Has anyone had a viral load count of HCV over 9 million? My AST ALT are normal and ultrasound didnt show any cirrhosis. But my ALP is high and platlets are high.
Could I still have cirrhosis with the viral load that high?
Yes many people can have viral loads that high or even higher. The upper limit of the test is 100,000,000 IU/mL
Viral load simply means the number of copies of virus circulating in one ml of your blood there is no relationship between number of virus cells in your blood and severity of liver injury. Hepatitis C is a slowly acting illness in most cases. I’m general about 20% of patients who have been infected for 20 year will develop significant liver damage to the point of cirrhosis.
Low platelets is often the first symptom of cirrhosis. My platelets have been running around 85 until I was cured of hep c now they are about 125 better but still below normal. I was diagnosed with cirrhosis in January 2008 after being infected with hep c for about 37 years.
A high platelet count can occur when something causes the bone marrow to make too many platelets. When the reason is unknown, it is called primary or essential thrombocytosis. When excess platelets are due to an infection or other condition, it is called secondary thrombocytosis.
A normal platelet count ranges from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood. Having more than 450,000 platelets is a condition called thrombocytosis; having less than 150,000 is known as thrombocytopenia.
High levels of AFP can be a sign of liver cancer or cancer of the ovaries or testicles, as well as noncancerous liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatitis. High AFP levels don't always mean cancer, and normal levels don't always rule out cancer. Having hepatitis c can cause elevated AFP test results.
From what you have described I doubt you have cirrhosis. There are no medical professionals here. We are a community of patients coming together for moral support and cannot offer medical advice. You best source about your health is your personal physician. What has your doctor said? I would go with that.
I would however, recommend you look into getting your hep c treated and cured.
Thanks for the information...I've just been diagnosed and I see a Gastroenterologist on monday.
Kinda scarey with the treatment cause of side effects on some....one side effect was slowing of heartrate and even death! Ugh
I have alot of questions for Dr.
Thanks again!
Negative side effects were not common be careful what you read on the Internet
chose reliable sources
I treated three times with the old standard of care first was three self administered shots of interferon weekly. My second was an improved form of interferon needing only one self administers shot a week with a medicine called ribivirin that makes most people feel week and causes anemia for many. My third treatment was again interferon, ribavirin and an experimental drug all treatments were 6 months duration none of them produced any decrease in my hep c infection.
The old interferon based treatments were only effective for about 30% of patients. The rest of us were just getting sicker as the years and decades of infection passed.
I was diagnosed with cirrhosis in January 2008 and was beginning g to lose hope. Then in 2014/2015 the new DAA (direct acting antiviral) treatments were beginning to be approved. I got one of the earliest released taking solvaldi with a different companies new medicine olysio as an ill label usage. I was not detected on treatment but relapsed after finishing g treatment which was very disappointing. Then Harvoni was approved a few months later. I treated again for the 5th time and was finally cured. I’ve been free of hep c since May 2015. But unfortunately I still have liver cirrhosis but I’m still kicking.
The old treatments were very challenging for most people. For me in comparison to the old treatments the now relatively new DAA treatments were a walk in the park. Many of us felt if anything better than we had felt in years somewhat energized even. Maybe it was a side effect of treatment or maybe a result of eliminating the hep c virus from our bodies.
For the majority of patients the new DAA treatments are very well tolerated, much shorter duration of treatment and highly effective at curing hep c.
Viral load simply means the number of copies of virus circulating in one ml of your blood there is no relationship between number of virus cells in your blood and severity of liver injury. Hepatitis C is a slowly acting illness in most cases. I’m general about 20% of patients who have been infected for 20 year will develop significant liver damage to the point of cirrhosis.
Low platelets is often the first symptom of cirrhosis. My platelets have been running around 85 until I was cured of hep c now they are about 125 better but still below normal. I was diagnosed with cirrhosis in January 2008 after being infected with hep c for about 37 years.
A high platelet count can occur when something causes the bone marrow to make too many platelets. When the reason is unknown, it is called primary or essential thrombocytosis. When excess platelets are due to an infection or other condition, it is called secondary thrombocytosis.
A normal platelet count ranges from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood. Having more than 450,000 platelets is a condition called thrombocytosis; having less than 150,000 is known as thrombocytopenia.
High levels of AFP can be a sign of liver cancer or cancer of the ovaries or testicles, as well as noncancerous liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatitis. High AFP levels don't always mean cancer, and normal levels don't always rule out cancer. Having hepatitis c can cause elevated AFP test results.
From what you have described I doubt you have cirrhosis. There are no medical professionals here. We are a community of patients coming together for moral support and cannot offer medical advice. You best source about your health is your personal physician. What has your doctor said? I would go with that.
I would however, recommend you look into getting your hep c treated and cured.
Best of luck