A general question

[Peteshine]

Hi,

I am currently taking a combination of both Lamivudine & Adefovir and my ALT is currently sitting at around 95..... My main query is with these statistics floating around about 500,000 - 1 million people dying of Hep B every year.... Are these figures showing people taking medication as well or are they just stats for those living without any medication at all? I am normally a very positive person but i can't help feeling if this medication doesn't work does that leave my body having to fight the virus and basically just waiting to see whether i get liver cancer or not..

[stevenNYer]

Please introduce yourself.  Tell us who you are (aliases are fine), your ethnicity, age, and age of infection.  With background information, you'll get better feedback.

We at this forum had some exchanges on combo treatment which you are taking.  Mind telling us, how your treatment came to be and the treatment experience thus far?

[stevenNYer]

As Zelly pointed out, the odds are in your favor.  But I believe you could improve your odds still by being a proactive advocate for your own health.

[zellyf]

The number I hear more frequently is that 75% of chronics w/o treatment will go on to lead normal lives with normal life expectancies.  That's WITHOUT treatment.  I'm not sure what happens to those numbers once you start factoring in treatment.

Its not an enviable position, this having Hep B.  But, I know about 7 people under the age of 50 who are currently battling various cancers and none of them have Hep B (to my knowledge).  Everyone is vulnerable to disease.  When the worry starts to get to me I remind myself that there were never any guarantees and think about what I want to do with whatever time I have  and even more importantly, I remember that I could live to be 80 and that's a long time to spend worrying about something that might never happen.  

[cajim]

I think the statistics refer to all people with HepB with or without treatment.  However because you are closely followed by your doctor, you have the full backup of current medicine.  You are better protected than you otherwise.  Wouldn't you agree?