Is this possible?

[Liverpatient]

I had recently blood work regarding hepB, and it showed my hbv dna was 2500IU/ml, while my hbsag quantitative came to be only 17 IU/ml. I wonder how this is possible, shouldn't it be much higher hbsag with quite high hbv dna?

[SphereAj]

Hi Livepatient
Sharing my experience

In February 2016, my blood report revealed that i have hepB (Viral load 6250iu/ml HBsAg quantitative 1625iu/ml, liver enzymes were very high, vitamin D level super low 9n/ml)

Prior to detection i had sever body ache, feverish feeling but no fever, stomach upsets, low energy  etc. I did not know  why this was happening. I experienced this for 3 months and then hepB was detected. It was chronic, i dont know how i got it (one thing i can think of is a major dental surgery i had in 2015)

I started entecavir 0.5mg February end 2016 (on my doctor 's advice). I also started vitamun d3 10000iu per day (tganks to stef) withinh 3 months viral load went down to undetectable. I started feeling better. Now feelung much better, i restarted my cycling. I am 48 years of age, male

[Liverpatient]

Thanks a lot for your reply; I highly appreciate it. It is also good to know you are feeling better after starting treatment; it gives me hope that may be a treatment could potentially help me as well. Last time I talked to a liver specialist he told me that my current status doesn't need treatment, and I would not get any imporovemnt of the symptoms or benefit from the current treatments, so I had given up a bit. At least until a cure arrives for all of us.
As you know, the disease gets worse with aging, so probably I've to stress to my doctors to put me on treatment soon. If and when I start treatment I will share my experiences, possible improvemnets, and side effects with the community. Since I've a chronic kidney disease, I think I will go for entecavir as well.
Do you have any side effects with the entecavir?

[SphereAj]

Hi Liverpatient
As of now, i do not have any noticeable side effects of entecavir. I am on it for 1.5 years now. I take vitamin D3 10000 iu everyday with lunch.

Have you checked your vitamin D levels?

[Liverpatient]

Hi SphereAj, thanks again; yes, I had checked my vitD3 a year or so ago and it was fine. But a few years ago I was somewhat deficient on vitd3, and then i  started with supplements. Lately, I've been taking about 3000IU vitD3 daily. May be I need to increase that level somewhat to see if there is any difference in how i feel? My only problem is that I've always been sceptical about consuming any type of supplements and drugs. In particular antidepressant medicines really scare me. I've been on such types of drugs for about 4 years in a row about three years ago and I would not imagine getting back to them.
I will try higher doses of vitd3 and report back if i experience any difference.

[Liverpatient]

I forgot to ask also whether you have seen any improvement in the quantity of hbsag after taking entecavir? I'm sure by now your hbv dna is very low or undetectable because that is easily achieved. In my view the decissive criteria for whether your immune system is recovering and attacking the virus is if you get a good reduction in hbsag.
Tenofovir has been approved for hbv treatment since 2008, and entecavir since 2005. I wonder whether there is any data or research that shows how far long time users of these drugs have managd to clear hbsag, and essentially cure the disease?

[needadvicewithhep]

Its very complex disease so it may manifest itself in various ways. What was your HBEAG quantative
ALT & AST ?

[Liverpatient]

Thanks for the reply; I've, unfortunately, and most expectedly found out now the real number was 17000IU/ml hbsag. My doctor had told me orally that the quantity was only 17IU, something that I strongly doubted.
Regarding hbeag; I'm negative on this antigen, and positive on its antibody. ALT and AST have always been within the range of my lab, which, surprisingly operates with ALT of 70 as upper normal for men. My ALT has always been below 40, mostly in the mid twenties to thirties.
My hbv dna is fluctuating between around 1000IU to some 3000 IU. Last Fibroscan was ca. 5,6Kpa few months back, and ultrasound is normal. Unfortunately, I'm suffering of various body aches in the muscles, and joints in all my body for the last two years, ever since I started to complain with these issues and was diagnosed with hepB. I've also this constant dull pain in the upper right side of my abdomen, right on top of my right breast extending to my armpit and top of my right ribs. My appetite is not good, and energy level is very low. I've also been told that my kidneys and nerves could have been affected by the hepB.
Now I'm wondering whether I really should consider to start with treatment; if it could, hopefully, help me deal with these complex health issues.
Do you or anybody else here think that a treatment could help me get a better health? I'm soon 45 years old, and I feel the symptoms are only getting worse with each day that goes. I'm really sad and confused with this disease; it is like hell for me, and don't know how to deal with it.
Sorry for writing too much, but I'm really frustrated with this disease; I'm unlucky, because most hepB patients do not feel any symptoms at all, sometimes even those with end stage liver disease do not feel any thing wrong with their body. Probably that is why not many people here write about any hepB symptoms.