, how long infected? Have you had a biopsy yet? The biopsy is the way to tell how much damage the virus has really done.
Welcome to the forum and good luck with the process.
Thank you for the web address suggestion. Unfornatuely, I cannot pull it up. Is there another address that I might try?
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