Hi Ben, the fact that you’re young - only 24 years - and have no family history of liver disease or liver cancer is good. With that said, if you were in the U.S., the doctors would probably monitor you before starting treatment. A “wait and see” approach because your viral load is pretty low, liver enzymes are low, and your ultrasound looks good. The key things that you can do right now is to avoid or limit alcohol, don’t smoke, eat healthfully and keep your stress level as low as possible to keep your liver as healthy as possible. But as far as treatment , I hope other experts can weigh in as well since I am not a physician. Thanks again for sharing your concerns. Your postings certainly help all of us! Always, Joan
Thank you so much 
I quit smoking already and drinking
Eating healthy
If I may ask
Is eating garlic
Drinking ginger tea good ?
1 Like
My partner who we love together for long time now
Tested negative yesterday
And we have been having unprotected sex before my test …
she did get the first dose vaccine today
Hi Ben, yes garlic and ginger tea are good! There really is no specific diet for those with hep b, except to limit the amount of fatty, fried food because it makes the liver work much harder. Personally, I think the key is to eat a balanced, healthy diet that include fried foods in a limited amount. For example, I like a good hamburger and french fries! I just don’t eat them every day. Anyhow, really glad that you quit smoking and drinking. Now your lungs will be healthier as well as your liver! Always, Joan
1 Like
Hello Joan
I just got back from the Spealist today
He gave me 2 medication to take
So I can do another whole test December
- Livolin Forte
- silymarin Tablets
I want to ask if anyone have use this before ?
Thanks
Hope to hear from you soon
1 Like
Hi Ben, I’m not a big fan of taking liver herbal supplements like the ones you mentioned above. I don’t know anything about Livolin Forte except what I googled, none of which sounds impressive or medically supported. I know that Silymarin is Milk Thistle, which the U.S. National Institutes of Health has studied and determined that although it doesn’t appear to harm the liver, the benefits are minimal.
Honestly, I think the fact that you have stopped smoking and drinking will do to help your liver than these 2 herbal supplements, which are pretty pricey! My personal advice is to take that money and instead, buy more fresh vegetables and fruit to eat which will greatly improve your overall health. OR save the money for if and when you might start an antiviral medication. Thanks for writing and keep us posted on your thoughts. Always, Joan
1 Like
I am officially on TAF today, Welcome me to the Club . Thank God I found this online community. It was a relief for me. BTW, I am south east Asian from the Philippines 39 years old.
Brief history, I was diagnosed in 2010 when my employer had a free hep b vaccine. I thought at the time my employer will not let me continue working considering that I am just 2 months in the company. I was really depressed that time. Thank God they let me continue working after they saw my HBV DNA. In 2010 my HBV DNA was 33 iu/ml. The gastro at the time told to just take vitamins because I am an “inactive carrier” no need to take treatment because of low viral load. In 2016 my HBV DNA was 40 iu/ml. I did not seek the advice of gastro from 2011 to 2020. Pandemic struck and suddenly I fear for my health. June 2021, I went to a gastro and did some tests again. My gastro told me, “I will treat you regardless of your HBV tests”. My HBV DNA result 446 iu/ml. My ultrasound, liver is in good condition. She asked me about my family history. Maybe I got it from my mother. When I was diagnosed in 2010, the doctor then did not advise my family to take the screening test. I really don’t know where I got the virus. Honestly, that time I blame my mom (please forgive me mom). Yeah, I was horrible that time. I remember when I was 9 years old my dad had hepa A. I am thinking now if it’s really hepa A or B. At the time, the health care system in my country is not as advance as in first world or developing countries. I remember one time my brother was applying for a job in middle east as an engineer. On the first try of their physical exam he got a HBSAG reactive result. They gave him liver vitamins then he tested again maybe after 1 month and the result is negative. He was able to work in middle east for a long time. Now he is living in Canada. He migrated there with his wife. He went through all the physical exam here in the Philippines before going to Canada and he said all is clear. He told maybe compared to me, he has a strong immune system to fight the virus if we really got it from my mom. My mom passed away in 2012 because of COPD. My dad passed away last year 82 years at the height of pandemic. I was not able to see him because of lockdown :)
I have so many things in my mind now that I am starting taking treatment. I felt anxious to be honest, maybe overthinking. How did you overcome your anxiousness when you first take TAF or any treatment? Btw, the TAF(tenofovir alafenamide) is made in India under the license from Gliead Sciences. I am praying that the treatment will have a positive effect on my body.
1 Like
Wonder why your doctor put you on medication for possibly a lifetime, bc you are in the monitor stage.
Maybe get a second opinion on it? I don’t know your whole medical history or not a doctor, but maybe get a second opinion before starting the treatment, since this is your first day. Just my opinion
The gastro told me because of the increase in HBV DNA and family history.
This is helpful @Suwang88 as someone who is starting the treatment. I have low viral load too but with the information you shared about how the virus integrates in the hosts DNA and you can get HCC even without a cirrhotic liver in HBV. I am 39 now and time to look for my health. Thank you @Suwang88 and hope to hear more information from you.
1 Like
Hi @jeandoe, thanks for sharing the story of your journey. This are good (and recommended) reasons to start therapy.
Regarding the anxiety, I think the more you find out that people do take these drugs for years/decades on end without having any side effect, the better you will feel over time. I have been on them for years and have had no troubles. I think @Suwang88 and @MarkDouglas have prescribed hundreds of people these medicines and the majority are absolutely fine for years on end.
Maybe others can share their strategies?
Cheers,
Thomas
1 Like
Thank you @ThomasTu for this. I really appreciate your response. I am on my second day today. I am feeling good, no side effects so far. After 1 month I will go back to my gastro for CBC monitoring. I am really grateful for this community. Thank you!
1 Like
Hi everyone,
I’m having Hepb since 2019
Just got done with mandatory 6 monthly tests
LFT is in normal range.
HBV Viral load – 36,345 iu/ml (which has been pretty much same since I first tested)
Confused whether to start treatment or not.
Please help
Hi @kevin ,
Welcome to the forum and thanks for your question. The answer would depend on other tests including HBeAg, anti-HBe, ultrasound, etc. as well as your age and family history. Your specialist will be able to discuss with you whether you are recommended for treatment based on all of these.
Thomas
Thank you @ThomasTu
HbeAg is Non-reactive.
Age 25.
No family history of liver disease.
No other symptoms.
If it is beneficial to start treatment early then why do doctors wait for ALTs or other things to spike up and then advise for treatment?
Need advice , do I need/ or should I start treatment?
also done an ultra sound,here is the finding.
No suspicious liver mass. US-1 Negative. Recommend repeat surveillance US in 6 months. (#US1)
Narrative
ULTRASOUND LIVER
** HISTORY **:
43 years old, hepatitis B. Screening for hepatoma.
** TECHNIQUE **:
Ultrasound images of the right upper quadrant of the abdomen acquired. Color and spectral Doppler images of the main portal vein also obtained.
US visualization score: A. No or minimal limitations.
COMPARISON: None available.
** FINDINGS **:
LIVER: Normal echotexture. Smooth contour. Normal hepatopetal flow in the main portal vein. No suspicious mass.
GALLBLADDER: Present.
BILE DUCTS: Common duct measures 2.4 mm, which is normal. No intrahepatic biliary ductal dilation.
ASCITES: None.
No other family member has liver disease, no other noticeable symptom except having a hard time to sleep.
thank you
1 Like
That’s an excellent question and the answer is a bit complicated. We know that people at the very beginning of a chronic infection (when they are children) they are not very likely to get liver cancer or liver disease; as you get older and your immune response starts attacking the virus in the liver, you start getting disease.
Doctors need a way to decide when to give antivirals. The current guidelines do not recommend it when you’re very early in the infection because of the following reasons:
- There is a perception that the antivirals won’t help that much because people in this phase are at low risk.
- This could be a lifelong treatment, which costs quite a bit of money. Is it worth it?
- People treated later on when they do have ALT flares have improved health outcomes and don’t progress, so it’s all the same
There is a growing movement that maybe we should be giving patients the choice to be treated earlier if they want to. There is also new data which might suggest that there are early on in the infection that may still contribute to cancer or disease risk.
Assuming your ultrasound/fibroscan is normal, the current European guidelines do not recommend that you be treated. But this is a conversation that you should talk to your doctor about.
@wayyan, you are in a sort of grey area where you can decide to take antivirals or not. Because of your age (>30) you could be considered for antiviral treatment, even though by other measures your hep B is fairly stable (normal ultrasound and normal ALTs). The pros and cons are something you can talk to your doctor about.
Hope this helps,
Thomas
1 Like
Thank you very much, Thomas.
2 Likes
Sir Thimus Which 1 is the best Vired or vemlidy?
1 Like