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Author Topic: Question about HCV treatment....?  (Read 4462 times)

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Offline poz4afewyears

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Question about HCV treatment....?
« on: April 17, 2009, 04:05:02 pm »
I do not have HCV.

I am wondering about a few things related to HCV treatment. My infectious disease specialist also treats HCV and he says he has never ever in his whole entire years of practice had someone complete Interferon therapy. Not once. He said he has had a few people in his practice complete a suicide attempt while taking interferon. My neurologist said a similar thing about interferon for multiple sclerosis. He said that it is a different type of interferon, though, and that it is more easily tolerated. He said he has had 2 patients complete a suicide while taking Interferon, but many complete therapy with it.

Is Interferon even used in HCV therapy anymore? Has anyone tried it? Does this sound accurate of HCV therapy?
« Last Edit: April 17, 2009, 04:09:30 pm by poz4afewyears »

Offline newt

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Re: Question about HCV treatment....?
« Reply #1 on: April 17, 2009, 04:36:59 pm »
Yes hep C is treated with a combination of  interferon and ribavarin. The treatment can (frequenetly does) depress your mood. but I reckon your id doc is a doomsayer. The neruologist is more on the mark perhaps. I know several people who have completed the treatment and lived to tell the tale -- indeed they are free of hep C too.

See this guide for chapter and verse (and some personal storied):
Hepatitis C for people lving with HIV  - PDF, 800 Kb

There's a section on hep C in the Lessons section of this website too

- matt
"The object is to be a well patient, not a good patient"

Offline Ann

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    • Num is sum qui mentiar tibi?
Re: Question about HCV treatment....?
« Reply #2 on: April 17, 2009, 08:24:45 pm »
I completed 52 weeks of interferon/ribavirin back in 2002-03. I had a sustained response and am now considered cured of hep C, although we still check for a hcv VL once a year or so. I know a few others who completed the whole treatment, but I also know several who didn't because of the side-effects or because they weren't having a response (or both).


I agree with Matt the Newt, your doc sounds like a gloomy-gus. Glad he didn't oversee MY treatment, with an attitude like his, I might have been one of his suicide stats too. Oh dear.


Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

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"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline markaj

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Re: Question about HCV treatment....?
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2009, 04:52:47 pm »
I started Interferon and Ribavirin in January, it's hardly been the greatest few months of my life so far but I'm still here and taking the treatment, alongside my HIV meds.  I'm lucky to have genotype 2, one of the easier types of Hep C to treat and will have 24 weeks of treatment. 
Infected Jan 08 / diagnosed Feb 08
Feb 08 - CD4 230 (9%) VL 3.5 million
Mar 08 - CD4 440 (6%) VL 660.000
Apr 08 - CD4 420 (11%) VL 3 million
Jun 08 - CD4 200 (7%) VL 3 million
Started Kaletra/Truvada Jul 08
Jul 08  - CD4 250 (14%) VL 23.893
Aug 08 - CD4 410 (15%)  VL 4.313
Switched to Sustiva/Truvada Aug 08
Switched to Reyataz/Norvir/Truvada Sep 08
Diagnosed with Hep C, HIV meds stopped for a bit
Nov 08 - CD4 414 (12%) VL 500.000+
Started Isentress/Truvada Nov 2008
Dec 08 - CD4 381 (17%) VL 1.116
Jan 09 - CD4 534 (20%) VL <50
Started Interferon/Ribavirin Jan 09
Feb 09 - CD4 407 (24%) VL <50
Mar 09 - CD4 360 (28%) VL <50
Apr 09 - CD4 279 (30%) VL <50
Jun 09 - CD4 298 (36%) VL <50
Aug 09 - CD4 303 (35%) VL <50

Offline NYCguy

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Re: Question about HCV treatment....?
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2010, 06:50:58 pm »
Hi there - I know I'm bumping this thread up from a while back, but I just (about 30 min ago) got a call from my doc with a poz HCV diagnosis.  I had posted yesterday about the slight yellowing of my eyes being a consequence of Reyataz, which I was really hoping was the case, but unfortunately it's not.  I'm still very acute (had flu symptoms last week, which is why I went to the doc) and I'm scared shitless.  Having all those "why me" feelings just like when I found out about HIV.  I thought it was supposed to be difficult to get sexually, but either it isn't or I'm just unlucky.

Anyway, my doc is sending me to a specialist at Mt. Sinai who specializes in coinfection - Daniel Fierer.  He has written about early fibrosis in HIV pos people, which is of course making me even more concerned.  But he apparently believes in very early treatment and my doc tells me that everyone he has send to him has been cured.  Of course I haven't seen him yet so have no idea what his recommendations will be, but I need some support and feedback/suggestions now.  I can't believe I've gotten myself into this, just when I was starting to be comfortable with HIV and feeling like maybe I was actually going to live a decent lifespan and continue to enjoy the things that make life worth living...

11/9/06 = #$%^&!
sometime early Dec 2006:
CD4 530 20%/VL >250,000 (&*$$%!!)
started Reyataz300mg/Norvir/Truvada 12-27-06.
1/30/07 CD4 540 30%/VL <400
4/07 CD4 600+ 33%/VL <50
6/9/07 CD4 720 37%/VL <50
10/15/07 CD4 891 (!) %? VL <50
1/2010 CD4 599 (37%) VL<50 (drop due to acute HCV)
9/2010 - looks like HCV is gone for good! And I'm finally drinking again, thank GOD
2013 - considering a switch to Stribild. but I love my Kidneys (but I hate farting all the time!)...
June 2013 - switched to Stribild.  so far so good...

Offline Ann

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    • Num is sum qui mentiar tibi?
Re: Question about HCV treatment....?
« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2010, 08:43:14 am »
I've heard good reports about early hep C treatment. There's also a chance that you may clear the virus on your own - around 20% do.

Hang in there and let us know what the specialist says.

Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline NYCguy

  • Member
  • Posts: 181
Re: Question about HCV treatment....?
« Reply #6 on: January 07, 2010, 02:48:22 pm »
Thanks Ann. I'm scared shitless right now, especially after reading the articles saying how must lower the chances of clearing are for poz guys.  And I'm worried my numbers will be bad since I had flu symptoms and still have slightly yellow eyes.  Then one article said symptoms can mean the body is responding and a better chance of clearing/good response.  It's all driving me crazy with anxiety.
Seeing the specialist next week.  Wish me luck and prayers.
11/9/06 = #$%^&!
sometime early Dec 2006:
CD4 530 20%/VL >250,000 (&*$$%!!)
started Reyataz300mg/Norvir/Truvada 12-27-06.
1/30/07 CD4 540 30%/VL <400
4/07 CD4 600+ 33%/VL <50
6/9/07 CD4 720 37%/VL <50
10/15/07 CD4 891 (!) %? VL <50
1/2010 CD4 599 (37%) VL<50 (drop due to acute HCV)
9/2010 - looks like HCV is gone for good! And I'm finally drinking again, thank GOD
2013 - considering a switch to Stribild. but I love my Kidneys (but I hate farting all the time!)...
June 2013 - switched to Stribild.  so far so good...

 


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