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1815007 tn?1318860562

what does genotype 1a mean?

Well I've found out my genotype it's 1a, what does that mean?
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683231 tn?1467323017
Hi again

I haven't been able to find anything on stem cell treatments for hepatitis c. I am curious where you are seeing this information?

I did see some info about stem cells and cirrhosis which is great but nothing about treating the underlying cause of cirrhosis hepatitis c.

I just would like to add that viral load has little to do with progression of liver disease. Some patients have a low viral load and progress quickly while others have high viral load and their condition is relatively stable that includes with other variables i.e. alcohol consumption being taken into account.

I looked at your profile and see you have end stage cirrhosis do you know your current MELD score? Are you under the care of a hepatologist at a liver transplant center and on the transplant list? Is your blood tested at least every 6 months for your liver function, CBC and AFP (liver cancer marker). Also an abdominal ultra sound every 6 months? Have you had an upper endoscopy to check for esophageal varicies?

I also have cirrhosis but thankfully I am not end stage yet. I am only a MELD score of 7 so I am not eligible to be on the transplant list.  I see a Dr at Swedish hospital Liver Transplant Dept is Seattle for my care.

The doctor there gave me a prescription for Solvaldi and Olysio. At week 4 my viral load was undectable. In 2 days I will be done with my 12 week treatment. Hopefully I will remain undectable 12 weeks post treatment and will be hep c free so my liver will at least no longer be under the attack of the hep c virus.

Good Luck
Lynn
Helpful - 0
683231 tn?1467323017
Hi reenierocks

This is an old post from 2011 if you would like to post a question you best bet would be to go to the top right on the page and select post a question link.

So sorry for the loss of your husband you sound like a very strong person.

Are you aware of the new treatments for hep C released in November and December Sovaldi and Olysio? Depending on your genotype and condition of your liver you could treat without interferon possibly just pills for 12 weeks. Also an even newer medicine a combo of Sovaldi and Ledipasvir in a single pill will hopefully be approved this fall. That would be 1 pill a day for 12 weeks. In clinical trials they are having great results in the 90 percent range for patients with GT 1a even with cirrhosis.

If you haven't seen a hepatologist or a gastroenterologist who specializes in hep c you really should get in to see them. You could be hep c undetectable in 2015.

Why do you feel you are too sick to treat? Do you have decompensated cirrhosis? If you do you should be seeing a hepatologist at a liver transplant hospital. Even patients with decompensated cirrhosis and some post liver transplant patients with cirrhosis in their new livers are treating their hep c under the close care of a hepatologist.

Good luck
Lynn
Helpful - 0
9176999 tn?1402157835
In 2002 my husband and I were diagnosed w/ hep c and cirrhosis by UIC hosp in chi. (Dr. Tom Layden...very good dr.)  My husband had drank, me not so much.  He was much sicker than I and because of heart disease and diabetes was rejected for a transplant.  The wanted me to be treated then but because I was the bread winner couldn't.  He told me I'd be dead in 10 years if I didn't but I said i'd roll the dice since I had a high paying white collar job.  My husband did stop drinking for about a year but when rejected started really whooping it up w/ booze and drugs and died in 2004 late that year.  I on the other hand, completely quit drinking until money issues and depression caused me to drink for about a year... I got very sick again and once I was feeling like death...I decided life was worth living...that was 2008...and i'm still here.... too sick to have the drugs for hep c but my viral level is very low...and I am living a completely healthy lifestyle.  Have been feeling ALOT better in the past few months....hopefully it's not the calm before the storm!!!  I'm gonna beat this ****...I'm gonna hang on til the stem cell treatments become a regular thing....(not too far away at this point) and I'm convinced this will save my life!!!  
Helpful - 0
184420 tn?1326739808
no one can say if it will lead to death or not... depends on if you drink with it, use other drugs, your immune system, etc etc etc... i have had it over 30 years and i drank and did drugs up until about 8 years ago and im only stage 2/grade 2 (stage 4 is cirrosis and probably death)... friend of mine died 2 years ago from it, he had it about 30 years too.. so who knows... he did continue to drink heavily and chew alot of percs so that didnt help...
Helpful - 0
184420 tn?1326739808
get a biopsy, or there is a blood test that measures liver fibrous and start treating, the drugs out now there is a 70-80% cure rate for us geno type 1's...
Helpful - 0
1815007 tn?1318860562
No, I haven't had a biopsy.  I think I've had it about 25 years.
Helpful - 0
901131 tn?1293744553
Have you had a biopsy? How long do you think you've had it?And it does not mean death.
Helpful - 0
1815007 tn?1318860562
Thanks for replying, and what happen if you're not successful? Does that mean death?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
This is the strain or variant of hep c you have. It used to be the toughest genotype to treat, but with the new drugs that were approved this year their is a 70-80% success rate with treatment. Genotype 1 (a or b) is the most common genotype in north america. Many of us have had it and have had SVR (sustained viral response) through treatment.

-Dave
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