About Me: Female, 57, Los Angeles, CA, member since Jan 2007
Married March 1975(Yes, still married, after all these years)
(Not sure after this treatment though)
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2 Children-they live on the west coast, so they will survive my treatment
Started March 27, 2007 clinical trial SCH 503034
Arm one of study-standard of care, if not cleared by 6 months, will be treated with trial drug-Protease inhibitor-see below
Now being treated with
Peginterferon alfa 2b Redipen 0.5 ml of 150 mg redipen
Ribaviron 200 mg-3 in the am and 3 in the pm total 6 capsules per day
If after 24 weeks the levels are non detectable I will continue with standard treatment for another 24 weeks
If the levels are detectable I will be offered the trial drug with the peg and the riba for 24 weeks. Total treatment may be up to 54 weeks depending on the time it takes to get the virology results from treatment week 24 visit.
Left the study at 48 weeks because I didn't clear until 20 weeks and wanted to extend to 72 weeks...we almost had them convinced to let me do it, but in the end they turned me down. I don't blame them at all, it would have held up their study. If they would have offered me a chance to go into the next study and get the trial drug for sure, I may have done it, but they couldn't promise that to me at the time. So I had to leave or I would have wasted 48 weeks of treatment and not really have had a chance of SVR without extending to the 72 weeks.
Dose reduce to 200 mg of Ribaviron(3-am and 2-pm) and .5ml of 120ml redipen
February because of weight loss and because of terrible ezcema all over body.
Lost practically all my hair on treatment....hair is over rated anyway...it is growing back now.
Thyroid went wacky...went on synthroid...took a few months to get that straightened out.
Stayed in bed most of the 72 weeks...couldn't walk more than a few steps without being totally out of breath...I found if I had something to hold on to I could walk better..example when I went to California, I held on the grand daughters baby carriage, and was able to walk further without getting out of breath so fast.
Could not cook at all, couldn't stand the smell of food....thought I'd never cook again.
Was on procrit most of the time, until Dr. took all his patients off because of black box warning...that would be Dr. Jacobson in NYC
Lost about 30 pounds...this was a good thing.
Had terrible eczema the last 8 months of treatment, was on numerous creams, had open wounds the size of quarters on arms and legs and butt and some on head.
Had to get photo therapy 3 times a week to help clear them up...not fun when you can't stand too long to begin with.
Went to California to stay with my daughter last 2 1/2 months of treatment...
Continued on treatment for 72 weeks, finished August 2008.
One month PCR still undetected.
Second month RELAPSED!
Interests: At this time moving to California to be closer to the children, but secretly to be closer to my 2 beautiful grand daughters!
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