Level 3 fibrosis, what to expect now

[Barrny2]

I had hep c for 36 years and cleared it last year with treatment. My fibroscan showed 11.5 severe fibrosis level 3. Got another one to go to and worried what it will show. Can this be reversed or stopped or should i expect it to be further along?

[AyrshireK]

According to the Fibroscan score chart and where Hep C is the cause of the liver damage 11.5 kPa only relates to F2 going into F3 so maybe not as bad as first thought. What they say is if you can stop the assault on the liver (in your case by treating the Hep C) then it should be possible to halt progression of the condition and even possibly reverse some of the damage.

It will be important to protect the damaged liver from further 'assault' as well so this means protecting it from fatty liver, alcohol too. No good curing one thing that's attacked your liver and attacking it by other means.

You should though be continuously monitored from now on for signs of any deterioration but also for any signs of changes in the liver. Some of the new Hep C treatments can somewhat slightly increase chances of developing liver cancers so it should be routine that you have ultrasound scans going forward every 6 months so any changes can be picked up soon enough and acted upon.

Information on Hepatitis C at :- britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

Fibroscan score chart which I referred to -

Fibroscan Score Chart

[Barrny2 in reply to AyrshireK]

Thankyou so much for your reply it means a great deal to speak to someone who is honest and open. I also feel the nurse i see downplays everything i say in relation to how i feel e.g. feeling tired and weak a lot. Im beginning to think its my imagination.

[Barrny2 in reply to Barrny2]

I have just checked the letter sent to my GP from my nurse and this says i am indeed F3 so now confused. Im not sure what to think now?

[AyrshireK in reply to Barrny2]

Borderline F3 (at the most) if that's what they are saying. No need to panic, they say that all stages of fibrosis up to and including early F4 (cirrhosis) are reversible to a degree so just keep looking after your liver, having your follow up appointments and live the best life you can.My hubby has cirrhosis due to auto immune liver disease, there was nothing he could have done to prevent his condition and little he can do to improve it. He just lives his life the best he can, makes the most of good days, writes off the bad. He has all sorts of symptoms with regards to fatigue, sleep disruption, cognitive issues etc. but he doesn't dwell on his liver condition at all, just gets on with life. We look after his liver the best we can with diet, exercise and just keeping as well as possible plus doing everything that doctors tell us to.

Katie

[Bootandall]

Hi Barrny2, congratulations on clearing your Help C! Yay!! 😁 I also had treatment & after more than 40 years I was cleared, in 2017. I did end up with cirrhosis, but l feel fantastic now that l am sleeping and eating better, no booze. I don't know what my Fibroscan score is/was but have been told it has improved. That isn't how my doc keeps tabs on me, l have an MRI (because l am obese and most of my weight is in my middle 😝) and blood work every six months. They have told me cirrhosis isn't reversible but fibrosis can be. Hopefully you caught it in time! I think the key is to stay as lean as possible and eat very mindfully, which I obviously struggle to do. Good luck! 😉

[Barrny2 in reply to Bootandall]

Thankyou so much, i am so much more positive now. Im lucky because ive never drank alcohol and up until recently now ive begun to feel tired i was quite fit, jogged 4 times per week to marathon level. I have put on a bit of weight so maybe best to try and loose this, easier said than done. Ill keep positive and hope for a good score on my next scan 🤞

[Bootandall in reply to Barrny2]

I hope 🤞 so too. I think positivity is way under-rated.

[Maisy2020]

Hi barrny2 ,i discovered last year i had hep c ,after my husband died suddenly from liver cancer, he had never had a days illness in his life ,anyway i changed my diet completely no sugers or salts ,before treatment i was f4 and 13.3 after treatment i was f2 and 9.1 ,so your liver can recover if you treat it right, good luck on your journey.

[Barrny2 in reply to Maisy2020]

Thankyou so much for your reply. Thanks to all of you i feel so positive 😍I will update the forum when i get my fibroscan, im confident all will be good