Viral load question

[Bumble]

I have just finished 16 weeks of Mavyret.  This was my third try at getting rid of this virus.  I am 63 years old and genotype 1a.  Previous treatment was Interferon/riboviron, dreadful treatment, bad results.  Harvoni was  next, with 0 VL immediately after treatment, only to rebound to triple what it had been.  Now, after 16 weeks of fatigue and headache (which is nothing compared to the alternative), I  have  a viral load of less than 12.  My support person says to stay positive, it's  the test at 12 weeks that is key.  Has anyone out there been in my position?  I must say this is a tough one to wrap my mind around.

[Lynn K]

There have been a couple of people here who were weakly detected at EOT and even a 4 weeks post treatment look up Dragonslayer.

He was detected at EOT and at 4 weeks but went on to be SVR 12 and is still cured.

Some here are guessing the test is picking up the remaining dead and dying virus cells or maybe just DNA fragments.

The only test that matters is the one 12 weeks after treatment has ended.

Was this the EOT test? Are you going to be tested at 4 weeks post? The majority of people who relapse will do so by 4 weeks. If you make SVR 4 from what I have read for Harvoni and I guess it is similar for Mavyret the odds of being cured are about 98.5% so just a 1.5% chance of relapse if you make SVR 4.

Hang in there wishing you the best

Let us know what happens

[Bumble]

Thanks for answering.  Yes, I will be tested 4 weeks out.  I had thought that I would not know the results of my VL until then.  When I checked my labs  there was no mention of it, I sent a message to my support person and she told me that I was not virus undetected, but less than 12.  To be honest I was not expecting to feel the way I do.   This has been a tough  fight.

[Lynn K]

Yeah I treated 3 times with interferon base treatment. The first time was interferon mono therapy with 3 shots a week for 6 months with no other meds. That was all there was at the time. I was a null responder to interferon my viral load did not decrease on treatment at all.

After I was infected for probably 30 years I was diagnosed with cirrhosis on my 4th liver biopsy. But in 2008 there was no treatment available for me. When the new DAA’s were first approved I started treatment with Sovaldi and Olysio in March 2014. I was not detected at EOT but unfortunately when tested at 12 weeks post treatment I was found to have relapsed with my viral load back to just a little higher than it was before treatment at 2.4 million.

Harvoni was approved the next month October 2014 and after a fight with my insurance I started treatment for 24 weeks of Harvoni to which we later added ribavirin for the remaining 15 weeks of treatment. That one my 5th treatment worked and I am now almost 3 years post treatment. I will be 60 next month.

Do you have any liver damage? That can make us harder to treat.

I hope you will  have good news at your 4 week and 12 week post treatment testing. I know what a long road you are on.

[Bumble]

I have tried to stay positive about the fact that at least this was 16 weeks with less discomfort than previous treatments.  After Interferon-Riboviron,  Harvoni and Mavyret didn't  seem too bad.  I have no liver disease.  My daughter was born infected and had advanced cirrhosis by the time she was 14.  My husband and she shared a transplant in 2008 on my birthday.  They have had many complications, but interferon worked pre transplant for my daughter.  She has been 0 since before her transplant. 

The worst of my symptoms seems to be the arthritis type of pain, which can be daunting,  but  most people over 60 have something.  Just started going to a pool for exercise, seems to help.

After Harvoni my viral load was 3.5 million.

[Lynn K]

Wow sounds like you and your family have had more than your share of problems from hep c.

Wishing you good news you most certainly have earned it

[andrew j]

Hi Bumble,

You might be interested in Ella's posts, in Red_Baran's thread ('Still detected ...') - at the top of this section.

(Hoping that you are doing OK today!),

A.

[Bumble]

Thanks for the heads up, I will go there directly!