Aa
sudden rise in viral load
5 months ago my viral load was 667,000 and my liver was biopsied and the doctor said it was at stage 2. I got hep c around 1974 or so. I have been completely abstinent from alcohol and drugs for 16 months and my genotype is 1a. However,my viral load has risen to 4 million,in just 5 months.I wonder. Why now,after so long it rises so sharply?
This rise of your VL is nothing to be concerned about. The VL can rise by the millions in one day. The only time to monitor and be concerned if VL rises is when treating.
Think of it this way, some days your immune system wins the battle (lower vl), other days the HCV wins (higher vl).
It is this constant battle that causes the extra hepatic manifestations i.e. inflammation, fatigue, joint pain, etc.
best of luck
Think of it this way, some days your immune system wins the battle (lower vl), other days the HCV wins (higher vl).
It is this constant battle that causes the extra hepatic manifestations i.e. inflammation, fatigue, joint pain, etc.
best of luck
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There is a lot of info on the forum as well as the Internet about what viral load means but an alternative explanation contrasts it with viral load to HIV (I like this explanation because people who don't have Hepatitis C tend to think viral load means one thing)
Unlike HIV, HCV viral copies do not directly affect a patient's prognosis and how fast disease is progressing in the liver. Remember, we are measuring blood levels, not what is happening in liver cells. HIV viral load does have a lot to do with quicker progression to AIDS. But HCV viral load does not tell you how fast hepatitis is progressing.
http://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/c-hcv-viral-load
As Copyman said, VL can fluctuate wildly so don't let that confuse you into thinking that it has anything to with the disease progression. Knowing the stage of fibrosis you have is what determines that.