This is very helpful info! Thanks so much, Thomas! 
2 Likes
Hello everyone. I am in a very similar situation - 35 years old, just found out from my first plasma donation. My first viral load test: 204 iu/ml, hbeag negative, ALT always hovering around 42-56 (weight lifting maybe elevates some)
Most likely born with it since my mother has it currently. She found out when she was pregnant with me and precautionary birth vaccines were given. She is 62 and has not done any treatment or monitoring. I explained to her that she needs to be monitored…she will follow up with doctor about this.
My gastrointerologist has prescribed me tenofovir. I have not started treatment. I am very concerned about the risk of starting/stopping or long term kidney damage.
Should there be more consideration before starting treatment? I have never had quant hbsag. I am just considering risk-benefit of medication. Also hoping strongly that I may be able to clear on my own.
Dear @cholderby,
It’s great that you reached out and made sure your mother was getting the care that she needs.
Re: risks, please see the above thread. Essentially the majority of people (myself included) do not experience any issues with kidney function. And if you do experience them, you can be switched over to entecavir or TAF with little issue. There are known benefits to preventing liver disease with antivirals (including cancer).
In your case, your viral load is low, so the benefits may be lower. Indeed, studies over 10 years do not detect many cases of liver cancer or disease progression in people with such low viral loads, so any improvement is difficult to measure.
Hope this helps,
Thomas
1 Like