After a sustained response you no longer have the virus in your bloodstream, so are no longer contagious. If you have not progressed to cirrhosis, your fibrosis may reverse itself. You have greatly lowered the possiblity of HCC (live cancer) but remain at slightly higher risk than someone who has never had HCV, so you should be monitored every few years by ultrasound. There is something called occult virus which 85-90% of SVR patients show in there spinal fluid and other isolated areas of the body - sometimes even in the liver. This is where the confusion about "never getting rid of the virus" comes in. The latest study I've read showed that all patients who were SVR had cleared this occult virus after 8 years. You will always show the antibodies which your body produced in response to the virus, so you will not be able to donate blood."
It does take quiet a long time to clear, but after years they have proven we do. Other previous studies were after 5 years. Please have a poke around to find it. I think this is why they are now using the word "Cure!" But I do think Doctors need to be clear that we still have to be careful. I was told after SVR I no longer have to worry, but it is out duty to worry for people around us. So in fact this is a "Cure" but over a period of extended time. I hope someone finds the article again. x
Loopy Lisa said
Oct 14, 2013
The best I can find currently is this article that states some people "can" remain with active virons but this may not be everyone. I hope I can find the other article, problem is I have read so many.... :/
I would like to read that article as all other research has shown persistence of low level virus for up to 6 years post SVR. This is why you remain infectious and are unable to donate blood. There are many articles, but here's a link to one.
I actually read an article recently that stated 8 years post SVR tests done on people whom died of other causes were shown to have no traces of Hep C in organs normally untestable. I think the old concepts of having the virus only undetectable will be no longer a typical vision and "cure" will be considered as an actual fact. I wish I had the link, maybe I will look for it later!
In the Netherlands you are able to do IVF once you have obtained SVR post 6 months, they are not worried about control as they consider you to be no longer infectious. I just wanted to add this... :) x
Loopy Lisa said
Oct 13, 2013
Hi Mallani,
I had read similar articles too. I will try and find the article I read. I will post it as soon as I have. :)
I am searching and can't find it, I'm not sure where I read it. When I come across it again I will post it. It is either that or I miss understood it.
Thanks :D
-- Edited by Loopy Lisa on Monday 14th of October 2013 01:16:59 AM
aprileee said
Oct 13, 2013
Great information for my foggy brain as well! Thank you!
Seriously said
Sep 18, 2013
Thank you too. There is so much information out there. The brain fog kicks in and the attention span is short, oh and short term memory loss is really pretty high. i kinda feel like the girl from the movie 50 first dates. It is a huge help that you guys are here to dumb it down for me.
Tig said
Sep 17, 2013
Here is the some current data on SVR from Oxford and while the article is lengthy, you can be selective and read sections directly pertaining to viral eradication and future risks of reinfection. Several studies indicate the likelihood of that at <1%. You mentioned Undetectable and you shouldn't compare the term to the end of treatment SVR definition. With current treatment your goal is to first become undetectable and with continued treatment for a prescribed amount of time, assuming you remain undetectable for the remaining treatment period, you are considered SVR at end of treatment +24 weeks. SVR continues to be referred to as cured. It's what we strive to hear!
If this answer is posted somewhere else. Forgive my redundancy. When I look at different post i see people are taking about relapse and are doing treatments again. My doctor told me that I could be reinfected by blood, drugs etc. I am under the impression that the pega and riba can cause false UD while on treatment. A truly UD would be after you stopped taking meds. So, I guess my question is. . . Does Hep C come back? Does it just live in your system until someday it decided to come out again or do you actually have to be reinfected?
Cinnamon Girl said
Sep 17, 2013
Seriously wrote:
...So, I guess my question is. . . Does Hep C come back? Does it just live in your system until someday it decided to come out again or do you actually have to be reinfected?
Hi Cinders, actually it can happen, either way.
As Tig pointed out, once someone reaches SRV, after their treatment has finished, they are considered to be `cured`, but a very small percentage of people will relapse due to the virus still being present and continuing to replicate post SVR, although this only happens in about 1-2 % of cases. When someone still has an undected viral load result at 6 months after their tx has ended that is called SVR. But the viral load tests currently in use can only measure a quantity of viral particles down to a certain level, and so an `undetected` result means that no virus can be actually be detected by the test used, but it doesn`t guarantee that there is no virus left at all.
This is why even after achieving SVR the general advice is to continue to take precautions with blood spills or any situations where blood to blood contact is involved, for example sharing nail clippers or toothbrushes, or sharing needles, etc, so that we don`t risk infecting anyone else, even though that risk is very low indeed. It`s also why we can never donate blood again once we`ve been infected with Hep C, even after we`re considered to be cured.
You`re right in saying that it`s possible to become reinfected even after someone has cleared the virus from their systems. The treatment and SVR doesn`t give us immunity to reinfection, so we should still take care to avoid situations where we could come into direct contact with the Hep C virus.
It`s a sensible qustion to ask. It has been discussed here before but please feel free to ask if there`s anything relating to Hep C that you don`t understand. That`s what we`re here for!
Hi Mallini,
It has been bothering me I can't find this article again, but I did see on another forum that someone else had read the article:
"
The best I can find currently is this article that states some people "can" remain with active virons but this may not be everyone. I hope I can find the other article, problem is I have read so many.... :/
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/148905.php
Hi Loopy,
I would like to read that article as all other research has shown persistence of low level virus for up to 6 years post SVR. This is why you remain infectious and are unable to donate blood. There are many articles, but here's a link to one.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21699630
I actually read an article recently that stated 8 years post SVR tests done on people whom died of other causes were shown to have no traces of Hep C in organs normally untestable. I think the old concepts of having the virus only undetectable will be no longer a typical vision and "cure" will be considered as an actual fact. I wish I had the link, maybe I will look for it later!
In the Netherlands you are able to do IVF once you have obtained SVR post 6 months, they are not worried about control as they consider you to be no longer infectious. I just wanted to add this... :) x
Hi Mallani,
I had read similar articles too. I will try and find the article I read. I will post it as soon as I have. :)
I am searching and can't find it, I'm not sure where I read it. When I come across it again I will post it. It is either that or I miss understood it.
Thanks :D
-- Edited by Loopy Lisa on Monday 14th of October 2013 01:16:59 AM
Great information for my foggy brain as well! Thank you!
Thank you too. There is so much information out there. The brain fog kicks in and the attention span is short, oh and short term memory loss is really pretty high. i kinda feel like the girl from the movie 50 first dates. It is a huge help that you guys are here to dumb it down for me.
Here is the some current data on SVR from Oxford and while the article is lengthy, you can be selective and read sections directly pertaining to viral eradication and future risks of reinfection. Several studies indicate the likelihood of that at <1%. You mentioned Undetectable and you shouldn't compare the term to the end of treatment SVR definition. With current treatment your goal is to first become undetectable and with continued treatment for a prescribed amount of time, assuming you remain undetectable for the remaining treatment period, you are considered SVR at end of treatment +24 weeks. SVR continues to be referred to as cured. It's what we strive to hear!
http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/52/7/889.long
If this answer is posted somewhere else. Forgive my redundancy. When I look at different post i see people are taking about relapse and are doing treatments again. My doctor told me that I could be reinfected by blood, drugs etc. I am under the impression that the pega and riba can cause false UD while on treatment. A truly UD would be after you stopped taking meds. So, I guess my question is. . . Does Hep C come back? Does it just live in your system until someday it decided to come out again or do you actually have to be reinfected?
Hi Cinders, actually it can happen, either way.
As Tig pointed out, once someone reaches SRV, after their treatment has finished, they are considered to be `cured`, but a very small percentage of people will relapse due to the virus still being present and continuing to replicate post SVR, although this only happens in about 1-2 % of cases. When someone still has an undected viral load result at 6 months after their tx has ended that is called SVR. But the viral load tests currently in use can only measure a quantity of viral particles down to a certain level, and so an `undetected` result means that no virus can be actually be detected by the test used, but it doesn`t guarantee that there is no virus left at all.
This is why even after achieving SVR the general advice is to continue to take precautions with blood spills or any situations where blood to blood contact is involved, for example sharing nail clippers or toothbrushes, or sharing needles, etc, so that we don`t risk infecting anyone else, even though that risk is very low indeed. It`s also why we can never donate blood again once we`ve been infected with Hep C, even after we`re considered to be cured.
You`re right in saying that it`s possible to become reinfected even after someone has cleared the virus from their systems. The treatment and SVR doesn`t give us immunity to reinfection, so we should still take care to avoid situations where we could come into direct contact with the Hep C virus.
It`s a sensible qustion to ask. It has been discussed here before but please feel free to ask if there`s anything relating to Hep C that you don`t understand. That`s what we`re here for!