>25Million Viral Load

[76trombones]

Hello,
    I got a 2nd  Hep C viral load back last week and it says >25million. So is 25million the top threshold for testing? My doctor is trying to get me the Mavyret asap. My viral load was 17million on 9/8 so this thing has some momentum to it. oy veh.
   Also my gastroenterologist said he'll see me in 3 months which seems alarming that he has no interest in monitoring me during ongoing treatment? is this normal? i'd feel feel better with some blood level checks at least.
    My viral load was zero for 10 years so i stopped checking it about 5 years ago, that was a mistake , this creeped back on me. But now i know why i've been feeling like hell all year and currently have crippling neuropathy so the usual  Mavyret side effects seem mild. tbd
  i never looked forward to a drug medication so much
  At least the fibroscan says no fibrosis/cirrhosis, just fatty liver.

And big thanks to this site and moderators/posters its been very informative!
DB

[Lynn K]

Hi DB and welcome

Viral loads can and do vary often significantly. If you check again it may be lower.

Found this about viral load:

“ The viral load results from the quantitative PCR test can range from 15 to 100,000,000 IU/L. If your results are: Fewer than 15 IU/mL: The virus is detected, but the amount can't be measured exactly.”

Your viral load while somewhat high isn’t the highest possible. Just to add viral load does not relate to severity of illness.

I’ve gotta run right now will get back to you later on about your other questions

Best of luck
Lynn

[76trombones]

Also anyone can explain at the bottom of this viral load test result it says:
LOG10 HCVQN     >7.40log10RNA

i read up on it but still is not clear. thanks!
DB

[Lynn K]

Still busy but the numbers refer to the logarithmic scale for your test result it’s just another way to describe your viral load but on a different mathematical scale.

It is read as Hepatitis C Virus greater than a score of 7.4 on the log base 10 scale for virus RNA

Log base 10 7.4  is the same number as your viral load of 25 million IU/mL (international units per mL of blood sample)

Hope that helps

[76trombones]

i finished my 8 weeks mavyret today, god bless big pharma 
id say my hep c symptoms are 90% improved. i started noticing incremental improvement about 2 weeks into treatment.  side effects were a grind but doable. i had a dizzy/nausea spell about about an hour after i took my dose the first 3 days but it lasted only 20mins and then i felt fine. eating more food with the pills helped. then days 5 -10 i had constant but mild headache & nausea that built up to a full flu like feeling for 2 days roughly, then it completely cleared up for 5-6 days and i felt pretty ok, and then it would repeat, mild headache & nausea, tiredness 5-6 days and then it would clear up for 5-6 days,&  i never had full flu like feeling again thank god.  the last 2 weeks i had no side effects at all.
   i hate taking drugs and i hate drug side effects i'm a big whiner so if i can handle it then you can too, so dont delay if you get the chance. yes some people have bad side effects but odds are it wont be you 
 i havnt had any tests yet, i'll keep you posted. fingers crossed.

DB

[Lynn K]

Congrats on finishing treatment what a great holiday gift to be free of the hep c virus.

Wishing you a great hep c free new year and life!