Hep B

[Donnawalker]

Chronic Hepatitis B carrier

[baldyonion]

Hi I have had chronic Hep B since 2012 would be interested in what kind of treatment you are under . I had a course of peg interferon for 6 months in 2014 which didn't make any difference have been on Tenofovir Disoproxil since and the virile load has been reduced dramatically. I have had a biopsy and fibre scan...I get an ultrasound scan every 6months and have full bloods done now every 3 months. All by N.H.S.

[Donnawalker in reply to baldyonion]

Hello, I have never had any medication for hep b. My fibroscan was 9.9 so the hepatoligist just ran my hepatitis b quantitative (this number usually is either 0 or 200) which is low so I don't know how my fibroscan is 9.9. If my viral load is so low

[Tess74 in reply to Donnawalker]

I had a fibro scan the other week which came up as 16.6kpa but I wasn't convinced the operator knew what he was doing so I had another one 4 days later (on an empty stomach) which came up as 10.4kpa...before then past readings have been 11.6kpa/11.4kpa. I have hep c ....so with that in mind I'd say scan results are as good as the person operating the machine plus an empty stomach probably gives a better reading

[Donnawalker in reply to Tess74]

Thank you for sharing your situation. Maybe the doctors should go back to biopsy if this scan varies this much

[Bolly]

I also have chronic Hep B. I have a Hep B DNA/PCR to check my viral load every 6 months. Am also on Tenofovir daily for life. Even with a low viral load it would be wise to have your nearest and dearest checked for antibodies and then vaccinated if not done already. It's highly infectious, more so than Hep C.

[baldyonion in reply to Bolly]

Hi Bolly have read your reply to Donna it seems you are on same treatment as myself it would be good to keep in touch if you don't mind ...Baldy

[Bolly in reply to baldyonion]

That would be great. How long have you been taking the tablets? (Don't they look like Viagra, he he)

[baldyonion in reply to Bolly]

Have Been taking the tablets since September 2014 after I came off the pegulated interferon......Was wondering why I got funny looks if I took a tablet when out for dinner ....not that I would know what viagra looked like lol

[Bolly]

Being female i don't take the blue pills! But ive seen pictures on t'internet and they look similar!

Like you i have no definite idea how i contracted Hep B but i do know it was prior to 1976 when it was picked up in my blood when i tried to donate. So ive had it for 40+ years.

Recent tests on the DNA of the virus suggest its a strain most commonly found in East Africa, which was were i was the year before diagnosis. The only route i can think of is through a mosquito bite or a bed bug bite - research shows bed bugs can contain blood borne viruses long enough to transfer the blood elsewhere, research on mosquitoes is less clear, but they do transmit a lot of viruses from animal to human and between humans (like malaria and now the zika virus).

I've only been on medication since 2010, as the 'old' idea was you only treated with interferon in the acute stage (horrid drug, like chemotherapy only worse), and after that you only used anti-virals if the viral load was over 3,000iu. Mine has always been low, in the 100s but unfortunately the 'old' idea was wrong and i have cirrhosis and had HCC cancer caused by the HBV virus. Luckily my surgeon was brave enough to operate and in 2010 i had a liver resection where they remove the lobe of the liver with the tumour.

Now the Tenofovir is keeping me ok. You should have your bone density checked, take calcium and Vit D3, have your kidney function checked, and have your inorganic phosphate checked, as the Tenofovir can remove calcium and phosphates from your body. Also check contraindications with other drugs.

My GP is not allowed to supervise this drug, or dispense it, its consultant prescribing only.

Hope you are keeping ok, and living a relatively normal life. Have your family been checked and vaccinated?

[baldyonion]

Family have been checked okay the pegulated interferon was not very nice had to take time of work as couldn't function properly and part of my work was driving a 30 ton Fire Truck in an Airport. ..I left in the end could not be bothered with the shift work . The blueys as I call them dramatically bought down the viral load..My next Consultant appointment is around October. .see the Nurse in August for bloods and next prescription from Hospital Pharmacy. Keep in Touch

B.