How to raise WBC and PLT on interferon treatment

Hi All

I am on my 11th week with Pegasys 180 mg. My WBC went down below normal to 2.5 ( ref range 4.00-9.00) and PLT went down to 93 (ref range 150.00 - 400.00). My doc says if these two will not get back to within ref range we have to adjust interferon dose to 135 mg. But I do not want it because I guess 135 mg is not that potent as 180 mg. Any advise? Maybe somebody experience same? Meanwhile I am not experiencing any sides from my treatment.

[April9903]

Hi,
I am on Pegasys 180 mg too, already 21st week + TDF. My PLT count was also down to 123 (ref range 150.00 - 400.00) and WBC to 3.5. My doc told me if they dropped too much I'll be given medication to raise them. The nurse who inject me Peg also told me that some patients need sometimes 2 injections a week to raise WBC count and PLT counts. The nurse told me the name of the injection but I forgot now as I don't need it YET. May be you check with your doctor.  

[grmr]

Hi Andrey, I'm at week #42 of pega +TDF,.. well since the 4th week doc decided to adjust pega dose to 135 due to very low WBC (less than 1400).

Do not worry about the efficacy as the dose is correlated with yourBMI...

[andrey19]

Thanks. Wow 42 week, almost finished! Good Luck on treatment. What is your result? Did you achieve undetectable dna with peg+tdf? Much decrease in qHbs  in such combo therapy?

[andrey19]

My doctor also said it is important to keep 180 mg first 12 weeks after that dose can be adjusted.

[stef2011]

it is best to keep max dose, lowering doses intf usually fails complitely, you can first try natural ways to increase wbc but as to plt you need to take the medication.i also dont remember the names of the drugs you can check in HCV community they have many sides on hcv so they use those drugs very often and know the names

melatonin may boost wbc, 20mg daily at night, it also helps sleep
vitamin C liposomal from livonlabs,2 sachets per day on empty stmach
natural vitamin E, 800ui daily, it must be the natural type.high gamma vitamin E from puritans is very cheap, double check that it is the natural type before buying, natural type has a blend of E vitamins not just one

[stef2011]

check also L-carnitine and plt, i think it may increase the number

[grmr]

DNA is negative from the 8th week.... but i'm still eag+ and hbs is around 10000 iu/ml.. it seems I'm not responding but i'll keep on till the end as long as i do not have any heavy side...

docs would like me to stop TDF and continue PEGASYS still for some months (18total) but i do not know whether accepting or not...

[grmr]

i started 135mn since the 5th or 6th shot... WBC were too low.... the same happened in my first mono pega tx...

[stef2011]

if you stop tdf you ll have some more virus around to stimulte immune response which is none/low now, i d try it since you have nothing to lose because tdf can be restarted anytime.

this is staggered tdf+intf combo and it is used to stimulate immune response, pisa researchers use this schedule too when intf has no response, i think your main limit is also using intf 135 instead of 180...lambda intf would be the best choise but it is not available unless you find a trial accepting in italy

[grmr]

Dear Stef,

that is what I suspect.. by the way my latest transaminasis are sligthly out of range.. (around 60) .. I guess I'll quit tdf in Decemmer and continue with IFN for some months.. before this I'll collect hbs quant...

the liver is ok, latest ultrasound does not show any damage..

[stef2011]

why dont you try drugs to increase WBC and plt to go back to 180 dose?low dose intf has been studied for 48weeks course and it didn t work, response was very very low, i dont remember if they used 135 but i guess so

i remember you had hbsag decrease to around 5000iu/ml first weeks than it relapsed to higher values, can you make a connection with the change of intf dose and hbsag relapse?did it happen at the same time?

this is important because we may suppose you responded to the 180 dose

[veteranB]

what medications do boost the immune system? It may be good for all of us :)

[veteranB]

p.s. I hope people from Replicor read these posts. Just look how much people have to suffer! You have the drug. Please release it now or make some effort at least!

[andrey19]

By the way I introduced this forum to people from Myrcludex company. They promised to keep us informed on this forum about their trial and news with official statements.Let's wait and see how it goes!

[veteranB]

Yes, we are counting on them too. On somebody that can show a little humanity towards our struggle.

[grmr]

hi yes i read studies on low doses but only 90mg not 135mg so no data on this..

anyhow I had 5000 iu/ml only @ 2 months from TDF and it was 8000iu/ml @12 wks after IFN starting, it was 180 only for the first 5/6 wks...

I can say that on IFN hbs has only increased..DNA is UND and EAG still +ve

[andrey19]

I have experienced same thing. My dna went to und while hbs goes up each month by 20%. But my doctor says now better watch dna rather then hbs.. My doctors says that Hbs is the last hbv market to disappear according to her experience the shortest disapparance time she had seen was one year after treatment with pegasys. Pegasys has long term post treatment effect. So it may take up to 3-5 year for Hbs to disappear due to pegasys therapy. But I think you should take nucs to keep dna und surely.