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24 week UND!!! Are PCR's unreliable?
Good Morning Vietnam!
I got 21 week PCR yesterday and called the dr. I read to me UND, but wasn't sure b/c of the language. Of course I am happy of this result, but it is so hard to understand.
The comments in parens are the 12 week PCR;
Hep C RNA >1.9 (8) (this said Not Qnt last time)/
<1.9 log IU (same as before)
*(8) Viral load is Result for HCV RNA is LESS Than 75 IU/ML
...Results below the limit of detection (1.9log IU/mL) will be reported as >1.9 log IU/mL. Results between 1.9 and 2.3 log IU/mL (75 to 200 IU/mL) will be reported as "HCV RNA detected below the limit of quantitation."
Would you say this means I am UND? Why the Not Qnt last time? Ultrasound says fatty liver versus cirrhosis, this is scary as he said it could be one or the other.
The GI told me that PCR's are SO unreliable that he doesn't put too much stake in them. Interesting! He says he was one of the first Dr's in the world to do PCR's and has done them by hand. Claims that the same blood sample can change from hour to hour as far as VL. If this is the case why do we put our lives in the reports of PCR's. I asked about getting a more sensitive test or TMA etc. He said they are all the same. He will do a Qualitative next time...I really thought this was something to discuss here. If PCR's are so unreliable and fluxuate, then why do we say someone that has a breakthough with a few copies stop tx?
I got 21 week PCR yesterday and called the dr. I read to me UND, but wasn't sure b/c of the language. Of course I am happy of this result, but it is so hard to understand.
The comments in parens are the 12 week PCR;
Hep C RNA >1.9 (8) (this said Not Qnt last time)/
<1.9 log IU (same as before)
*(8) Viral load is Result for HCV RNA is LESS Than 75 IU/ML
...Results below the limit of detection (1.9log IU/mL) will be reported as >1.9 log IU/mL. Results between 1.9 and 2.3 log IU/mL (75 to 200 IU/mL) will be reported as "HCV RNA detected below the limit of quantitation."
Would you say this means I am UND? Why the Not Qnt last time? Ultrasound says fatty liver versus cirrhosis, this is scary as he said it could be one or the other.
The GI told me that PCR's are SO unreliable that he doesn't put too much stake in them. Interesting! He says he was one of the first Dr's in the world to do PCR's and has done them by hand. Claims that the same blood sample can change from hour to hour as far as VL. If this is the case why do we put our lives in the reports of PCR's. I asked about getting a more sensitive test or TMA etc. He said they are all the same. He will do a Qualitative next time...I really thought this was something to discuss here. If PCR's are so unreliable and fluxuate, then why do we say someone that has a breakthough with a few copies stop tx?
Congrats! Sounds good to me!
Your doctor may just have a different perspective about this, but doesn't mean he is correct. None of the doctors have it all, because this disease is still a mystery in many ways.
Plus, he didn't really want to push for cat scan either?? I know insurance reasons and stuff, but i don't know,,,,,,
Don't let anything the doc said discourage you...you are on the road to SVR!!!!! Congrats!
Another subject....one thing I have been thinking of is...they say alot of us have been carrying this 35 years,as I was told to be carrying 35 years,,, how come there are people who are in their 20's who are getting it and some even saying they know they contracted it 5 years ago, such as niceguy (I think he said that)
Why doesn't it stay dormant for 35 years in their system? And if it does stay dormant 35 years, maybe our spouses have it and it is undectable until 35 years after being exposed. If you know your spouse only 10 years and he is negative..maybe in 25 years it will be positive? God forbid.
Whose to say that it doesn't hide when first exposed ...occult beginning, test neg, then replication begins,,detectable in blood,,,,tx,,,UND,,,but possible occult,,,,then relapse.
Just possible theory running through my head. But it comes down to this....we have to hope for the best....You are a very upbeat, positive person, continue to be that way, don't let a doctor who may be completely wrong discourage you.. Not saying you shouldn't have posted this and asked this.
There are many knowing people on board that help in sorting things out, I'm not in that position yet, but we all have a role in helping, whatever mine may be,besides being a pain in the neck lol
But anyhow, congrats SFBaygirl!!!
Your doctor may just have a different perspective about this, but doesn't mean he is correct. None of the doctors have it all, because this disease is still a mystery in many ways.
Plus, he didn't really want to push for cat scan either?? I know insurance reasons and stuff, but i don't know,,,,,,
Don't let anything the doc said discourage you...you are on the road to SVR!!!!! Congrats!
Another subject....one thing I have been thinking of is...they say alot of us have been carrying this 35 years,as I was told to be carrying 35 years,,, how come there are people who are in their 20's who are getting it and some even saying they know they contracted it 5 years ago, such as niceguy (I think he said that)
Why doesn't it stay dormant for 35 years in their system? And if it does stay dormant 35 years, maybe our spouses have it and it is undectable until 35 years after being exposed. If you know your spouse only 10 years and he is negative..maybe in 25 years it will be positive? God forbid.
Whose to say that it doesn't hide when first exposed ...occult beginning, test neg, then replication begins,,detectable in blood,,,,tx,,,UND,,,but possible occult,,,,then relapse.
Just possible theory running through my head. But it comes down to this....we have to hope for the best....You are a very upbeat, positive person, continue to be that way, don't let a doctor who may be completely wrong discourage you.. Not saying you shouldn't have posted this and asked this.
There are many knowing people on board that help in sorting things out, I'm not in that position yet, but we all have a role in helping, whatever mine may be,besides being a pain in the neck lol
But anyhow, congrats SFBaygirl!!!
I have been thinking a lot about the PCR also-what does it really mean. Undetected to <5iu which is about less than 10 copies per mil. This is very good but even if there is only 1 copy per mil there still can be a lot there. In a pint of blood there is about 500 mil so if only 1 virus per mil is in the blood that that
Hi bobby,
when you say 37 years ago,,,,did they "test" you 37 years ago and find hep or are they assuming it was from 37 years ago without test? I know they didn't call it hep c, just wanted to clarify, don't know if I misunderstood you.
also you said...
"she just was refused to give blood again." How come they are refusing her to give blood if she is neg? That would lean towards my theory of the occult beginning stage....or was it a typo and you meant to say your wife doesn't give blood, just to play it safe, so to speak?
Where are you as far as stats? are you tx or finished? Hope all is well with you.
when you say 37 years ago,,,,did they "test" you 37 years ago and find hep or are they assuming it was from 37 years ago without test? I know they didn't call it hep c, just wanted to clarify, don't know if I misunderstood you.
also you said...
"she just was refused to give blood again." How come they are refusing her to give blood if she is neg? That would lean towards my theory of the occult beginning stage....or was it a typo and you meant to say your wife doesn't give blood, just to play it safe, so to speak?
Where are you as far as stats? are you tx or finished? Hope all is well with you.
I developed acute hep symptoms around 30 years ago. Was diagnosed and treated for Hep A. At the time, there were only two hep types identified - A [infectious], and B [serum]. A little later, a third type called non-A, non-B was identified but it was some years before hep C was described and classified. In any case, the symptoms subsided and I was declared cured.
Clock forward 30+ years, and a positive diagnosis of HCV with an initial VL of 27.5 million IU/ml. Antibody and surface antigen tests for hep A and B were negative, meaning I had never had hep A. The diagnosis was the result of a terrific [and rare] Dr who saw elevated ALTs and was determined to prove why they were high. My ALTs had been elevated for 20+ years, but ignored by every Dr who had seen them over that time!!
No question that I was symptomatic, particularly over the last 10 years - reduced energy, v low tolerance for alcohol, etc. My wife was not infected.
Clock forward 30+ years, and a positive diagnosis of HCV with an initial VL of 27.5 million IU/ml. Antibody and surface antigen tests for hep A and B were negative, meaning I had never had hep A. The diagnosis was the result of a terrific [and rare] Dr who saw elevated ALTs and was determined to prove why they were high. My ALTs had been elevated for 20+ years, but ignored by every Dr who had seen them over that time!!
No question that I was symptomatic, particularly over the last 10 years - reduced energy, v low tolerance for alcohol, etc. My wife was not infected.
lol yeah you guys will have your hands full when I start tx. Please be kind and gentle, I'm sensitive.lol
I was going to ask for volunteers to man the forum on the graveyard shift, just to make sure there was always someone on forum in the middle of the night to hold my hand.lol
a new symptom today,,,feels like the virus is walking around in my head lol,,,but really does. Oh so tired of feeling like my body is not my own anymore, like some alien has invaded.
Everyday some new weird feeling in our bodies,,,,can really get on your last nerve...
see ya later......... again ..............CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Paris, where are you??? are you okay?
I was going to ask for volunteers to man the forum on the graveyard shift, just to make sure there was always someone on forum in the middle of the night to hold my hand.lol
a new symptom today,,,feels like the virus is walking around in my head lol,,,but really does. Oh so tired of feeling like my body is not my own anymore, like some alien has invaded.
Everyday some new weird feeling in our bodies,,,,can really get on your last nerve...
see ya later......... again ..............CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
------------------------------------------------------------------
Paris, where are you??? are you okay?
I have been thinking a lot about the PCR also-what does it really mean. Undetected to <5iu which is about less than 10 copies per mil. This is very good but even if there is only 1 copy per mil there still can be a lot there. In a pint of blood there is about 500 mil so if only 1 virus per mil is in the blood that that
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