Side effects of therapy

[Vireadeater]

Hi there,

I would like to discuss my Viread "side effects" with you. But first some relevant data.
Got diagnosed with Chronic Hep B in March 2011:

- Hbeag Negative
- Genotype D
- Grading 0-1
- Male

Started Viread (Tenofovir) in April:

- HBV DNA in April: 29.000
- HBV DNA in May: 45
- HBV DNA in August: Undetectable
- Hbsag in August: 30.000 (First time it got measured.)

So far so good, but here comes the "strange" data:

- ALT in April and before: Between 65 and 73
- ALT in  May after I started Viread: 93
- ALT in August: 93

Besides I have some "side effects" since I have been taking Viread that one could sum up as the typical symptoms of acute hepatitis b OR the side effects under Interferon:

- Pain over the location of the liver (on the right side of the abdomen, under the lower rib cage). I never experienced that before taking Viread
- Flu like symptoms: Muscle aches; Headache, Temperature, Tiredness. They come and go. Again I did not experience that before.

My doctor says this COULD be some immune reaction but wants to wait for the next results in November. Because she was also a bit surprised by the rise of my ALT since she figured it should have rather dropped considering the decrease of my HBV DNA.

Any ideas out there? Anyone who experienced something like that in therapy? Would be glad to hear your thoughts and opinions. And thanks for this community here!

Keep it up!

[nic2012]

I was on viread for 3years.before starting viread i had no pain.i stopped viread two months ago.i am currently making milk thistle 2000g daily.guess what? The pain has stopped.imagine 3yrs of pain.the itches have been since day one of my infection.after doing my test i willl continue with viread know you can't take viread with milk thirstle

[rockla]

Lets just keep my fingers crossed my doc says to keep it on for 1 week then we can decide whether its really painful or you can continue the pain for another week.

[stef2011]

fever is interferon produced by our body, so when you have fever and muscle ach it is interferon by immune system for hvb or other viruses....it can also be immune system clearing hbvdna with tenofofvir.we will know by 12 weeks when hbvdna should be rechecked

[rockla]

@stef
Seems like this guy also had same side effect i'm also facing temp , mild fever, muscle ach. 1 week back i took flu medicine also , don't give me hope that my immune system is fighting with virus so quickly and its going to clear ;-)

[My012528]

Did your body clear the virus?

[stef2011]

check posts about indian lab accepting blood samples sent by fedex to test hbsag.
in your case there is no blood test to say anything about your status except hbsag quant (similar to my situation once hbvdna is und only hbsag quant can tell us if drugs are doing any good)

i guess 2 hbsag test at 3 months distance might tell us if it is going down or stable or increasing

[joc2011]

Dear All. Want to share my latest results with you all.

June 2012
Viral DNA=2.06 copies per ml (Below quantifiable range)
Liver function: Very Good
SGPT (ALT): 9
SGOT (AST): 22.
HBeAG: Negative
HBeAB: Positive

Before i started taking Viread (September 2011)
SGPT (ALT): 9 and SGOT (AST): 15.
Still on Viread + Alinia since Nov 2011.

When i was first diagnosed HBSAG + (March 2011)
HBsAG : Positive
Viral DNA=00/ Undetectable
Liver function: Very Good
Hep B Core Antibody: Positive
Anti HBe (igM): Negative
Anti HBe (igG)  (H): Positive.
HBeAG: Negative
HBeAB: Positive

Not still been able to find a place to do HBSAG quantity test in Nigeria. Going to the US next week on a course for 1 week. Really wish I cld locate a place to have it done.
What do u think abt my results so far? Still on Viread + Alinia. Asked my doctor to put me on Peg Interferon. But he said my immune system is working and would clear naturally oveer time.

[joc2011]

Any update on your HBSAG and HBSAB count?

[Vireadeater]

Thanks, will try to work on this too!

[stef2011]

fatty liver

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-B/update-on-my-fatty-liver/show/1500346?controller=posts&action=show&id=#

[grmr]

hi stef.. what vits and antiox are reccomended for this purpose???

[stef2011]

that's the reason of abnormal alt probbly, see the post:

update on my fatty liver

some vitamins and antioxidants can get rid of it

[Vireadeater]

Thanks fyou guys!

The next HBSAG count will be in Febuary.

Concerning the fatty liver when I had my biopsy in April they found out that I have minimal steatosis. Even though its not much it surprised me anyway cuz I am not a fat person at all and I am doing lots of sports.
Any suggestions what else to do to get rid of all of the fat in my liver?

[stef2011]

did you find if there was any fatty liver involved too?

are you following hbsag in iu/ml (this is the most important thing) because if it reaches 1500-2000iu/ml you can try clear with interferon with higest chances of success

also abnormal alt with no fatty liver and hbvdna und can be some clearance of hbsag already

[enolia]

Good for you! Any news about your HBsAg count?

[Vireadeater]

Hello everybody,

just to keep this updated:

HBVDNA still undetectable
GPT also dropped from 93 to 70
The above mentioned sides got also less

I am quite happy so far.

So long, all the best to you guys!

[4est]

Maybe a separate thread will be a good thing to do.  
Also consider to will include all the tests results and treatments in a chronological order and also you will update that thread with new tests like HBsAg and also all test after alinia combo.

just a suggestion :)

[joc2011]

Hi Everyone. Just had my LFT test results today. SGPT (ALT): 9 and SGOT (AST): 15. Still on Viread for the next 6 months. About to start combo with Alinia. Will also quantify HBSAG asap and will post results.

[stef2011]

you need hbsag count first and if very low like 100-200iu/ml an hbsab at 10miu/ml may have a meaning of clearance

in this case you need to boost hbsab by vitamin d or alinia

if hbsag is high like 1000-2000iu/ml hbsab so low makes nothing

[enolia]

An HBsAb count ≥10mIU/ml means that you are immune and that you are be protected! Did you talk to your doctor yet?
Are you sure your HBsAb count is 10mUI/ml???

[Vireadeater]

Alright thanks!

[stef2011]

hbsab to about 10miu/ml is not enough to clear hbv, you need it >1000miu/ml and hbsag to be low/undetctable

hbsab and hbsag detactable at the same time means hbsag has mutted and hbsb detected is useless

[Vireadeater]

@enolia: Got the ultrasound. Liver does not look abnormal. But for the bloodtest I will have to wait until November...

@all: One more question. Before I found out that I have chronic hepatitis in March 2011. I got vaccinated in 1998 (triple shot) and again in 2009 (one shot). So they say to be protected against HBV you need a titer >100. When the chronic Hep B got diagnosed I had a titer of 10. Finally the question: Does that mean that my immune system once reacted against HBV? Is that count valuable for anything: prognosis for therapy, date when I might have been infected (my doctor thinks before my first shots in 1998 but why do I have a bit of a titerthen?). Maybe someone here knows about this....thank you!

[joc2011]

@ 4est: Many Thanks. I actually have never checked my AgHBs quantitative. But i plan to do both AgHBs and AbHBs as soon as possible to track clearance. Will keep you all updated on implementation and results. Thanks again.