Viral Load Numbers and Meanings?

[Dale_Ray]

What is a high viral load number that tells someone that they are into severe liver damage. Using me as an example I am 54yo male in reasonably good health, never drink and take pretty good care of myself. (my opinion only). My viral load 10 years ago was 330,000 and last September it was at 1,000,300. My enzyme counts over the last 10 years have stayed in normal range and I probably have them checked once or twice a year. I had a liver biopsy in 1996 and he said I was level 2 fibrosis. I see people in here with VL counts of 5,000,000. My doctor says the counts go up and down and not to worry about the variations and that was before I started treatment. What viral load count is too high and how quick will the damage occur?. I've had the hep C since 1977 (transfussion) and my health has been excellent through the years. Additionally, I had gone through 16 weeks of interferon in 1996 but it no affect on the virus. Now I am on Pegasus. The reason for my question is this is my results come in next Thursday and I don't have a drop in VL and treatments are ceased then how long can I expect before I start seeing severe heath problem? I know that is a loaded gun but would like input. I am geno 1A. Dale

[cquest]

High viral load = no relationship to amount of damage as previously advised...however...and this is a big however...that doesn't mean your body isn't fighting a lot harder and therefore causing problems anyway.

I can safely say I have the highest vl in here but very minimal damage, I have many many symptoms...lots of infections, my gallbladder is out of whack, my stomach is messed up, the list goes on...It also goes w/o saying that the vl goes up and down, either way, mine could drop by half and it would still be very high since it was 62.7 million at last count...so,it doesn't effect the liver damage but it DOES matter to your body as a whole...I am living proof...unfortunately.
Cin

[beamishboy]

wow-that is an incredible viral count-i once had 23,000,000 and it scared me enuff to start the trx ..before i took my 1st shot vl had dropped to 6,000,000 at wk 4 it was 1280 and if they ever get their sh!t togethr i should be seeing a 12wk vl of O- i hope w/ all my heart..also hope things improve for yu..taking any supplemnts?

[strator]

Naw, I don't know about that anemia over itching. I can at least get stuff done(though rather stressfully). It's stll there but it is subdued the last 2 nights. The 1st night I took the atarax at bedtime and got sleep. I held off during day succesfully but took some after work in evening. Don't know which was riba and which antihistime but got really unfocused and irritable. TDid get sleep after another at bedtime. Making progress I guess. Laughin too hard at yesterdays posts to itch too much last night. Sarna lotion is helping but really hate that first cold stuff on skin. Back is  so roughed up from this...amazing the devices I've created to apply it to my back.Now I know what they mean by necessity is the mother of ...
Hey dude you got what 2 more scheduled shots and then the extension. Whatever will you do w/yoursel?
Scratch and Sniff

[GoofyDad]

Thanks, pal.

I liked this:

<i>
For example, patients who have chronic hepatitis C on a liver biopsy could be randomly assigned to smoke or not smoke, and then additional biopsies could be examined at a later time....  For ethical reasons, such a study cannot be done. (It could be done in animals, however.)
</i>

I picture all these Hugh Hefner rats sitting around in smoking jackets puffing away, LOL.

Hey Don. How are *you* doing? Any improvement in the itching dept? That one has to be a real b*tch. I was lying in bed with *some* itching last night, and I thought of you and reflected on just how bad itching could be. Yuck. And if you think about it (or in this case type about it) wham... it gets started up.

I think I'd take the anemia over the itching, if I had to choose.

Hope this finds you well, and itch free. If not try sticking some old Christmas tree branches down your backside.... it'll be heaven when you take them out.

[Dale_Ray]

Hi Debby:
Thank you for answering me so honestly. We've all taken tolls on our bodies through the years and I suppose we are all dealing with those consiqueces now. But we have today and today leads to tomorrow and remember Paul Newman is still eating ice cream and making girls nervous. I hope you really have a wonderful day and everyting goes your way. Dale

[NYgirl]

I drank like a fish for a long long time.  Used drugs a LOT (as often as possible in fact).  Smoked. Didn't really eat much food...For a LONG TIME I was a complete physical and mental WRECK. And sickly I enjoyed it. LOVED it.

Sobriety comes with a price.  Realizing the severe damage I've done to my body and having to stay straight enough to be mature enough to DEAL with the consequences instead of getting gakked and run away into dreamland oblivion and IGNORE them all.

So in other words - yes. I believe 100000% that my alcoholism and drug addictions had a GREAT deal to do with the progression of my liver disease to a "3".

Although viral load has no bearing on how your liver makes out...I do know I am the one responsible for blowing mine up.

Had I known earlier would it have mattered? Don't know. All I know is for today I am not drinking or using. I'll worry about tomorrow when it comes.  :)