Hepatitis C Support Group

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne viral disease which can cause liver inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver cancer. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is spread by blood-to-blood contact with an infected person's blood. Many people with HCV infection have no symptoms and are unaware of the need to seek treatment. Hepatitis C infects an estimated 150-200 million people worldwide.

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viral load

vabuttafly
vabuttafly
What exactly does the viral load have to do with? What role does it play in treatment?
erniecoolcat
erniecoolcat
Nothing means anything in HCV right Catmagic? We deduced that quickly ages ago regarding enzymes and VL. What means something is that your VL goes down quickly on tx and stays there forever after the meds stop.
drcopperhead
drcopperhead
#1. wow. i did not know it can fluctuate like that. if that is the case then how good is a test once a year? i wonder how quickly your liver can go to shit? from what ive read about liver cancer it seems that its almost impossible to catch it early enough.
a1napadude
a1napadude
These are just MY understandings of "viral load" and "enzymes" and in NO WAY should be taken as any kind of medical gospel.

AnikaHekla covered it well for the VL. part, can't add to that.

Specific enzymes, Alt/Ast, according to my Tx N.P. (Nurse) leak into the blood stream from a damaged liver. It is not possible to tell how bad the damage is by the numbers. For the most part, high numbers are not desirable but are mainly used as a baseline to watch for abnormal spikes. Huge jumps indicate only that SOMETHING is going on and needs to be looked at. Usually via biopsy (Bx)
a1napadude
a1napadude
That should have read "SUSTAINED" high numbers indicate only that SOMETHING is going on and needs to be looked at. Usually via biopsy (Bx) "
catmagic
catmagic
Yep, ECC. We would only know the exact state of our livers by having them autopsied, which I am holding off on.

After freaking so often back in the days of yore here, I now see my lab numbers and make no assumptions. All I do know is that I need to treat as soon as possible just because .... the bugs have been partying in there for 44 years and I'm tired of them - unwelcome guests.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Good information given here for you. The main thing is that you achieve and "undetectable" VL with treatment. I know you can do this!