Side effects of therapy

[Vireadeater]

Hi there,

I would like to discuss my Viread "side effects" with you. But first some relevant data.
Got diagnosed with Chronic Hep B in March 2011:

- Hbeag Negative
- Genotype D
- Grading 0-1
- Male

Started Viread (Tenofovir) in April:

- HBV DNA in April: 29.000
- HBV DNA in May: 45
- HBV DNA in August: Undetectable
- Hbsag in August: 30.000 (First time it got measured.)

So far so good, but here comes the "strange" data:

- ALT in April and before: Between 65 and 73
- ALT in  May after I started Viread: 93
- ALT in August: 93

Besides I have some "side effects" since I have been taking Viread that one could sum up as the typical symptoms of acute hepatitis b OR the side effects under Interferon:

- Pain over the location of the liver (on the right side of the abdomen, under the lower rib cage). I never experienced that before taking Viread
- Flu like symptoms: Muscle aches; Headache, Temperature, Tiredness. They come and go. Again I did not experience that before.

My doctor says this COULD be some immune reaction but wants to wait for the next results in November. Because she was also a bit surprised by the rise of my ALT since she figured it should have rather dropped considering the decrease of my HBV DNA.

Any ideas out there? Anyone who experienced something like that in therapy? Would be glad to hear your thoughts and opinions. And thanks for this community here!

Keep it up!

[Vireadeater]

@stef2011:
Nope, I do not have any other infection. In fact my high ALT was the only abnormal result of my last blood test. Everything else was fine. If I am clearing I would be more than happy. However, I do not want to put too much hope in it because from what I have read this would come close to winning the lottery. But then, someones gotta win it ;)
About my doctor, I do not want to put her into a bad light because she is really competent. She also mentioned that it could be a immune reaction and that she had some rare cases of people clearing it within a year. But I guess she did not want put any false hope in me at the moment. Even though she mentioned there is a chance of clearing considering the count of my hsbag. Anyway, she made it clear that we have to await the results in November...

@Izzy79: I only heard about the rise of ALT in therapy under Interferon so far. But maybe it also happens under nucs. Anyway, all the best for you and keep us informed. The negative PCR will come ;)

@all: Thanks for the discussion. It sure feels good to talk to people fighting the same fight!!!

[stef2011]

people that clear hbsag on viread, very very few, have high hbsag like yours and hbeag positive at start of therapy

[stef2011]

an alt rise with hbvdna undetactable is very very good, it means your immune system is killing infected cells and working in hbsag clearance, just recheck hbsag quantity if lowering you are clearing

alt rise may also be toxicity but very unlikly, if it is toxicity hbsag stay the same or rises.the alternative is entecavir which has no sides effects

Because she was also a bit surprised by the rise of my ALT since she figured it should have rather dropped considering the decrease of my HBV DNA.

how can she be so ignorant, hbvdna and alt has nothing to do if your immune system is starting to work you will have an alt flare between 200-300 to 1000 and will clear virus

- Flu like symptoms: Muscle aches; Headache, Temperature, Tiredness. They come and go. Again I did not experience that before.

this is interferon production....if you have no other infection this is hbv clearance....recheck hbsag quantity and hbsab quantity it will tell you if you are clearing

[Izzy79]

Hi,

I started Viread therapy in August as a continuation of Entecavir therapy (a long story...). On 1. of August i just switched from Entecavir to Viread. One week later i woke up with a mild skin rush on my abdomen area, i had nausea after taking tenofovir( at the evening) an in the morning and i had also 4 days long fever about 39°C....and i´m PERMANENT tired:o(

Before starting Viread my ALT was 95 and two weeks later 113. I read somewhere that an elevated ALT count is normal after starting nucs (only the first few months), but I´m not sure, i hope that someone with more kowledges will read this to affirm it!

Now, more than a month after starting viread, i feel good( i have only nausea from time to time) and i pray for a negative PCR(the last one before taking Viread was 116).

I hope that the side effects that you experience will disappear soon!!!

[Vireadeater]

Thanks Enolia. Might be the best to get an ultrasound...I will post the outcome...

[enolia]

Check this info

Severe liver problems: Severe liver problems can happen in people who take VIREAD or similar medicines. In some cases these liver problems can lead to death. Your liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and you may develop fat in your liver (steatosis) when you take VIREAD. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms of liver problems: Your skin or the white part of your eyes turn yellow (jaundice), dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored bowl movements, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, stomach pain.

Just as a precaution, I believe you should get your liver checked with an ultrasound or any necessary test to ensure your liver is OK. It is not normal to feel pain. I personally didn't have any of these symptoms and my ALT went from 32 to 21. I hope it is an immune reaction that will cause your virus to be cleared but you can not just wait and risk the worst.