For the past several weeks I've been feeling too tired to think. I fall asleep at work, sleep a lot at home. My viral load is now 800K; previously it has been around 300K for a number of years. My enzyme level is around 60. I have never had conventional treatment, relying instead on acupuncture and chinese herbs for relief of fatigue and pains. My viral genotype, I believe, is 3.
 
I am scared of having drug treatment because of the possible side effects and interference with my daily functioning. But not being able to think is disabling, too. Can this be a symptom of HCV?
 
One more question: When patients respond to drug treatment, a very high percentage of them eventually relapse, say, within a year or two, correct? What is the sustained (indefinitely) success rate for treatment of genotype 3, previously untreated? How many HCV monoinfected relapse and how many HCV/HIV coinfected relapse?
 
Many thanks
 

The success rate of combination therapy for genotype 3 is excellent >80% sustained response. you can also likely get away with 6 months of therapy. in general with combo Rx, relapse rates are low (20% or less) that rate or relapse will be higher with coiinfection, but not enough data are available for this group.