viral loads

I am not in treatment as of yet, but I was wondering is it possible for  viral loads to go down without any treatment?  I have my next appointment this Tuesday and was wondering if I should ask for another VL assessment???  Thoughts anyone?

[scoleman]

My viral loads have fluctuated but I got them done once a year.  Usually I was between 200,000 and 800,000 but there was one time when I was below the limit of detection.  

When was your last viral load determined and why do you want it repeated?

Sherry

[mdudley]

My ONLY VL was done on 9/13/11 and came back at 466,000.  But my ALT and AST levels were down from a previous blood test.  My genotype is 3a.  And I am just trying to figure out what all this means so I can make a semi-informed judgment if treatment is suggested.  Thanks for your input!

[mdudley]

I forgot to ask you if you are having treatment.  I just wanted to know if it is possible for the VL to decrease without any SOC care?

[willbb]

Viral loads fluctuate all the time, as do the liver enzymes(ALT& AST).  
.There is no correlation between viral load and the amount of damage happening ,or not happening to your liver  and should have no bearing on treatment desicions.
The desicion on when to treat it best made on the info you receive on the amount of damage  your liver  has currently.

Best
Will

[HectorSF]

Yes, it common for viral loads to go down and up over time. The point is, it doesn't matter if the viral load goes down or up. If you have any viral load it indicates that you are chronically infected with the hepatitis C. You can't be have pregnant. Either you are infected or you are not. Unless to treat the illness and eliminate completely your viral load you will remain infected for the rest of your life with all the consequences of having hepatitis C for decades. Your Viral load is no indication of the amount of liver damage that the virus may have caused your liver.

What the viral load is used for.
A viral load is commonly taken before treatment to act as a baseline and then periodically during treatment to see who a person is responding to treatment.

You may want to educate yourself on the basics of hepatitis C so you will understand the nature of the illness and the consequences it can have on your life. There are many good websites that have factual data of this disease such as the CDC, Medicinenet, WebMd, HCVadvocate, Mayoclinic and of course this forum.

Good luck.
Hector