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dBo - 29 Jul 2008 23:49 GMT

I never seem to have seen this referred to specifically. In terms of
liver damage/cirrhosis can you progress with liver damage in to
cirrhosis and still have normal liver enzymes or would they definitley
be elevated?

I keep thinking back to the fact that if I had Hep C for 30 years, and
my liver profile never showed any problem until I was already stage 3,
would that still apply once the Hep C has cleared and things "return
to normal"? At that point I probably had had the Hep C for close to 30
years before anything showed up as amiss in normal testing....

In other words,

1. Can one safely "assume" (always a dangerous proposition, I know!)
that if the liver profile and liver enzymes stay within normal limits,
that things are "well" ? Or

2. Could your liver still be going down the tubes and still showing
normal enzymes levels?

Thanks to those who know these things :)

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Cactus Jammies - 30 Jul 2008 00:02 GMT

Google terms: reversal of cirrhosis fibrosis liver hepatitis C

these seem to be good places to start. you did not make it clear that you
had a cirrhosis dx before tx.
I have no idea if LFT's in the normal range ensure that the effects of
scarring/fibrosis have been
overcome by the healthy regenerative state of your liver. there are more
hits. these were in the
top ten

- cj

http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/hepC/Reversal.html

http://www.gastrojournal.org/article/PIIS0016508503009739/fulltext

http://dailystrength.org/c/Hepatitis_C/forum/2806917-reversal-cirrhosis-rats

http://smj.org.uk/0204/fibrosis.htm

>I never seem to have seen this referred to specifically. In terms of
> liver damage/cirrhosis can you progress with liver damage in to
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>
> Thanks to those who know these things :)

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Waterspider - 30 Jul 2008 00:14 GMT

For years I was never tested for hepatitis c because my liver function test
results were consistently "within normal range."
After I finally was diagnosed, they were still normal, and my doctor assured
me that, because of this, my liver damage was minimal and I probably
wouldn't have to bother with treatment (I'd had hep c for about 20 years).
My biopsy showed bridging fibrosis/cirrhosis.
My case is not unusual.
Have the biopsy, it's the only way to determine liver damage.

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Paul - 30 Jul 2008 04:02 GMT

On Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:49:19 -0700 (PDT), dBo <frizzy526@yahoo.com>,
in message ID
<936799af-b3da-452e-9659-395df65b58d5@l64g2000hse.googlegroups.com>,
in the newsgroup alt.support.hepatitis-c wrote:

>I never seem to have seen this referred to specifically. In terms of
>liver damage/cirrhosis can you progress with liver damage in to
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>
>Thanks to those who know these things :)

Just want to add my voice to what WS says in this thread.
My blood tests showed "normal" but I had a fair bit of damage. Not as
much damage as WS's liver but I had got to around stage 2 grade 3. I
only had the test for insurance purposes as I had no warning that I
had hep-c. In hindsight I recognise that I was tiring more easily
than before but that may well have been due to working longer hours
anyway.

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eileen - 30 Jul 2008 19:09 GMT

> I never seem to have seen this referred to specifically. In terms of
> liver damage/cirrhosis can you progress with liver damage in to
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>
> Thanks to those who know these things :)

I hope by now you know your answer,but to let you know I never had
elevated anything even when I had a renal infarction (heart attack of
Kidney) the kidney was without blood supply for too much time to save
it. Renal scan showed this and then confirmed by arterialgram. Now
elevated GFR chases me around the charts. This after completeting 77
weeks of treatment.
eileen

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dBo - 31 Jul 2008 00:45 GMT

Well thanks for the feedback all.

I had the biopsy prior to tx - stage 3 with some bridging fibrosis/
portal tract etc etc.. Lots of inflammation. "Extensive" fatty
infiltration of the liver ect. Liver enzymes only mildly elevated ( I
can't quote what they were without looking these old stats up from
2005)

I have read tons on the regenerative powers of the liver, thanks for
the links CJ. My own BLCD said after tx that my liver had probably
regressed back to stage two and maybe even stage 1, tho that was an
"opinon" based on current research as opposed to a second biopsy or
anything like that.

I recently had a followup addominal CAT Scan and the results returned
showing "mild" fatty infiltration of the liver as opposed to
"extensive" so that would seem to be an improvement as well, tho I
have not seen the actual radiologists report, only received a follow
up report from the dr who ordered the blood work and the cat scan that
all bloodwork was WLN and the Cat showed "mild" fatty infiltration. I
plan to get copies of all these reports when I go in for annual phx in
a couple of weeks so I can see the numbers and the radiologist report
for myself.

So all that being said, I still am not clear on all of this...my
questions linger.....if my liver enzymes stay WNL ( as they were for
years despite being infected with the disease) then I"m not sure that
really tells me anything. I was not to the point of cirrhosis yet, and
tx worked for me, and I remain virus free to the best of my knowledge
( I was still virus free after one year and an coming up on two year
testing...)

Guess it comes from my "Enquring Minds Want To Know" mentality and
working for years in an enviroment where i hear a lot of "how do I
KNOW..." questions.... haha!

Beyond that I suppose it is just the continued paranoia that comes
from having to face the realization that one had these little beasties
feasting on one's body for decades with no overt signs/symptoms, so
what comes NEXT with no overt signs/synptoms.....otherwise known as
getting older.... Oh head, just in that mood lately I guess ;)

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john - 03 Aug 2008 13:12 GMT

> Well thanks for the feedback all.
>
[quoted text clipped - 37 lines]
> what comes NEXT with no overt signs/synptoms.....otherwise known as
> getting older.... Oh head, just in that mood lately I guess ;)

Doctor said if i could clear this virus that my liver would be back to
a normal liver in about 8 years.In 2004 early signs of cirrohsis.stage
3.

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anonymousone - 07 Aug 2008 15:30 GMT

> > Well thanks for the feedback all.
>
[quoted text clipped - 41 lines]
> a normal liver in about 8 years.In 2004 early signs of cirrohsis.stage
> 3.

My Doctor said the same thing although he didnt put a time frame of 8
years on it.
They believe that up to stage 3 is completely reversible.

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