VIRAL LOAD

[chooch2010]

My Viral Load in 1999 was over 260,000 my Genotype is 2 B
In 2003 had my viral Load Re Checked and it was over 260,000
In 2007 I had my Viral Load checked again and it was like 36000+
Now in 2011 My Viral Load is  14,000+
My Liver Specialist recommended treatment with interferon and Ribavirin with a 80-90% chance cure rate
The thing is i dont like the side effects of Interferon from what i have read
Also my liver Specialist said that i didnt have to do a Biopsy
He also did a whole slew of blood works
My AST and ALT were slightly elevated  My ALPHA FETAPROTEIN was very LOW MY SMOOTH Test was Normal  BILIRUBIN Normal  GGT NORMAL  CYROGLOBULIN SERUM POSITIVE Whateve rthat means
The thing is also I  Had a blood transgusion in 1985 and my ALT AND AST were in the 100's and 200;s and the Liver Specialist i think it was said i had NON A NON B  My numbers went down to Normal in about 1-2 years
I had 2 Major Operations one in 1988 and one in 1989 I had pre Operative Blood testing and im sure they May not of operated if the blood showed Hep C before those major operations  One was 14 hours and another 4 hours

Also i had blood transfusions in the 70's during Operations

I have a yearly Sonogram and a yearly Alpha Feta Protein test  The Sonogram was normal and Alpha Feta Protein well within  Normal
I really dont want to try that interferon it scares me a bit
The thing is when did i get this HCV in 1985 or in 1999 when my AST and ALT levels shot back up and i was tested for HCV the first time and it showed my Viral Load at 280,000+
I would like to wait until a new drug comes out someday to replace interferon and is relatively safe with Low side effects
Could my body be fighting off the HCV all these years to frop the Viral Load over 250000 since 1999? I take lots of vitamins especially selenium esther c vit e succinate beta carotene zinc piccolinate co enzyme Q10
What should i do??

[willbb]

It is preferable to have a low VL when starting treatment as there is data that shows lower viral loads may respond better...however as Aaron has pointed out viral load has no correlation to amount of liver damage that is happening.There are many people with lower viral loads  that have progressed to cirrhosis and conversely very high VL. (in the tens of millions with no or mild damage)

The specialist that told you that you have aprrox. 80% chance of success treating is correct however I would not feel comfortable personally . making the desicion to start treatment without the knowledge of what shape my liver is in.

If you were stage 3 or possibly cirrhotic it should influence your desicion to start treatment immediately and on the other hand if you had stage 0 or st1/2 it would give you time to possibly to wait for even better drugs in the future (possibly without INF. )

Always a personal desicion  tho...

Good luck
Will

[Aaron57]

Here's a new report concerning G2&3 you might find interesting ..


http://www.hepatitis-central.com/mt/archives/2011/07/all_cured_of_he.html

[Aaron57]

I forgot to add .. depending on the doctor and his perception of this virus, and each doctor is different .. some like yours decide Tx is the best course of action without knowing liver condition .. personally imo only, I don't particularly care for that approach .. but thats my  opinion only ...

Definitely being GT 2B & having a low VL is a great place to start Tx . GT 2 is the easiest genotype to clear ..

At the end of the day , it's a very personal choice to decide to do Tx or not , and that choice should be made from an informed decision .. imo

[Aaron57]

Everyone is different in the way their bodies react to the virus .. some folks carry this infection for decades and have a low VL like you, but who's liver has been compromised by the virus .. others not ...

To me & I think for most folks .. it is your Liver's condition that is important .. not necessarily VL which seems to fluctuate as does alt/ast and is not 100% indicative of liver condition..
IMO you would want to know what shape your liver is in .. before making your treatment decision .. to treat or to wait ...  there are an assortment of liver tests available depending on your location, that can show you what's Really going on , Fibrosure, Fibroscan, Biopsy etc.
Find a GI/Hepa familiar with treating HCV in your area, if there is one, and consult about your unique situation.

Cheers & Good luck !

[curiouslady1]

You didn't state where you live but you might want to try to find out about trials of new drugs.  Check out clinicaltrials.gov to find out more.  Check the posts regarding treatment drugs here at this site especially the ones posted this past month.  Good luck.