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Author Topic: Liver function tests in long term  (Read 12953 times)

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Offline Mugwump

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  • My number of posts means nothing, piscor ergo sum!
Liver function tests in long term
« on: October 30, 2016, 10:09:58 pm »
In the next few weeks I will know for certain how well my liver is functioning. After over 1.5 years of being HCV free for the first time since I was in my teens I am hoping that my liver shows a reversal of cirrhosis. How low my bilirubin is will tell the tale. It has not been normal for my age yet post treatment.

The symptoms of liver disease seem to be easing off and the constant itching is definitely reduced in the past 4 months or so. The little spots that show on my fingers are reduced so all indications are that I am one of the lucky ones that got treated in the nick of time!

I hope beyond hope that the doctor will tell me that my liver is almost normal for a change, it was discouraging seeing my test results get worse every 6 months until the call was made that I had progressed to cirrhosis.

I still have far too many fish to catch before I check out for good!!

Cheers and all the best to everyone who has liver damage from this terrible affliction.
Eric
Caution shameless self promotion below :-)
https://www.hepmag.com/article/eric-reesor-27742-782589663
DING DONG MY DRAGON (HCV) IS FINALLY DEAD!

Offline dragonslayer

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Re: Liver function tests in long term
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2016, 10:15:59 pm »
Best of luck to you Eric!   It would be so great if you clawed your way back from Cirrhosis.. Great for you, and for all those in a similar boat looking for any signs to hang onto that reversal really can happen.

Speaking of boats, Fishermen of the world UNITE!
Paul

DX 2008
Started Harvoni 11/26/14 for 8 wks
Completed 8 wks Harvoni 01/20/15
EOT RNA Quant result:  Detected 29
7.5 wk post tx: Detected < LLOQ(12)
11 wk post tx: UNDETECTED SVR12
24 wk post tx: UNDETECTED SVR24; AST 26; ALT 22; ALP 73
48 wk post tx: UNDETECTED SVR48; AST 18; ALT 18; ALP 70
GT 1a
vl 2.4mil
2008 bpx: Stage&Grade 0
2013 bpx: Stage&Grade: 0-1
IL28B: TT
likely infected early '70s

Offline Lynn K

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  • Get tested, get treated, get cured, fight Hep c!
Re: Liver function tests in long term
« Reply #2 on: October 31, 2016, 12:44:13 am »
Good luck to you Eric hope you have better news than me.

Platelet count still low but that is only test out of normal.
Pre treatment Fibroscan was 27 one year post was 33.

Good luck I hope at least some of us get to moon walk back from the precipice
Genotype 1a
1978 contracted, 1990 Dx
1995 Intron A failed
2001 Interferon Riba null response
2003 Pegintron Riba trial med null response
2008 F4 Cirrhosis Bx
2014 12 week Sov/Oly relapse
10/14 fibroscan 27 PLT 96
2014 24 weeks Harvoni 15 weeks Riba
5/4/15 EOT not detected, ALT 21, AST 20
4 week post not detected, ALT 26, AST 28
12 week post NOT DETECTED (07/27/15)
ALT 29, AST 27 PLT 92
24 week post NOT DETECTED! (10/19/15)
44 weeks (3/11/16)  fibroscan 33, PLT 111, HCV NOT DETECTED!
I AM FREE!

Offline I fightis thetitis

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  • Posts: 129
Re: Liver function tests in long term
« Reply #3 on: November 02, 2016, 02:23:31 am »
Good luck Eric!

Have you been feeling better with time? Sounds like you were taken to the edge and started treatment in the nick. That seems to be the story for a few of us.
Any symptoms of liver damage in the last 6 mos?
Are you taking any herbs/spices/nutrients like Milk Thistle ect?

NAC and Alpha Lipoic Acid are getting a new round of thumbs up I see. I have been taking them for years.

It seems that immune system boosting with natural ingredients like Garlic/Ginger/Tumeric works better for me/us at F4 rather than inflammation herb fighters, since the DAA's wiped out the virus and reduced or eliminated active Liver inflammation.
I suspect immune boosting would help protect us more than the inflammation fighters now that we cleared the virus..
Boosting our bodies natural interferon effect.. One can hope that boosting our immunity will create stronger cells and help repair Liver function.. and perhaps regenerate or bypass where there was bridging that left scar tissue..

I read that the sudden drop in Liver inflammation from the DAA's was a hypothesis for the HCC reoccurrence from those european studies. But who knows right?

Keep us in the loop and I'm sure your classical music has a natural healing effect as well. At least on the soul..

Cheers,

Greg
M59  56@start of TX. date infected:1976
diagnosed 1997 - asymtomatic
Genotype 1a
AST 111 -ALT 124 - AFP -89
Viral Load 1900000 - Log 6.28
Fibro Test F4 ActiTest A3
Harvoni 24 wks - start date 11/24/15

6 Week Labs VL Undetected!
104 weeks EOT Undetected.

8/25/17 Fibrosure score 80 = F4
11/10/17 Fibroscan 7.5 mean 1.6 m/s = F2
8/2018 Ultra sound normal.

Offline KimInTheForest

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  • Believe in yourself
Re: Liver function tests in long term
« Reply #4 on: November 02, 2016, 12:55:32 pm »
Good luck with those tests, Eric! :)

kim
Kim Goldberg (Nanaimo, BC)
1970s: Contracted HCV (genotype 3a)
2015: Cured with Harvoni + ribavirin (12 weeks)
MY STORY: https://pigsquash.wordpress.com/2016/01/28/undetectable-my-hep-c-story/

Offline FutureThinker

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  • Posts: 711
  • Onward and upward!
Re: Liver function tests in long term
« Reply #5 on: November 02, 2016, 04:06:33 pm »
Mugwump, fingers and toes crossed for you!! Sending lots of positive and healing thoughts your way.  FT
Treatment naive
Likely contracted mid-70s
Diagnosed 1a, 2011
F1-2
Harvoni X 12 weeks, completed 5/17/16
Pre-treatment: VL 3 mil, AST 64, ALT 84
4 week labs: VL 30, AST 21, ALT 14
8 week labs: VL UD!!!, AST 22, ALT 16
12 week labs: VL UD, AST 23, ALT 14
2 wk EOT: VL UD
12 wk EOT: VL UD, AST 22, ALT 13 =  SVR 12! Yay! 
Last hep appointment: VL UD, AST 19, ALT 12 = SVR 39! I AM DONE!

Offline Mugwump

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  • Posts: 778
  • My number of posts means nothing, piscor ergo sum!
Re: Liver function tests in long term
« Reply #6 on: November 02, 2016, 08:43:07 pm »
Decent results this time all well within safe levels, so I guess my liver is functioning fairly well for an old piece of meat the size of Texas! My platelets are also within safe levels so I guess the pressure on my spleen is easing down somewhat.

Although my RBC is slightly high at 5.46 read at 10 to the twelfth so I guess my system is letting a few too many red cells out at a time so my iron levels are most likely still a little high, which is common for a stocky size guy at my age. All in all I guess I have a few more fish to fry. I had the feeling that my bilirubin was finally starting to normalize because my joints hurt much less than they did only a year ago and I am showing less so called "age spots".

If my cirrhosis was progressing at all I am sure the detailed readings would show it. 

Total Bilirubin 8
   
<17 umol/L

Alkaline Phosphatase 65
   
40-145 U/L

Gamma GT 33
   
<49 U/L

ALT 27
   
<50U/L

AST 32
   
<36 U/L

Platelet Count 163
   
150-400 10*9/L
Caution shameless self promotion below :-)
https://www.hepmag.com/article/eric-reesor-27742-782589663
DING DONG MY DRAGON (HCV) IS FINALLY DEAD!

Offline KimInTheForest

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  • Believe in yourself
Re: Liver function tests in long term
« Reply #7 on: November 02, 2016, 08:52:14 pm »
Great numbers, Eric! Congrats!

kim :)
Kim Goldberg (Nanaimo, BC)
1970s: Contracted HCV (genotype 3a)
2015: Cured with Harvoni + ribavirin (12 weeks)
MY STORY: https://pigsquash.wordpress.com/2016/01/28/undetectable-my-hep-c-story/

Offline Lynn K

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Re: Liver function tests in long term
« Reply #8 on: November 02, 2016, 08:52:37 pm »
All right Eric!!

Looking great congrats!
Genotype 1a
1978 contracted, 1990 Dx
1995 Intron A failed
2001 Interferon Riba null response
2003 Pegintron Riba trial med null response
2008 F4 Cirrhosis Bx
2014 12 week Sov/Oly relapse
10/14 fibroscan 27 PLT 96
2014 24 weeks Harvoni 15 weeks Riba
5/4/15 EOT not detected, ALT 21, AST 20
4 week post not detected, ALT 26, AST 28
12 week post NOT DETECTED (07/27/15)
ALT 29, AST 27 PLT 92
24 week post NOT DETECTED! (10/19/15)
44 weeks (3/11/16)  fibroscan 33, PLT 111, HCV NOT DETECTED!
I AM FREE!

Offline gnatcatcher

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  • Posts: 1,372
Re: Liver function tests in long term
« Reply #9 on: November 03, 2016, 05:36:32 am »
. . . If my cirrhosis was progressing at all I am sure the detailed readings would show it. . . .

Eric, these numbers are so good that if you had pre- and post-tx FibroScans to compare, the kPa score probably went down. Great news for you, not so great for the fish -- go get em!

Gnatty
9/29/71 transfusions
HCV genotype 1a
7/09/15-9/30/15 Harvoni

Before treatment:
Viral Load 9,490,582
FibroScan 19.5 kPa [F4]
ALT 262
AST 217
ALP 183

Most recent:
VL still UNDETECTED (SVR 102)
FibroScan 7.6 kPa [F1-2]
ALT 15
AST 20
ALP 85

Offline Philadelphia

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  • Member
  • Posts: 1,157
  • It only looks like I know what I'm doing
Re: Liver function tests in long term
« Reply #10 on: November 06, 2016, 06:25:52 am »
Nice numbers Eric! Good work.
CURED SVR24  Class of 2015
Wk 12 post EOT 30.11.15: ALT 14 AST 22 GGT 22 VL UND
Week 19 07.08.15: ALT 17 AST 23 GGT 25
Week 12 18.06.15: ALT 21 AST 23 GGT 28
Week 8 25.05.15: ALT 23 AST 27 GGT 30 VL UND
Week 4 20.04.14: ALT 30 AST 36 VL 40
Treatment start 23.03.15: ALT 137 AST 185 VL 342,600
Cirrhosis Child-Pugh A, Genotype 1a - Viekira Pak + riba 24 weeks
Total failure interferon/ribavirin/boceprovir Mar 2013
https://www.hepmag.com/blogger/grace-campbell

Offline Mugwump

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  • Posts: 778
  • My number of posts means nothing, piscor ergo sum!
Re: Liver function tests in long term
« Reply #11 on: November 06, 2016, 01:17:02 pm »
Thanks everyone for the kind words.
Good luck Eric!

 

It seems that immune system boosting with natural ingredients like Garlic/Ginger/Tumeric works better for me/us at F4 rather than inflammation herb fighters, since the DAA's wiped out the virus and reduced or eliminated active Liver inflammation.
I suspect immune boosting would help protect us more than the inflammation fighters now that we cleared the virus..
Boosting our bodies natural interferon effect.. One can hope that boosting our immunity will create stronger cells and help repair Liver function.. and perhaps regenerate or bypass where there was bridging that left scar tissue..

I read that the sudden drop in Liver inflammation from the DAA's was a hypothesis for the HCC reoccurrence from those european studies. But who knows right?

Keep us in the loop and I'm sure your classical music has a natural healing effect as well. At least on the soul..

Cheers,

Greg


As you say "who knows?" but the known properties of tumeric, garlic and ginger no doubt help liver function.
OK YOU GOT ME GOING
Here is the old school labour intensive way of doing it.

1 cup fine diced onion saute with four tablespoons each of minced garlic and ginger in clarified butter. DO NOT OVERHEAT slow saute only

2 lbs of 1 inch  diced good chicken meats not to fatty with skin removed.

Make a clear chicken broth from the roasted bones and skin and then strain out fat reduce to two cups. or use a commercial broth that does not contain MSG! 

THE CURRY
A good quality fresh ground spices only!
one powdered star anise, one teaspoon cumin, one quarter teaspoon cinnamon no more, two teaspoons green cardamom, 1 teaspoon cayenne or less depending on how hot you like it, one teaspoon coriander, four tablespoons tumeric

make combined spices into a paste with hot clarified butter to add after meat is slowly cooked in original broth.

If you are using salted clarified butter add no salt to dish.

Stir chicken broth into spice mixture separately from the main dish and use arrow root thickener and butter to make it moderately thick. Some use tomato paste as a thickener however the original dish does not.

Balance the dish with rice vinegar and cane sugar the same way you balance any great dish with hot, sweet, sour in Asian cooking.

Serve over basmati rice with a good side of dal, roti and curried beet or whatever greens.

Your liver will thank you

Cheers
Eric 

Caution shameless self promotion below :-)
https://www.hepmag.com/article/eric-reesor-27742-782589663
DING DONG MY DRAGON (HCV) IS FINALLY DEAD!

Offline elias

  • Member
  • Posts: 285
Re: Liver function tests in long term
« Reply #12 on: November 06, 2016, 01:55:43 pm »
Thanks for recipe, eric

Wish theyd have section here on forum specifically dedicated to liver health. So we could have it all in one  convenient place. Many here r getting cured of HCV , and hope to restore liver health after years n decades of damage
Contracted HCV ~age 12
Diagnosed: September 2016 GT2b
F3 by Fibrosure: 0.66
Necroinflammat activity: A3 0.76
================
VL Sep. 12, 2016: 1.44 million/ Log: 6.157
AST:71/ ALT:114   Sept. 1, 2016 Before treatment
==================
4 week after beginning  Epclusa:
Viral Load: UNDETECTED
AST 17/ALT 11
===============
Began Epclusa:  October 22, 2016
End of Treatment [EOT]: January 13. 2017
====================
EOT+4 Weeks: UNDETECTED
====================
SVR 12 April14-HCV Not Detected

Offline Lynn K

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  • Get tested, get treated, get cured, fight Hep c!
Re: Liver function tests in long term
« Reply #13 on: November 06, 2016, 03:20:05 pm »
Hi Elias, Greg and all interested

If you like guys could just start a new discussion in that topic bet you would have a lively sharing of ideas and recipes then we could find that info all in one location instead of sprinkled throughout many threads

Maybe in the off topic forum

Just a thought :)
« Last Edit: November 06, 2016, 03:21:55 pm by Lynn K »
Genotype 1a
1978 contracted, 1990 Dx
1995 Intron A failed
2001 Interferon Riba null response
2003 Pegintron Riba trial med null response
2008 F4 Cirrhosis Bx
2014 12 week Sov/Oly relapse
10/14 fibroscan 27 PLT 96
2014 24 weeks Harvoni 15 weeks Riba
5/4/15 EOT not detected, ALT 21, AST 20
4 week post not detected, ALT 26, AST 28
12 week post NOT DETECTED (07/27/15)
ALT 29, AST 27 PLT 92
24 week post NOT DETECTED! (10/19/15)
44 weeks (3/11/16)  fibroscan 33, PLT 111, HCV NOT DETECTED!
I AM FREE!

Offline elias

  • Member
  • Posts: 285
Re: Liver function tests in long term
« Reply #14 on: November 06, 2016, 03:22:55 pm »
k. lynn...would be more convenient if there were section for it though, rather than just one thread
Contracted HCV ~age 12
Diagnosed: September 2016 GT2b
F3 by Fibrosure: 0.66
Necroinflammat activity: A3 0.76
================
VL Sep. 12, 2016: 1.44 million/ Log: 6.157
AST:71/ ALT:114   Sept. 1, 2016 Before treatment
==================
4 week after beginning  Epclusa:
Viral Load: UNDETECTED
AST 17/ALT 11
===============
Began Epclusa:  October 22, 2016
End of Treatment [EOT]: January 13. 2017
====================
EOT+4 Weeks: UNDETECTED
====================
SVR 12 April14-HCV Not Detected

Offline Lynn K

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  • Member
  • Posts: 4,546
  • Get tested, get treated, get cured, fight Hep c!
Re: Liver function tests in long term
« Reply #15 on: November 06, 2016, 03:25:00 pm »
Maybe one of the other moderators with control over forum settings could set that up as a topic

Can you suggest a title?
Genotype 1a
1978 contracted, 1990 Dx
1995 Intron A failed
2001 Interferon Riba null response
2003 Pegintron Riba trial med null response
2008 F4 Cirrhosis Bx
2014 12 week Sov/Oly relapse
10/14 fibroscan 27 PLT 96
2014 24 weeks Harvoni 15 weeks Riba
5/4/15 EOT not detected, ALT 21, AST 20
4 week post not detected, ALT 26, AST 28
12 week post NOT DETECTED (07/27/15)
ALT 29, AST 27 PLT 92
24 week post NOT DETECTED! (10/19/15)
44 weeks (3/11/16)  fibroscan 33, PLT 111, HCV NOT DETECTED!
I AM FREE!

Offline elias

  • Member
  • Posts: 285
Re: Liver function tests in long term
« Reply #16 on: November 06, 2016, 03:56:26 pm »
perhaps:

"Recovery from HCV: Healing the Liver"
Contracted HCV ~age 12
Diagnosed: September 2016 GT2b
F3 by Fibrosure: 0.66
Necroinflammat activity: A3 0.76
================
VL Sep. 12, 2016: 1.44 million/ Log: 6.157
AST:71/ ALT:114   Sept. 1, 2016 Before treatment
==================
4 week after beginning  Epclusa:
Viral Load: UNDETECTED
AST 17/ALT 11
===============
Began Epclusa:  October 22, 2016
End of Treatment [EOT]: January 13. 2017
====================
EOT+4 Weeks: UNDETECTED
====================
SVR 12 April14-HCV Not Detected

 


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