Thank you, @availlant. The virus is not detectable. It seems the medication is working.
The problem is the result come in a week after testing (I always ask to have them sent through per email) but the next appointment is in three months time… it seems like a long time without having the answer to what may be causing the quick value to drop. Thank you.
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Hi @Natti,
With your HBV DNA very well controlled, I really would not worry about these other results.
Best regards,
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Dear @Bah_Kajatu,
Welcome to the forum, and thanks for your question. Your low viral load is a great sign and the risk of transmission to your child is very low (particularly if they are provided with appropriate vaccination within hours of birth). The anti-HBe antibody positive test shows that your body has an immune response against the infected cells and is likely the reason your HBV DNA levels are so low.
Hope this helps,
Thomas
@availlant , thank you, but isnt it a clear sign that my liver is starting to not cope?
I think I am a somewhat special case because the medication reduced the viral load immediately to undetectable but had no effect on ALAT and ASAT for the first 10 months - they basically didnt budge at all. I am not sure if ALAT and AST going back to normal levels can be attributed to Tenofovir at all… after 10 months of use or maybe it is the course of the disease (ALAT, ASAT flares?). There is this trend in Quick blood value and fluctuations in bilirubin. It seems like a never ending story. I honestly start to think that I should just never look at the results again because it is counter productive… Thank you so much for all your answers.
Hi all,
So after two years, I went for checkup again.
echo abdominal scan = OK
ASAT = normal
Outside of normal range are:
ALAT = 51 , normal range should be < 45 U/L
bilirubine = 26, normal range should be < 17 umol/L
Viral load = pending, after two weeks
Don’t feel any pain.
I have read that exercise can increase level of alat,asat and bilirubine, I did do some moderate weight lifting that week.
Doctor said, we have to wait for viral load results.
Br,
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Hi @hepb1,
Keep up the good work. The ALTs/ASTs numbers can fluctuate from time to time. Even though 51 is abnormal it can go higher for some people. Exercise can surely increase it, but still yours seem not to be very far off from normal. You are doing the right thing by staying monitored. I understand it can feel a lot at times but you are doing great. Best, Bansah1.
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Hello everyone,
Please help me to understand my results as i am going to see my doctor
next week.
In my first visit, doctor said
i dont any treatment and my
fibroscan was normal
Thank you
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Hi @anonymous54,
Your lab shows that your viral load is a little bit on the high side but not in the extremes. With that being said 4130 won’t be considered to be very high. A few questions for you; Has your viral load always been around this number? Do you know what you ALT/AST numbers were? Are you currently on treatment?
I hope this is helpful. Best, Bansah1.
Thank you For your reply.
This is my first test. I diagnosed in september. I am not on any treatment as they said , everything is notmal.
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You are right about things being normal. It is a good thing. Let’s hope your other tests come back normal as well. Good luck with your upcoming appointment. Best, Bansah1.
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Thank u so much.
My next appointment is in May now.
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Hello everyone,
I’m very afraid. Last year in July I found out I had hepatitis B because my mother died of liver cancer. The first test showed 1.6 million HBV DNA. I have been on tenofovir disoproxil since October 2022 and currently the viral load is undetectable and the other enzymes are ok. I had a Fibroscan done in October 2022 which showed 5.3 KPA CAP 246 but at a different doctor. Currently my enzymes are all ok. Before 2 days ago I had an ultrasound done by my doctor and everything was fine again, except that his machine (ultrasound elastography) showed 9.1 KPA and since then I have been very upset. He told me not to worry because these are different methods and that we will do it again done after a year. I asked him to do a classic fibroscan and he said there was no need. I’m very upset and I can’t sleep for 2 days. I made an appointment for 28.11 to repeat the classic fibroscan that I did last year. In the last days I am very upset and I am looking for information on the Internet because 9.1 KPA is a very large number and I am afraid of cirrhosis. Just to mention that I do not drink alcohol, I am active and watch what I eat. Last year in 4 months I lost 22 kilos because I was on a strict diet but I’m not anymore.
Hi @max,
Sorry to hear about the stress you are going through. There are many things that can raise your ultrasound elastography score which are not liver cirrhosis. I know it’s hard, but there is not much you can do until you have your test again.
It seems like you are doing all you can to protect your liver health (antiviral therapy, diet, and exercise), so well done and keep it up!
Thomas
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Thank you @ThomasTu for your support and quick response. I will wait 2 weeks and see what the fibroscan will show.
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I have one more question. I was in the gym 2 days in a row and I worked out very hard and the next day I had an appointment for a fibroscan. Could this have affected the results and how long before the appointment for the fibroscan should I not exercise or does it not matter ?
Hi Max,
I’m not sure if this is known. The increase in serum ALTs from exercise is due to muscle cells also carrying ALT (so if they die, they release it into the blood). A fibroscan will measure liver elasticity and I’m not sure whether this is affected by any exercises (if any at all).
TT
Hi All,
Finally got the viral load test, unfortunately it is 3000.000 copies/ml, must convert this number to IU/ml. 2 years ago it was 150.000 copies/ml. I am not happy with this at all. Will talk with doctor what his advice will be, dont feel motivated to take viral meds at all,who does right ?. Beginning to feel a bit deppressed, I would like to get married some day, but with this situation I think it will be superhard, thing is, it would be nice to find someone with same condition, then we are even, but thing is where can we find ? This situation is absoluteltly not my own doing, got it from my mom, she dont even know where she got it from, she was never promiscious lifestyle, propably dirty needles vaccination when she was a child.
Br,
Dear @hepb1,
Sorry to hear about your stress with the situation. If you read around the forum, there are varying attitudes towards treatment: some (like myself) are relieved to have some measure to reduce the risk of liver injury and subsequent liver cancer; others are very much impacted by having to access and take daily medication; many are in-between.
You will also be able to see many people being married despite their status and status of their partners. I am HBV-positive, married to a HBV-negative woman. She knew about my status before starting our relationship; armed with facts, we were able to discuss the real probability of transmission and measures that we could both take to mitigate or eliminate any risks.
It is common to get chronic hepatitis B as a newborn or during childhood (could be something as simple as a scratch or transmission during birth). I myself don’t find it helpful to dwell on how someone was infected, because in a sense it doesn’t really matter and makes the person just relive potentially painful, regretful, or traumatic past events.
I hope you find the support you need during this time and please feel free to share your worries with the community. There will be many who are reading this forum may be experiencing what you are going through and it helps give a voice to them, even if you don’t see it.
Thank you again for sharing your story,
Thomas
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Previous LFT test
T-bil 1.82
D-Bil 1.51
Alt 78.8
Ast 72.5
Alp 123.1
Y-GT 64.1
TP 72.1
Ast/Alt 0.9
Ibil 0.3
Alb 33.1
Current LFT test (done in Nov)
Gamma Gt 16.2
Total Bilirubin 8.8
Direct bilirubin 0.9
Alt/Sgpt 34.3
Ast/sgot 24.5
Albumin 2.3
Total protein 5.7
Alkaline phosphatase 245.5
U/E/C’S
Chloride 98.4
Potassium 4.11
Sodium 138.1
Urea 5.4
Creatinine female 103.5
HBSAG POSITIVE
HBA1C 6.2
ULTRASOUND - NORMAL
PREVIOUS VIRAL LOAD Test
Hepatitis B virus DNA 174 1u/ml
HBV-1 LOG UNITSR 2.241
Hep B e Antigen NEGATIVE
HELLO Everyone, today I had appointment with a gastroenterologist. After comparing my results, especially Previous and current LFT, she told me to stop using the drugs for six months and do another viral load and left after six months which will be may 30th 2024.
I don’t feel comfortable with this…as much as taking drugs daily is very tiresome, I’m cought in deep thoughts!!!
- what if my viral load increase after six months of not using the drugs
Incase viral increases, will I be told to start taking drugs again? What if the drugs become resistant?
If I stop using drugs without clearing HBSAG, what risk do I pause on those living around me?
If 1 day I get a partner who is HBV negative but vaccinated yet I’m not taking the antivirals, won’t I be risking his life?
If I become pregnant, won’t I be risking the life of my unborn child if I discontinue antivirals yet HBSAG is still positive in my system?
I feel so lost!! The news of stoping drugs yet HBSAG still test positive is not sounding as a relief to me at all
Kindly I need your help
Hi @Vera,
You are completely right to be uneasy about stopping treatment. This does not seem to be consistent with the current guidelines (from https://www.hepatitisb.org.au/treatment-of-chronic-hepatitis-b-virus-infection/):
In non-cirrhotic HBeAg-positive patients, who have seroconverted to HBeAb positive and had a HBV DNA VL < 20 IU/mL over a sustained period, stopping therapy can be considered. Most guidelines recommend a 6–12 month consolidation period before stopping therapy.
I am sure our @HealthExperts would agree that cessation while HBV DNA is still detectable is not a reasonable approach, and it may be worth printing off the EASL guidelines (https://easl.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/HepB-English-report.pdf) to present to your doctor at your next consult.
Viral load is almost guaranteed to increase in this case (as it is with anyone who stops treatment), but the reinitiation of treatment would usually be based on whether there is sustained high ALTs.
With increased viral load, there is increased chance of onward transmission, but for casual contact there is not much risk of those around you.
Vaccination and raising antibody levels to protective levels (>10mIU/mL) effectively prevents the risk of transmission, so in this case, your partner would be safe.
Infection doesn’t generally occur with the unborn child (because the placenta is an effective protective barrier), but the transmission can occur during birth. There are many ways of preventing transmission to a newborn, including reinitiation of treatment, HBIG infusion for the newborn, and immediate vaccination. These measures are highly effective and there is usually sufficient time to implement them during pregnancy.
Hope this helps,
Thomas
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