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High vreses low viral load in Hep c patients
I was dignosed with hep c 1 yr ago. My viral load at that time was 18 million with normal alt levels. I have not been treated but I have changed my diet to a nutritional one and I do not drink anymore, my hole life has changed. I live one day at a time. I recently went to the doctor and my viral load was at 1 million with an alt count of 57, high normal being 40 on their scale. How could this be. Is this normal, could I really beat this desease with the right choices I have taken. Please advice thank you, litecloud
You might want to check the "life without tx thread of MArch 12, some posts below, a lot of knowledgeable people posted there.
They will later come along, I am at work and killing time, so I wanted to tell you to stand by.
You can improve your general health with the proper diet and fitness choices, but it will have no antiviral properties in chronic hep c, the virus has overcome your immune system and it can no longer fight it on its own. What is your level of liver damage?
be well
They will later come along, I am at work and killing time, so I wanted to tell you to stand by.
You can improve your general health with the proper diet and fitness choices, but it will have no antiviral properties in chronic hep c, the virus has overcome your immune system and it can no longer fight it on its own. What is your level of liver damage?
be well
Thanks for your comments, I go for a liver ultrasound tomorrow, will see from there. But is it normal for viral loads to drop so much?
THanks Scott: it's funny how we think those darn vital loads mean something. But I guess when your under treatment that they really start to mean something, yah think? What good is an ultra sound? how much of a dignostic tool is it? Should I have a BX before I start treatment.Thanks for all your responses. We really need support when we have a chronic illness. It is not easy to halt your life and start all over again, but am glad as silly as it sounds that I have gotten a chance to change and start over again.
Until fall 2002 my enzymes were either normal or in the high range of normal, even though I had such a high viral load it couldn't be precisely measured at the time. I think the tests are more precise now. My enzymes eventually spiked but I went a long time with normal to normal/high.
Good luck to you and no, I don't think it's silly at all to feel blessed for being given a chance to make a change. Hope you stay well! : )
Good luck to you and no, I don't think it's silly at all to feel blessed for being given a chance to make a change. Hope you stay well! : )
Thank you. What is going with you know. You said your viral loads where off the scale, where you a-symtamatic at that time.Are you doing ok now?
As far as I know an ultra sound is good in order to detect tumors, excessive inflamation, etc. etc.
But I wouldn't rely on one very much when it comes to this.
My ultrasound was completely normal, it wasn't until I got the biopsy that I learned I was stage 3/grade 3.
The ultrasound didn't pick this up.
But I wouldn't rely on one very much when it comes to this.
My ultrasound was completely normal, it wasn't until I got the biopsy that I learned I was stage 3/grade 3.
The ultrasound didn't pick this up.
ok you guys I will demand a bx I will let yah know the news later, those Dr's take forever to give you answers. Thanks, I need to know if my liver is damaged or not. Hope all is well.
Any ideas on the depression and fatigue from this darn thing?
Is there anything I can take for the fatigue?
Any ideas on the depression and fatigue from this darn thing?
Is there anything I can take for the fatigue?
AH! the blessed fatigue/achy /worn out feeling of hcv.
Other than continuing your healthy eating habits, and including some form of physical fitness (nothing too strenous), supplementing with good quality antioxidants, I don't know of a magic solution.
Some clinical trials are showing promise with St. John's wort for mild depression. As hard as it sometimes might be, exercise is one of the best non-drug antideppressants.
Your condition has made you an unexpected member of our group of hcv fighters, and brought you to the gates of new friendships.
Learn all you can about your specific infection status and liver condition so that you can make an informed decission whether to treat or not. If you are in your 50s, you should consider trying to kill the virus now. your liver might not get severe damage from hcv for decades, but there are other hcv related conditions that can become disabling.
Keep in touch
Other than continuing your healthy eating habits, and including some form of physical fitness (nothing too strenous), supplementing with good quality antioxidants, I don't know of a magic solution.
Some clinical trials are showing promise with St. John's wort for mild depression. As hard as it sometimes might be, exercise is one of the best non-drug antideppressants.
Your condition has made you an unexpected member of our group of hcv fighters, and brought you to the gates of new friendships.
Learn all you can about your specific infection status and liver condition so that you can make an informed decission whether to treat or not. If you are in your 50s, you should consider trying to kill the virus now. your liver might not get severe damage from hcv for decades, but there are other hcv related conditions that can become disabling.
Keep in touch
Knowing the condition of your liver by the results of a biopsy is helpful information. Mine was almost no fibrosis. I don't remember the inflamation but it was low. I discovered I had Hep C in Nov 2001 and began "alternative" treatments which were really methods to improve my health and try to boost my immune system. I lost 20 lbs and in some ways felt much healthier but the fatigue remained and seemed to be getting worse which weakened my resolve. I started smoking again in a moment of desperation. Dumb! The old nicotene addiction was stronger then ever but the effects of smoking were poisonous. I managed to substitute nicotene gum 5 months later and started tx for 6 months. Pegasys Genotype 2B. Last shot Aug 1, 2003. 30 days after tx feeling better, SVR. 90 days post tx; ALT 145, viral load 1.7 million. Calcium low, fasting glucose 120. Doc says wait til after holidays & will look at treating again. I had been having problems since tx with my eyes, very bloodshot in the mornings,light sensitive at night, taillights and traffic lights seemed exceptionally bright and headlights from oncoming traffic would almost blind me. Really felt the fatigue in my eyes by the end of the day. Went to an Opthamologist, they found blood vessels in my eyes leaking blood. Said it wasn't a common side effect but it was definitely from the interferon. Said it was similar to what they find in people after 20 years of full blown diabetes. Had laser treatment to cauterize the vessels. Doc now says the risk of damage to my vision from interferon is greater than the risk of damage to my liver from Hep C and recommends I not do tx again, get blood work every 6 months, maybe a biopsy in 4-5 years and maybe there will be new non-interferon drugs in about 5 years. I was pretty sure I was gonna kick that dragon's ass. Like others I felt like I was lucky to be 2B and was humbled many times on this board by the suffering of others and the courage and attitude they shared. Of course after treatment I returned to eating the way I did before knowledge of Hep C, confident that I was "cured" and deserving the indulgences after having spent 6 months on the "rack" of peg combo. I hope this doesn't scare anybody. Any loss of vision I have is on the periphery, and I don't even notice it. I get my eyes rechecked in June. Hopefully thats the end of it. I celebrated 19 years sober and drug free in December, (another aging child of the 60's.) Seems like the last 5-10 years have been spent trying to "improve the quality of my life". Sometimes I think we cling so dearly to life we forget to live it. Last week I had to put my Mom age 84 in an assisted living program in Florida. The doc says she has the heart and lungs and intestines of a 30 year old, but she will tell you the same story 3 times in 30 minutes. She has a remarkably strong spirit and will to live (sometimes called stubborness). Last month I bought a Harley. I had to give up motorcycles 25 years ago because they were threatening my research of uncontrolable substances. I'm looking forward to cruising the back roads of Michigan this summer in the evenings after work and on week ends. May we each find what we're looking for. Peace! Larry
Thank you Larry.
HEP B vaccine should be vaccinated? If so before or after treatment.
Larry was saying he had all this eye problems because of his meds. I am not on any meds and my eyes are dry and burn at times already. Boy the things am looking foward to. Am glad I found you guys, I can vent, when things don't go to well, am hoping you guys won't mind.
HEP B vaccine should be vaccinated? If so before or after treatment.
Larry was saying he had all this eye problems because of his meds. I am not on any meds and my eyes are dry and burn at times already. Boy the things am looking foward to. Am glad I found you guys, I can vent, when things don't go to well, am hoping you guys won't mind.
Milkthistle really seemed to help my husband before he began treatment, but when his itching & dry skin got worse he decided to back off of it for awhile. Not sure if it was the cause, but try it & see if it helps your fatigue.
On extrahepatic hcv related conditions, someone posted links in the thread "group advises against hcv testing' dated yesterday. Hcv is not only a liver disease, it likes those cells to replicate, but it seems to be more systemic than originally thought.
After 38 shots, I just had my eyes checked and they are fine. Everybody seems to react so differently. I do have a hypersensitivity to bright light and vision is a little worse, but nothing too disabling. I am sorry your tx did not give you that precious goal of svr.
After 38 shots, I just had my eyes checked and they are fine. Everybody seems to react so differently. I do have a hypersensitivity to bright light and vision is a little worse, but nothing too disabling. I am sorry your tx did not give you that precious goal of svr.
There is a big push for hep b vaccination. I personally passed on it.
Hep a is more contagious so that might be a different story.
I will stick to universal precautions, same thing that will keep me hiv free. That is my preference.
This vaccine has been around for a while, but it is only a few years since it was mandated on a large scale. To me, there is not enough long term data (of sides) based on its used in the large population.
Some european countries are more cautious in mandating it for everyone.
I passed, others didn't. Inform yourself through your own net search, that is what I did.
Hep a is more contagious so that might be a different story.
I will stick to universal precautions, same thing that will keep me hiv free. That is my preference.
This vaccine has been around for a while, but it is only a few years since it was mandated on a large scale. To me, there is not enough long term data (of sides) based on its used in the large population.
Some european countries are more cautious in mandating it for everyone.
I passed, others didn't. Inform yourself through your own net search, that is what I did.
I agree. Make sure you get vaccinated against hep A, which is much more contagious....from salads, plates etc.
be careful of just assuming all herbs are safe to try. most have not been tested in hcv people. the last thing we want to do is make matters worse. some things can interfer with tx and others can cause the liver to worsen or the virus to replicate faster.
example: i took kava kava for years for sleep before i knew i had hcv. then it turns out it has caused serious liver damage in some people.
on another subject,"a biopsy is essential before going on tx." so says my new GI at my last visit.
my first GI said it was not essential. but, i insisted on it any way, and it turns out i have early cirhosis. the dr. looked shocked at the biopsy report. i wasn't at all surprised.
example: i took kava kava for years for sleep before i knew i had hcv. then it turns out it has caused serious liver damage in some people.
on another subject,"a biopsy is essential before going on tx." so says my new GI at my last visit.
my first GI said it was not essential. but, i insisted on it any way, and it turns out i have early cirhosis. the dr. looked shocked at the biopsy report. i wasn't at all surprised.
Larry asked me a question last night about what my ferritin level was... I thought he was talkin about a drug..SILLY NEWB hahaha.. I was doing some reading and realized it was my iron level HAAHA silly NEWB again. please give me more info on why this is important to gave done and how can it interfere with treatment.. SOMEONE PLEASE INFORM THE NEWB..BEFORE SHE MAKES AN A#%s of herself.
Litecloud, I hope you see this.... didn't get back online till this morning so didn't see your question till now.
What I really meant to say is that my doctor couldn't explain to me what is the relationship between high viral load and elevated liver enzymes. After years of having this disease and looking for all the world like I would be asymptomatic and healthy indefinitely, my enzymes went up.
In the absence of an explanation, this is what I think: I attribute it to a medication I was taking called Fosomax, for osteoporosis. Having the early signs of it, and being only in my 40s, my doctor put me on it.
After 3 mos. of taking it, my enzymes shot up to 70s-80s. I admittedly am self-diagnosing here, but the rest of the story is hard to ignore. After 3 more months they climbed to 170 - 240. I was still taking the fosomax. Then, despite my doctor's assurances that it was safe, I quit taking it. After 3 months my enzymes went down slightly. After 6 months they went down to high 40s. Isn't that uncanny?
Doctors don't like anecdotes, and two of them have discredited my insistence that the fosomax was the culprit. But I will always wonder.
I think the main thing is to constantly watch the enzymes and watch for symptoms. It sounds like you're doing great.
What I really meant to say is that my doctor couldn't explain to me what is the relationship between high viral load and elevated liver enzymes. After years of having this disease and looking for all the world like I would be asymptomatic and healthy indefinitely, my enzymes went up.
In the absence of an explanation, this is what I think: I attribute it to a medication I was taking called Fosomax, for osteoporosis. Having the early signs of it, and being only in my 40s, my doctor put me on it.
After 3 mos. of taking it, my enzymes shot up to 70s-80s. I admittedly am self-diagnosing here, but the rest of the story is hard to ignore. After 3 more months they climbed to 170 - 240. I was still taking the fosomax. Then, despite my doctor's assurances that it was safe, I quit taking it. After 3 months my enzymes went down slightly. After 6 months they went down to high 40s. Isn't that uncanny?
Doctors don't like anecdotes, and two of them have discredited my insistence that the fosomax was the culprit. But I will always wonder.
I think the main thing is to constantly watch the enzymes and watch for symptoms. It sounds like you're doing great.
Sandi...I don't understand..You say you have early cirrois (sp) but your dr wants you to get on liver transplant list??? Are you having other problems with this? I guess it puzzles me because I always thought they wouldn't consider putting you on a list until ESLD so not sure? And wouldn't the tx if you respond...help also?
Not to worry about making and A$$ of yourself. I am a relative newbie also (#11/48) and you can't even imagine some of the dumb stuff I come up with! It took me two weeks to figure out ESLD meant end stage liver disease. So, ask any questions you want. This Board is full of helpful people and someone will always answer and NOBODY will think you are asking silly questions. The only dumb question is the one not asked!
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