viral

got my viral load test done after relapse back in Sept.. Its  1,530.00, i was happy to somewhat it not being higher, it was before  tx  in the 3 millions, so tx help to a degree.. better news is better then totally bad news. THey told me its like in dormant... just happy to some degree, at least iam inproved in that area

[puppiepaws]

any input would be..iam kinda dont know what to totally think

[zazza]

Sorry to hear you relapsed earlier. Now about your viral load, I don't really understand how high it is. Is it perhaps one million and fivehundred thirty thousand?

[jmjm530]

I saw your post earlier but I didn't find anything overly constructive to say given the fact that you really have given us only minimum statistics. You haven't mentioned how much liver damage you have, how many times is treated, your genotype. age. medical history, etc. etc.

As to your viral load, the difference between the two viral loads is clinically insignificant. What's more, even if it was significant, a higher viral load does not necessarily equate to good news because it does not equate to less liver damage. Also, I'm not sure what it Dr. meant by the term "dormant". you either have hepatitis C or you don't. It'S never dormant

[puppiepaws]

dormant he meant by its got better i think as viral load.. Iam 43 and grade 2 and stage 2
started with viral in the 3 millions, now iam in the 1 millionsone, its so confusing, i tx for 48 weeks and relapsed..

[zazza]

As Jim says, "the difference between the two viral loads is clinically insignificant". It does not seem to have approved by treatment. You are probably pretty much in the same position as before treatment.

Do you know what week you became UND during tx?

[puppiepaws]

12 weeks i was und

[zazza]

Well, you were an early responder to tx then, which means you treated for an appropriate time period. If you can wait until the new drugs get approved, hopefully in 2011, adding one of them to the standard-of-care tx is probably your best bet. As a relapser, adding a PI might very well do the trick.

Have you had a biopsy done so you know if you have time to wait?

And I would look for a new doctor if the one you got really talks about the virus as being dormant. There is no such thing.

[jmjm530]

you should forget about the viral load numbers. Having a low viral load doesn't mean anything good and having a high viral load doesn't mean anything bad. The number that's important is your stage which you've said is staged two. Stage II suggests moderate liver damage, so depending on how recent your biopsy is, you reasonably have time to wait for the new drugs now on trial. Meanwhile, you should be under the care of the liver specialists ( hepatologist) and preferably not with the gastroenterologist or general practitioner, as you have failed treatment once. My guess, given that your doctor uses the term "dormant" is that you're not seeing hepatologist. That would be my next step.

[puppiepaws]

i called them and they said dormant as being the same before tx.. basically..iam seeing a great hepatologist dr.. top one in state of NC

[jmjm530]

I guess they are  using the word "dormant" to mean "chronic" as opposed to "active" . Your only active for around six months after exposure.

[jmjm530]

whoops, substitute the word "acute" for "active" in the above.

[zazza]

Acute - you are only acute for around six months after exposure

The appropriate terms are chronic and acute.

Figure it is your voice recognition software again, Jim, giving you a problem.

[puppiepaws]

guess u hit it onthe nugget jmjm530

[jmjm530]

beat you to the punch Zazza , fortunately the posts are time stamped LOL

[jmjm530]

and yes, any mistakes from here on out, just blame it on my voice recognition software LOL

[zazza]

LOL
Think I am going to get one of those too. They seem handy. :)

[jmjm530]

voice recognition software is sort of like a significant other, it's not what you say that gets processed, it's what they here :)

[jmjm530]

HEAR LOL

[nygirl7]

Oh man I could definitely use that at work Jim ;)

Pup - viral load means pretty much squat - don't get hung up on it.  The only time it means anything to use is our PCRs really.   But have you had your liver enzymes checked?  What were they before? ALT and AST - that might give you some indication if you are having more liver damage at a faster rate, since you are basically in the same ratio viral load wise maybe you could compare those and see at least something? It's nothing guaranteed but better than using VL to try to figure anything out.

Dormant gives you the impression it's sleeping and not doing anything but unfortunately yours is chronic and the diff between 1 mil and 3 mil shows that indeed it is still 'active'.

[jmjm530]

just make sure you have a fast computer and a good headset

http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/products/professional.asp

[zazza]

The good news is:

1) You were an early responder last tx, UND by week 12.
2) You were a relapser, not a non-responder, which gives you a good chance of getting rid of the virus in the next round.
3) Your biopsy showed stage 2, grade 2, which hopefully gives you time to wait for the new PIs.

[puppiepaws]

yall guys are great.. yall make me laugh..  Thanks a bunch...