chronic HBV -- Is treatment necessary

[Babylove0728]

I was diagnosed with chronic HBV , HBeAg-ve in 2001. It was just from a routine healthy check-up. I never knew I had it and never thought would have it. It was debastating for me to learn about it.I started to take milk thistle and lately, phospatidyl choline.  From 2001 till 4-21-10, my viral load had been 1.74 X 10 log 3. Then in 2010, virus started to replicate.
4-21-10 viral load was 7.84 x 10 log 3
9-14-10 viral load was 1.29 x 10 log 4
12-20-10 viral load was 1.62 x 10 log 4
1-26-11 viral load was 2.3 x 10 log 4
3-29-11 viral load was 7.44 x 10 log 3
7-11-11 viral load was 2.74 x 10 log 4
Note that viral load went down 1 log on 3-29-11.
Regardless of viral load , ALT has always been 31 and below and AST 34 and below
Do the above results merit viral treatment?

[Babylove0728]

Any antiviral can do this but once HBVDNA is undetectable the infection goes on...

I thought I read about this. I told my doctor that it seems like anti -viral treatment will make your liver worse instead of better because more liver cells will be infected. And I thought anti viral meds kill infected liver cells and if more than enough liver cells are killed, there will be liver failure. So in the end, what will one benefit from anti-viral treatment.

However, the Mt Sinai doctor said liver will be better if there is undetectable HBVDNA, because it is less virus or no virus to attack liver cells. How come you said once HBVDNA is und infection goes on and spread to other cells.

This is getting to be so confusing now, really. If one is on viral treatment, you will someday get undetectable hBVDNA. However, if more liver cells are infected as you said, then why go for anti viral treatment. Isnt this so confusing?

[Babylove0728]

My doctor suggested anti-viral treatment even tho my ALT is normal (below 2X upper limit of 19 i.e. below 38), because she thinks that my chronic HBV infection has been over 10 years now. She said it has been too long.

I agree, altho I was diagnosed in 2001, I didnt know when I had it really, maybe before 2001, I wouldnt know. But my viral load as I have mentioned was 1,74 x 10 log 3 or 1740 from 2001 till April 20, 2010. SO altho infection has been for a long time, my viral load was really low to merit treatment. MAybe taking milk thistle helped viral load stayed that low for almost 10 years. Then it started to replicate from April 21, 2010. I would say maybe my immune system was not the same as when I was younger.

[lila58]

I am like you,don't know what to do.I talked to a researcher at a teaching hospital in Germany and strongly recommended antiviral treatment.He said they saw enough cases of liver cancer without cirosis.I'll have a fibroscan on 14 oct.At least you can have a hepatologist and a fibroscan,I can't have thouse in US where I live

[4est]

maybe this will help http://www.hepbnet.org/

[lila58]

Thanks a lot !

[Babylove0728]

Hello,

What is heptech?

Thanks.