It’s not the viral you look at . It’s your surface antigen HBVs <100 to be called functionally cured . You can still developed cirrhosis or HCC.
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Hi @Mila,
Some studies have shown evidence that fasting especially intermittent fasting has health benefits. I am not exactly sure if this link (it effect on HBV viral load) specifically has been studied or explored though. Great question. Bansah1
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@Ccheng8346 ,Hopefully I’m not going to anytime soon 
…it’s just since there is no cure for chronic HBV, viral load is the only thing I can manage and be in control of, still something …)
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@Bansah1, I just wish the cure will be available in some foreseen future…
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I agree. There is a lot of work being done on this. Let’s remain hopeful, that it happens soon. Thanks, Bansah1.
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The best you can do is to exercise and maintain your ALT in the teens like 15, 16 stay below 25. The next 5 yrs will be exciting to find at least a functional cure. Not all HEPA B become cirrhotic or developed HCC depends on the viral genotype
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I’ve just moved this question to a more appropriate existing thread. Please see above for the responses on this topic.
Thomas
@Ccheng8346 Thats for sure! Also I find stress much more harmful than a bad diet and lack of exercise for the liver, and very hard to maintain mental stability these days….
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IMO it’s probably a coincidence. I’ve read the studies saying starvation tends to increase viral load, but because the half life is quite long it’s not really possible to see direct correlations like that. It builds up over time and degrades over time
The virus does hijack autophagy in some senses to spread, but there’s also other mechanisms that I’ve read about where the liver uses autophagy to protect itself against the virus
I’ve also seen studies showing that green tea results in a more complete autophagy, which results in dissolving the same viral proteins which usually do not otherwise get degraded by the process
All in all my take away from it is that nobody really knows, so personally I wouldn’t take the virus into account when considering whether to fast or not
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You don’t have to starve yourself to lose weight. Many to most people who need to lose weight have so much stored suger(glucose) and carbs in their body that if they go on a no carb diet( most natural foods like vegetables and meats, which have 0 to very low carb) they can lose weight as well as cure fatty liver.
My doctor told me fda just approved a medication to cure fatty liver, but to be prescribed to it you have to liver damage
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Hi,
So, once you begin antiviral treatment which is life long, I guess you cannot do full fast that is no food and no water for a day or more days, because meds should be taken with food.
You should at least eat one meal, so intermittent fasting is still possible that is skipping breakfast, lunch or dinner.
I am right aint I ?
Br,
Hi @hepb1
According to hepB.org,
“if they are taking antiviral medications or have serious liver damage such as cirrhosis (liver scarring) or ascites (buildup of fluid in the abdomen which may cause severe pain or swelling) or liver cancer, fasting is not allowed as it may jeopardize their health”
Post: Is Fasting Safe for People Living with Hepatitis B? - Hepatitis B Foundation.
There was also a study on HBV transgenic mice and the effect of fasting. It was found that fasting increased their viral load.
Ref: Li, L., Oropeza, C. E., Kaestner, K. H., & McLachlan, A. (2009). Limited effects of fasting on hepatitis B virus (HBV) biosynthesis in HBV transgenic mice. Journal of virology , 83 (4), 1682–1688. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.02208-08
However, there is little study on Hepatitis B and fasting in humans.
Most of all, it is best to speak with your doctor about any changes and recommendations to your diet.
All the best,
Sumaya
Hi,
I believe it is recommended to take tenofovir with food, and as far as I understand it’s recommended that way because some studies have shown that the drug is absorbed more readily into the blood stream when it is taken with food. You don’t need to eat a full meal when taking anti-virals, even eating a small amount of food when taking the drug will improve its uptake vs. not taking any food when taking anti-viral drugs.
I think the effectiveness of tenofovir does not really diminish a great amount to the point it’s not effective when taken without food. It is just more effective when taken with food than without.
Can any medical expert confirm this as well? I don’t want to give wrong information based on memory.
Hi @hepb1,
I’m not quite clear about the kind of fasting that you are asking about, but I’ve put it in a more appropriate thread. Perhaps the information above can help you.
@PharmacyExperts, do any of you have an opinion on this? My understanding is that food (whether before, after or during) doesn’t matter for tenofovir. My stomach seems to like it better if it is at least a little full when taking it, but that might just be something to do with the bulking agent and my stomach.
Cheers,
Thomas
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@hepb1 . Thanks for bringing this up. Even though food (especially a high- fat containing) in some studies showed a mid increase in absorption and concentration at target sites, it really doesn’t translate to any significant effectiveness of Tenofovir. So, on empty stomach, great! With food, no problems.
I hope this tries to address your question?
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Starving is not the key to losing weight. I thought some time ago it was, but it’s not true for long term weight lost. Stop eating anything and everything with carbs and sugars. You have to go caloric deficit.
After your liver enter ketosis, then you have feed your body’s energy through fat. It’s hard. I say unless it’s a medical emergency, 90% of the people don’t have the will power to keep that diet for a year
Hi all,
The TDF (Viread) prescribing information says it doesn’t matter if it is taken with food.
The reason the prescribing instructions always include instructions relative to food is that absorption of drugs taken orally can be greatly affected by what’s in the stomach and intestines. For example, some compounds (like the ocular vitamins I take 2x per day) should be taken with food that has a bit of fat in it. That is because the fat helps some of the vitamins be absorbed. Other drugs need to avoid food because they may bind to undigestible components in the food and be excreted in feces, or may be absorbed less well due to competition with the transporters (proteins in the intestine that take up nutrients) by something similar in food. Others need to be taken with food because the drugs can cause minor gastric (ie stomach) upset or indigestion. Another drug I take is in that category.
I hope this helps.
John.
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