Hi Harry,

Like 5.1.18 said to you (over in the thread you posted in, just before this one) ... you DO need your own thread so we can more easily communicate with you.

5.1.18 gave you a good link to read, over in the last post she replied to you in (about how to use this forum), and here is another link to read (about how we use the forum) ...  Welcome!! All new members please read! 

We would all LOVE to chat with you more - but you do need to land in one spot (as a newcomer) and then we can work from there rather than using up other peoples current threads, or chatting on threads that have not been used since 2015 (like this one).

If you are having trouble figuring out "how" you should be posting, even after reviewing the links that 5.1.18 and I have given you, then you can always ask our experts ... Tig  or  Cheddy  for help. You can always PM them for instructions

I am looking forward to being able to chat with you more fully on your own new members thread.  C.

Hi Greg,

Good numbers.

The usual reasoning is high VL= higher replication= more liver damage and inflammation= more fibrosis. 

You seem to be an exception so relax. Cheers. 

Thank you all for the advice. Now I can stop dwelling on it.

Hi Greg, your 4 week lab results sound very good and your liver enzyme levels (AST and ALT) are fantastic! 

I wouldn`t be too concerned about your pre-tx viral load to be honest, and as bubble said, other factors are more important indicators of how well you`re likely to do. 

All good signs that the meds are working well, I agree!  Let us know when you get your viral load result, and best of luck! 

Hi LoneWolf, Remember it's not about your viral load. It's Fibrosis scores, AST, ALT, (Which are an indicator of inflamation) and blood platelets. These numbers are signs of damage. I reccomend you look into reading you blood test reports on this site and on the internet, it will enlighten you on the most important organ in your body. Your VL will drop. Lot's of luck!

Thanks Tig. I always welcome your input. Yeah, I can't find much on it for these new protocols either especially Viekira Pak. And those studies of Viekira do look very promising! I seem to worry a lot more now since starting treatment. Could be good ole Ribavirin having its say. In fact, I'm sure of it. But the fog is lifting and its not as bad as it was. Just sort of a general anxiety. I'm sure it'll get better post tx.

Got my lab results 4 weeks. I can usually see those before I see the Dr. online.  RBC's and Hemoglobin lower still but not bad. ALT is down from 62 to 30 and AST from 55 to 21. About the same as at 2 weeks. A very good sign these Meds are working. Have to wait a bit longer for the VL. They ship that to Indy for testing. Are you able to access "myhealthevet" down there in FL? On that site I can message all my VA providers, order meds, view test results, ect. Very helpful and time saving. I know you spoke at length about the sub-standard VA care in your area. I still don't understand that.

Thanks again and take care_Greg

Hi Greg,

There are some factors that come into play with high viral loads and the efficacy of treatment. First of all the current VL can determine the length of treatment in some instances. So do the Tx naive, those with previous treatments, and the presence of cirrhosis. But given the appropriate treatment and recommended time of exposure, the rates of success of SVR are approximately the same. 

Check the Cosmos study data and you'll see that the rates of SVR in the Sovaldi backbone treatments aren't based on SOT viral load. The Viekira Pak protocol has been out less than a year and I'm unable to find specific data on the negative impact of a high VL. Aside from the trial data and package insert, there is much to learn about the long term effects of these new all oral protocols, but clearly they are very effective. The Sapphire, Pearl and Turquoise trials for Viekira Pak presented 95+% SVR rates overall, given appropriate Tx lengths.

I do agree in the end, that you need to trust your doctor. Thanks for your input! Good luck...

Tig

I hate to go on about high viral loads, but I spoke to my Dr. today at the VA and he said that while a high viral load does not affect the progression of liver damage in Hep C patients, he said that in his 22 years of treating Hep C it definitely makes it harder to clear the Hep C virus during treatment. I looked at some info online and it says the same thing. Not that I'm all that worried about it. He told me that he won't stop until I achieve SVR. If he has to go with Harvoni at a later date then he will. I appreciate any advice I receive here but in the end I have to go with what my Dr. says. Here are two of the many sites I've found that corroborate with what he told me today.

http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/products/patient/treatment-update.asp#S5X

http://www.abouthepc.com/about_hepatitis_c.aspx

Thank you for sharing your story, Greg! I have also heard from my doctor that the high VL should not make a difference for treatment success. I will be holding fingers crossed for you! Please keep us posted on how it goes!

Thanks Tig I appreciate all the info! I'll keep posting as I go on in treatment. Thanks again_Greg

Hi Greg,

While your viral load (VL) is fairly high, it is documented that it has no bearing on your ability to achieve SVR. Occasionally they will recommend extended treatment lengths with certain protocols if it is above 6 Million, Viekira doesn't mention that however. If you were cirrhotic and you're not, you would do 24 weeks, but your fibrosis stage is still quite low. The addition of Ribavirin will provide an additional weapon for your treatment. You should do very well on this and your chances are high. 

I'm including a tidbit and link for information on your question. I hope it helps! Good luck, you're going to win this battle. Pay attention to the schedule, remain compliant, it's very important. Do all the things that you know you should do, eat well, get plenty of rest, and hydrate well. The Ribavirin may cause some additional issues, such as anemia, skin irritation and moodiness. Your doctor will monitor all of that. But bring any problems to the VA's attention.

If you have any questions, problems or just want to talk, we're here for you. Hang in there and realize in 12 weeks you're going to be Hep C free! Cheers!

Tig


"There appears to be no significant correlation between HCV RNA levels and ALT values or histological activity in patients untreated by anti-viral therapies (Interferon). Viral load varies between infected individuals but is not a useful prognostic indicator nor does it measure the severity of virus-induced liver disease."

http://www.hepatitiscentral.com/hepatitis-c/what-is-viral-load.html

PS: even though it mentions Interferon, the same applies without it.

I am a 55 yr. old white male. genotype 1A, who just started Viekira Pak+Ribavirin on March 5th. So far so good side effect wise although the Riba is a bit stimulating for me. There will probably be other side effects down the road but they should be manageable. I am a service-connected veteran and all treatment, both meds and Drs. appts are completely free, no co-payments! A real blessing. My main concern is my beginning viral load. Four years ago it was 10 million and now its 21.8 million. Seems pretty high compared to what I've seen for others on here. So I was wondering if there are others with a comparable viral load who have under-gone treatment and what their results were. This is my first time at treatment. I believe I acquired the virus from a blood transfusion in Panama in 1989 so I'm pretty sure I've had Hep c about 25 years. My biopsy results show only stage 1 fibrosis, actually a bit less, so I am lucky in that respect. If I had to deal with Insurance companies they probably would deny treatment due to that. I'm guessing this high of a viral load will be harder to knock out. Anyone here with a similar situation? Thanks  Greg