Cassie, I know how hard this is! I think many of us do. And of course the higher it goes, the more freaked out, anxious and worried you feel and that makes it go even higher. I'm wondering all the time if joy can bring it down.

Vitamin C in very large amounts has brought mine down. Mine unlike yours has bounced all over the place. My first # was 1.85 million, in 2006. It went up to 5 million, dropped to 3 with vitamin C, went back up to 6 million, dropped to 2.2 million, and the last time I tested they said it was 16 million and I said, who the hell cares? I haven't had a test since. But really I do care, I just ran out of money. So I'm doing the only thing I can do: try to eat right and stay happy. I get upset now and then, but I try to get back to happy asap. I listen to Robert Holden when I'm cooking. His CD on Happiness is great, and he talks about forgiveness, which is key to happiness. He makes jokes about never having seen an unhappy person without a past....like a newborn baby, they aren't unhappy, or cynical... and his rant on tea will really get you laughing. I think laughing kills viruses.

The viral load is the amount of virus is 1 ml of blood, actually, which is about 1/5 of a teaspoon. I did a post on that awhile back, let's see if I can google it. God I love google. I googled dailystrength, the group name, and "viral load what does it mean' and got it!

http://www.dailystrength.org/groups/alternative-treatments-for-hep-c/discussions/messages/12481855

might help to read this one too, hon.

http://www.dailystrength.org/groups/alternative-treatments-for-hep-c/news/view/5192243

You and I are the same age. Your liver seems to be in better shape than mine. I think anger was my bad. My hubby got drunk and directly crossed the line of my core issues and I experienced a plethora of betrayal and devastation. Thank God I was too sick and broke to move. Cuz to leave him for the one thing he done wrong would be very bad, after all the thousands of things he did right. He's amazing, even though I get frustrated with trying to relate, I know it's not his fault, nor is it mine, it's just what it is....

Hi Cassie and all,
I got to stage 4,cirrhosis with a viral load of under 800,so as all i would still prefer a low viral load,but I am proof that with a low viral load,the same damage can be done.

Since my last failed treatment my viral load has gone in the millions...I now refuse to ever get another viral load done untill my next treatment which will more then likely be GS-7977,GS-5944 and ribaviron....no way will I do interferon again...

But as I have many posts here on heptech and my amazing results,I will wait and with heptech and a great diet,your viral load means nothing at all.

Best Wishes
Les

MAK and Harley, thank you for your kind thoughts and trying to calm me down. I appreciate it. I do take a lot of Vit C. Mak. Like 3000 mg/ day? For the past 3 years I eat Vegan diet. I incorporated the 80% raw, and stick to that and the green smoothies consistently. I am currently taking supplements but throughout the year that goes up and down. It can be expensive to take 20 different supplements and herbs and a drag to take so many pills. So I falter there.
I also have a horrible sweet tooth. It impacts my health. I know it and I have been greening up for the last month to curb my addiction to the stuff. But I battle with that one. And my sugar addiction, it is social. I don't keep it in the house. I guess I see all the investment I put into a healthy diet (minus the sugar addiction)....and I would like to see results.. Like curing myself with herbs. And green drinks ....? My little fantasy.
I am depressed and I THink 20 million Viral load is ALOT! Especially since the pattern for 4 years has been a steady increase. It makes me want to give up and go eat a batch of chocolate chip cookies. I can not escape with the usual source of self medication. I don't drink but when sorting through lousy information like this... I feel like doing something to escape.....and coming to terms with my lack of control, in slowing this freight train of HEP C down is overwhelming me.
It's a battle. And I am not going to give up. I am pretty strong. Just having a bad day. Dismissing my Viral Load Isn't working for me today.
I do try to keep joy and peace up and anger down.....although from this post you wouldn't realize that. But generally speaking, it is a goal I work towards. And eliminating stress as much as possible. And that is my challenge this weekend. To take this new information, which I really don't like, process it, minimize the stress and move on. How quickly can I do that to reduce the stress ? Hmmmm...
So here is a question For you......has anyone tried pot, marijuana, to manage HCV? I would like to know if there is any documentation on the negative impact it has on the liver. And/or positive impact it has on our disease.

I think eating marijuana in brownies is better than smoking it. The only problem arises in the fact that almost all the pot these days is heavily sprayed with pesticides. Last time I tried it I got a whopping pesticide headache. That was several years ago.

Oh, 3000 mg C is NOTHING. giggle. Read that article. I was taking 30,000 - 40,000 mg a day. more than an ounce of the powder. What you do is get a big bottle of the powder and take 5 grams (5000 mg) every hour until your gut starts to gurgle. If you keep going you will get diarrhea, so this is your set point. As soon as you gurgle, add up what you have taken and then cut it in half and continue to take it every hour, skipping the first hour to let what you've already taken pass through. In other words, don't take anymore until you stop gurgling. If you get diarrhea, no worries, just quit until it stops. The article about it is posted somewhere. google "titrating to tolerance" and find the article with cathcart in the URL. The only way C will be antiviral is if you stop just short of diarrhea or get diarrhea, whichever you manage to do. My viral load went down 65% using vitamin C in MASSIVE doses.

That dog gone viral load! I think I can speak for most of us, that is probably the most dreaded number when ever we go for blood work. Mak is right on again, like my hep told me "its just a snapshot in time" forget about the number. Some days it up, some days it's down. On my last visit they didn't do the vl test, I was pretty upset because like most of us I wanted to know the friggin number even if it didn't matter. After a very disappointing conversation with him, I get it, but I already knew everything he said to me. That's one part of this virus that's so hard for me to deal with, the psychological effect it has. As much as I wanted to know the number I new it really didn't matter. The only time the number matters is if you do tx. That's the only way you know it's gone! My thought is to be at peace with knowing I have some number/ ml because I do! If or when I decide I don't want a vl number via tx then I guess that will be the time to worry about it. For now I've decided it's not worth it there's way to many other things in life to exhaust myself with.

Woo hoo! Forget the frickin viral load! It can go up and down in a day! Be happy and it goes down. Get upset and it goes up. The times mine went down was when I was the happiest. The times it went up was when I was worried or anxious.

MMS did make my viral load go down from 5 mil to 3 mil, but it also increased my ALT and AST and threw several other labs out of range. MMS is chlorine dioxide, and water purifier that is related to chlorox bleach, it gives off chlorine gas when you prepare it. My body finally told me ENOUGH of that crap! Just eat right, live right, be happy, and quit trying to get rid of the virus, just love yourself and be happy and every time you smile, a viron dies. LOL

But as you can see, the group is dead....dormant....
http://www.dailystrength.org/groups/miraclemineralorg

if you google "dailystrength alternative mms" the times we talked about it here will come up in the search.

You can do that to search the discussions and news articles for anything you remember and can't find.

Wow, MAK1AH,,, I could talk to you all day. I have had a hard time navigating this site so I'm glad I found you.. You seem so strong. I could cry. I have been alone, live alone and trying to manage. I juice every morning but want to do what you did with Vitamin C... Is there a particular product that you take?
Thanks so much
Karen

I think Carlsons must be the best. iHerb is always out of it! LOL I used to use it, but then I had to keep ordering another, so, now I use Nutribiotics, it's cheaper and a little harder to dissolve, I usually put it in the blender on low with some juice and give it time to dissolve.

http://www.iherb.com/NutriBiotic-Ascorbic-Acid-Crystalline-Powder-2-2-lbs-1-kg/30240?&rcode=KAT800

That URL includes a coupon that should get you $5 off your first time order under $40 and $10 off an order of $40 or more, free shipping, fast service and great discounts. They even have a few freebies! So if you've never shopped iHerb, this is a good time to start.

I also bought some calcium carbonate and buffered it myself. I tried the Carlsons that was buffered and didn't care for the taste. The amount is pretty simple, Just check the ingredients of the Carlson's mild C.
http://www.iherb.com/Carlson-Labs-Mild-C-Vitamin-C-Crystals-35-oz-1000-g/9175?&rcode=KAT800

Nutribiotics Vitamin C has 5 grams per tsp
Calcium carb has 3 grams per teaspoon
The ratio is about 1:10.

http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Calcium-Carbonate-100-Pure-Powder-12-oz-340-g/480?&rcode=KAT800

So 1 tsp of C and 1/6 tsp calcium carbonate. Or to get really busy, 2 Tablespoons of C (30 grams) and 1 tsp calcium carbonate (3 grams). It won't matter if it's exact. I also have been squirting in some liquid minerals.

http://www.iherb.com/Trace-Minerals-Research-ConcenTrace-Trace-Mineral-Drops-8-fl-oz-237-ml/22265?&rcode=KAT800

I actually found those cheaper at some company up in Washington.
http://www.supersup.com/trace-minerals-research-concentrace-trace-mineral-drops-8-oz-liquid-237-ml-878941000058 They were on sale at the time for $12 and so I got 4 and some other small item to get the free shipping. They are $30 at the water store. LOL Each.... LOL

The recipe for the drink is really up to you. What do you want to put the C in? I've used pineapple juice, orange juice, lemonade and kombucha tea. Be sure to drink some water, swish it around, to get the drink off your teeth so you don't get cavities from it. Like I did. I got them from the Master Cleanse which is lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne and water.

I make my own kombucha and have been adding a tsp of vitamin c and about 1/6 teaspoon of calcium to 16 oz of tea, along with 2 T lemon juice and 3 T pomegranate juice, which is a big item at Costco right now. I generally also add 1/2 tsp ginger powder. Just for taste. I like ginger. I actually juice the roots, freeze the juice in icecube trays and store in ziploc bags. I add 1 cube of lemon juice and 1 cube of ginger juice to the kombucha.

Yes, the psychological effect of feeling powerless over a virus that is inside your body is hard to manage. It's really thrown me off. I've spent more time in hell lately than I care to. And what with financial troubles and mid relationship "emotional gridlock" there are days when I just want to give up. The thing that keeps me going is YOU! We need each other! I thank God for each one of you. You're my lifeboat!

I used to be very focused or rather 'obsessed' with numbers but it achieved nothing - only resulted in increased anxiety & liver pains.

My viral load is soemwhere in the millions but i don't paricularly care for the exact figure because no matter how well i live/eat - so far nothing has dropped it.

My Alt/Ast have improved but viral load stayed high

For me anyhow; the less i think about my Hep C status - the healthier & happier i feel.

I don't drink alcohol/i don't smoke/ don't eat fried foods/drink fizzy drinks so in terms of looking after myself - i feel i am doing a pretty good job. I do need some* fat in my diet though because i'm pretty lightweight anyway and my BMI is under than what it should be

I eat a variety of foods incl chocolate and i must say olive oil & salmon play a big role - i love them both

Goat cheese for protein ( i love marinated goat cheese in olive oil infused with chilli )

The thing is, not to obsess.

I used to be on a low fat, low carb, high protein diet but 2 months in experienced severe leg cramps every morning in feet & calves.

I decided to get off it ( it was THAT bad) and since increasing the carbs and not trying to survive only on proteins = voila!!! no more muscle cramps :)

Apparently the only value to viral number is to determine hcv+ or success of treatment.
Like you, I prefer number going down, not up. Treatment knocked it down but it began to rise DURING treatment which helped me decide to stop (with dr suggestion). Since then it continues to rise to pre treatment level, with one decent drop last year. In a few weeks I'll know this year's number.
Too much vit C = diarrhea, nausea,stomach cramps. If you have hemochromatosis, , high doses of vitamin C could worsen iron overload.