How can i treat hcv

[ulnaris8]

Just infected about 5 month ago, with viral load  <18iu  with a copy of  <67  I need advice

[ulnaris8]

I'm very very  encouraged by everyone ones advice here ,thanks  once more

[patra_]

Good information above.  I just wanted to add that some people do experience some symptoms during the acute phase of the disease, when your body is working hard to fight off the virus.  In my case, in addition to the above, I experienced blood shot eyes, and bruised so easy, that I had only to bump into something.  Also, I had gastro upset.  That was back in the 70s when no one knew what Hep C was, and my Drs, after testing for everything they could think of, finally started me on a food allergy diet, cooked veggies, fish and or chicken, eggs, then we found that I could eat salads of lettuce and tomato if not every day, and fresh apples and pears.  No breads, no red meat, of course no alcohol.  After a year or so, I found I could eat basic cornbread, but not other breads.  That controlled the gastro symptoms.  After several years on this diet, I was back to eating normally - past the acute phase, I think now.

I treated in 94/95 with no success, with Interferon.  It was another 20 years before I treated again, with Sovaldi/Ribavirin, 24 weeks, and reached SVR.

As KoKo said, eat a liver friendly diet, drink plenty of water, do not use alcohol or drugs - even check closely on any prescribed medications.  Your body may be doing the job itself.  If it is, the above will help the liver fight off this virus.

If, after 6 months or so, you still have the virus, then just get monitored until the meds are available there, or until your liver gets to F2 or F3, then think of going to India to get treated.  Way less expensive.

I honor you for trying to get rid of the virus as soon as you can, but truly, you have the time to wait, as YOUR doctor told you.  Just to make you more comfortable about treating patients and with your family, my Husband and I were already married when I had the blood transfusion that we think must be where I got the virus (no other 'risky' behavior in my history), and he was tested for the antibodies, 20 years later, when I was first diagnosed and was negative.  I cleared the virus in Dec 2014 and reached SVR in June 2015.  I asked that he be tested again, and he was, again, negative of the antibodies.  We never took any special care, no protection in marital relations, occasionally shared a toothbrush or razor, etc., so, you can see, this is a hard virus to get as it is only transmitted blood to bold.

Hope this is useful.

Blessings,

Pat

[Livelife777]

Honesty Ulnaris it can take decades for the virus to cause damage.  As far as itching, nausea, abdominal pain, ect those symptoms usually occur after extended liver damage from harboring the virus.  You are to early in the disease to experience these events.  Anxiety and fear can also create those issues which can mimic liver damage.
Its not uncommon for your body to fight off the virus and can occur in up to 25% of patients.  Since your viral load is so low it's possible your immune system may fight it off.  I know worrying can decrease your body's natural defense system, try to realize that liver damage is not happening so quickly.
Most of us have had this virus for 30 years or more and some with minimul damage.
I'm sorry your having to deal with this but given time it should be available in your country soon.  Waiting will not harm you and perhaps your body will fight it off on its own.
.......Kim

[March06]

Hey  ulnaris i am visitor here im part of hbv community. check out what a member [ Jatashankar]  from india said about "sofosbuvir price in india". you may consider traveling to india.

[keepingOnkeepingOn]

You can't get the drug. You don't fit the criteria. Your viral load is too low. Just be careful to cover cuts and don't use anyone else's razor or toothbrush. Eat as well as possible. It takes many years for the virus to cause damage. You say you have symptoms but with that viral load, those are not HCV related symptoms. Perhaps the symptoms come from fear and shock? In time everyone will be able to get treated. Not now though.

[ulnaris8]

Thanks for your information . I'm a medical  doctor, I know a lot about hcv but now being a patient, made me to understand in the other side. My alanine transaminase is 11,others components of my LFT are normal. My problems  right now is how I can get drug if it turns out for treatment  any time. Here In my country  no drug like sofosbuvir, ledipasir . even ribavirin  and peginterferon is not available.

[JimmyMose]

What type of health care position do you have? Has your alanine aminotransferase (ALT) been elevated and how high?

Hopefully you will be one of those who experience spontaneous viral clearance.

If not HCV usually takes decades for most to progress to advance liver disease. .You should be monitored every six months for progression and or other medical related conditions.  In my non medical opinion with out moderate or advanced fibrosis (Metavir stage F2 -F4, and or severe extrahepatic hepatitis C, if it takes a couple years or so for treatment you will be ok.

Here are some technical resources for detailed HCV medical information and recommendations for health professionals. Requires some understanding of medical terms and English language skills.

http://hcvguidelines.org/full-report/hcv-testing-and-linkage-care
accessed September 15, 2015

http://www.hepatitisc.uw.edu/
Hepatitis C Online is a free educational, web-based service that functions as a comprehensive resource for diagnosing, monitoring and managing the Hepatitis C virus infection.

The service is produced at the University of Washington, through a partnership with the International Antiviral Society-USA, and funded by a grant from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Best wishes.

[ulnaris8]

Thanks for replying, that is exactly what my consultant  hepatologist told me but  I don't  want to take chance if I repeat the viral load by December. But in this part of the world, where to access harvoni with very high price tag is discouraging.

[drummerman2655]

I may be wrong here but I'm thinking your viral load is so low, that your doctor is hoping your own immune system will keep the viral count low and may even perhaps eradicate it.  It happens.

good luck.
dm

[ulnaris8]

Thanks  once again,I'm in Nigeria  now but if turn out  for me to get treated. Drugs like harvoni which can cure my own type(genotype lb ) is not available in Nigeria. But I'm soliciting for information on how to get it incase I need to be treated.

[ulnaris8]

Thanks, be happy I did viral load using PCR  machine  and this is the result. <18iu / ml.using HCV RNA Quantitative by PCR with  <67 copies / ml .This happens to me after I got flash of blood on a patient I cared for on April 27th this year. I did  test on July after having non specific symptoms like feeling sensation of itching, loss of appetite, abdominal pain etc. My problem now is that  my consultant hepatology  said that he is not going to treat now  pending if there's  any increase in viral load or LFT. I'm little bit confused.

[dontworry_behappy1]

If you do have hepatitis C you will have a genotype.  What is your genotype?
There is treatment for Hepatitis C.   But which treatment depends on where you live in the world and what your genotype is.   There has been huge advancement in treatment of hepatitis C.   The first thing you need to do is get a referral to Specialist who treats Hep C.

[dontworry_behappy1]

Welcome to the forum.

Could you please write here exactly what your test results say.