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12 week test results confused!

I have Hep C Geno 2b. No liver problems. Very slightly elevated alt/ast before treatment, picked up in a cholesterol test. My VL was 2,300,000 when TX began in Sept.  At 4 weeks VL was less than 10 iu/ml, and I was tracked for 12 weeks TX.  As of yesterday (which was 12 weeks) my VL is up to 250 iu/ml using quantasure plus.  I'm very confused about these results and can't see/talk to gastro till appt. Did my VL really go back up? Is this a significant presence or below threshold of the test?
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Avatar universal
You actually remembered the name of that stuff? wow!impressive...I have some stray cat hair I could probably gather up and send to anybody that needs it...light brown tabby color..
Cin
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Avatar universal
Try and get another PCR done before the 24 wk mark, if it keeps going up, then it means the meds have stopped working and makes no sense in continuing them the rest of the way. why take them for 12 more wks if you will get no svr? if the vl goes back to negative, maybe he can extend tx a bit longer? try and get a wk 16 PCR and go from there.
gl
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Avatar universal
Just cut it short, spike it up and spray that stuff on the bald spots! Remember that commercial where the guy has that huge bald spot and he sprays that stuff on it and then NOBODY KNOWS he is bald! Just like the toupe guys...nobody knows they have a toupe on either! HA! Or let your eyebrows grow and comb them back (that's what my father used to say...he was completely bald). Or get a weave like the sista's do...I know it's not funny but I can't help myself...
Cin
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92903 tn?1309904711
I'm thinking about training that **** that seems to be sprouting on my back. I'll run it up the back of my neck and spritz it up into a bouffant on top of the noggin.
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Avatar universal
Good Looking Hair Formula 9 from Ronco, I e-mailed a web order page to my girlfriend last night and told her to get it for me for Christmas. I was joking and thought she get a laugh out of it. She said she cried, I told you I had a sick sense of humour. I joke about it, I guess it's my way of handleing it; it I didn't : I'd probably cry.    Peace
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Avatar universal
when you said vain, i thought it was me talking. and here i thought i was the vainest. my hair was thick and curly 20weeks ago but since tx, it is thin, dry and falling out like a rainy day. i dyed it, which i'm sure didn't help. now i just try and blow dry it to make it fluffy and full looking, and i just go. i know, it's gonna continue to fall out and i am not looking forward to that.
ny girl: i noticed i have alot of split ends also. i guess it's all part of tx. sorry to hear that. you are not alone. atleast now that it's winter time, maybe you could wear a ski cap. over here where i live, it's -2, so i can wear as many hats as i want and no one really notices, but me. let's see how i look in the spring. oh well, it's only temporary, and i'll just invest in some turbens for my head. lol
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Avatar universal
I feel what you're saying, I was hairstylist for 20 years; my hair was into the middle of back. I'm in week 23 and have lost about 2 inches in length due to losing hair and none growing back. I also have bald spots than range from a quarter size and bigger. My pony tail is at about 1/2 the density of before tx, I smooth my hair back to cover the bald spots. It's very disturbing but I knew the risk of this was possible.
I hope it all balances out for you, believe me; male or female you'll never find anyone more vain than me.    Peace
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Avatar universal
Update:

I saw the Gastro/PA.  The 12 (actually 11 week) week PCR 250 iu/mL is no doubt a rise from week 4 <10 iu/ML, and it means that even though I was below detection at 4 weeks I still had some tiny amount of virus.  But, they will keep me on Tx until 24 weeks (geno 2b) and they said that it is still a strong likelhood of successful week 24 VR and potential for SVR. I have still gone from 2,300,000 to 250.   Since I was already on 180 pegsys/week and 1000 mg Ribba daily and given my weight they can't up the doses.
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Avatar universal

I haven't been losing too much of my hair that I've noticed but today I had on a black shirt and noticed that I seem to have about a billion split ends...nothing like I've ever had before (so of course I spent work today cutting them off one by one).

Has anybody else noticed this?  The bad thing for ME is I work for a world famous hair / beauty company and and having such dead looking hair is NOT going to help me out here!

I have more product than anyone in the world...but it just is not going to help!

God bless tx.
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Avatar universal
Thanks DD.  I'm actually on my way to see the Gastro/PA right now, so the wait was only one day.  They will be able to better interpret the labs and help me formulate and agressive plan.
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Avatar universal
I appreciate all of your responses.  It is very confusing.  I have called the gastro. and await a return call.  Sometimes those take a while.... in the world of HMO managed care......  

1) Were both the tests from the same lab?

The first two tests were from the same lab.  Until I see the new one or talk to them I won't know about the most recent (250 iu/Ml).  There was one time when they messed up and ran an qualitative instead of a quantitative and my insurance still had to pay for it. But, that is not one of the tests I have been refering to.

2) What dose meds were you on and was it the same for the entire 12 weeks?

All along same meds same does (Pegasys 180 plus 1000 rib/day.   My pharmacy (I have to use a mail order one under my ins.) did switch me to a generic brand of Rib. (Sandoz) after week 8, claiming to have run out of the brand name.  

3) Are you still continuing with the meds? I assume you are since the plan was only to stop if you were clear at week 4 and 12, which it appears you may not be.

I have no idea yet!  I have now run out of both Peg and Rib. until I see the MD/PA.  
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Avatar universal
Posted this in another thread but maybe more appropriate here.  

I get my 12wk pcr drawn next Tuesday but am seeing GI today. Otherwise another month til an opening. Questions to ask today.

51 yr (Friday!), 4milVL, Geno 1B, had for 37 years, Peg shot #13/48 Friday. Now on Neupegon 2-3X wk and Procrit 60 1x wk. Remember he reduced my Riba from 800 to 600 for 3 weeks about week 6-7 and once reduced Pegasys to 90( but I only reduced it to 135 or so from 180). Also a ER shot of Neulasta while waiting for Cancer Center appt for Proc. and Neup.

Depending on what PCR says, I am thinking I should increase Riba to at least 1000.

If VL is still high talk about extending treatment?

What else might I be missing here. You all are the prescription for mental health while taking these poisons and I really appreciate reading your success stories and attitude adjustments. Thank you all.

MissMiss
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Avatar universal
are you ok?  
Thinking about you lately...I will try and find your #, my car is a mess and lost my address book in there. It might take a while...Tnguy posted a link to a case where the man got SVR but still tested + for cryoglobulins, I thought about your concerns, check it out when you can.
be well
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Avatar universal
The above assumes of course that you are interpreting the test results correctly. Like MrsOckert said, first find this out by speaking directly to your doc or NP. This is not the time to be patient and understanding about your doctor's busy schedule.
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Avatar universal
I would wait to hear from the doc.  Sounds like some VL was detected at week 12.  Not much .. however.
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Avatar universal
First and foremosr, I hope you are not stopping any of your tx medications, in light of the PCR positive result.  I would think your Gastro would now have you go for a full 24 weeks, assuming you are4 fully undetected on the next test.  I would ask for another PCR..IMMEDIATELY!  At this juncture, you cannot afford to miss any doses.  

Second.... You can't talk to your doctor until your next appt.??????  That is crazy!  He should have been on the phone to you as soon as your PCR pos. result came in...to plan the next move!  I would place an EMERGENCY call to him ASAP!  This is the time to salvage ytour tx!  not sit and wait for an appointment!

Third...I assume you have taken the same dose for each of the 12 weeks so far!  If you dose reduced in any way, this may have caused the viral breakthrough you have experienced.  If you have not reduced dosagem, your doctor may want to slightly adjust your dosages upward (Interferon, or Riba, or both), in order to address the apparent viral resurgence.  Another quick PCR would vreify whether this last result was accurate or not, and which direction things are moving.

You are moving in the right direction to achieve SVR, but need to alter the treatment plan!  Don't be complacent...or let your doctor be complacent.  You need to intervene now.

Good Luck!!!

DoubleDose
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Avatar universal
Please excuse all the typos above...was in a rush to beat the storm and run errands!!!

DD
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Avatar universal
Sorry about the test results, I know how stressful and confusing this can be. To help clarify things...

1) Were both the tests from the same lab?
2) What dose meds were you on and was it the same for the entire 12 weeks?
3) Are you still continuing with the meds? I assume you are since the plan was only to stop if you were clear at week 4 and 12, which it appears you may not be.
----------

In any event, I wouldn't wait for your appointment but would want to talk to the doctor or NP right away. At this point, even if you're non-detectible next week, it sounds like you'll need a longer course of treatment depending on when you clear. If a follow-up PCR is still positive, you might a different dose of meds or a different peg. It all depends on how agressive you want to treat and your biopsy stage, how well you're tolerating treatment, and other personal factors may figure into that.

To add to what Coug said about frequent PCR's. I was 18 IU/ml at week 3 but 101 IU/ml at week 5. I cleared at week 6 (<5 IU/ml) and have remained clear through my last test at week 37. So it's possible the ping pong game is still being played and your next PCR or two should tell the story.

All the best and hopefully things will work out fine.

-- Jim
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100019 tn?1335919717
I think you would have to wait to see the paperwork before anyone could give you a definitive answer.

Not to be a killjoy, but if you've had a breakthrough you could show undetected at week 4 and then have a higher viral load at week 12.

Can you call your dr's office and ask the nurse for clarification?  If it was me the unknowing would drive me insane.

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92903 tn?1309904711
Makes sense, doesn't it? Pre tx VL's jump all over the place. So, why not as you're crossing that threshold into Un-Detectable?
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Avatar universal
My 24 wwk pcr comes up next week, I was undetectable at 12 weeks. Just for reference I would have liked to have gotten a 4-wk; my doctor said no and at the time I was so beat up with sx, I couldn't fight him.
Since usual testing is at 12 wk, we really don't have alot data tracking more frequent pcrs. I've heard of incidents where a person was undetectable at 4 wks, a rise in vl at 8 wks, then undetectable again at 12 wks; then stayed clear.
So my question is: could there be more ping ponging of the vl in the earlier weeks of tx, like a battle that keeps changing fronts; until there's a winner.    Peace
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Avatar universal
I guess I was not totally cogent.  I was told that because I was type 2b that if I had evr at 4 and 12 they would discontinue tx after week 12 since svr is statistically the same for those with VR 24 weeks and those at both 4 AND 12 weeks.  

All tests were ordered by the same gastro and done by Labcorp, Kansas City.

Baseline lab 2,332,000 (August 18)

The 4 week lab said <10 iu/mL

I have not seen the 12 week lab (Dr. got results yesterday and nurse called) but they said they were 250 iu/mL.  

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96938 tn?1189799858
Re-reading your post it seems like you've had 3 pcrs, pre-tx, 4 wks and 12 wks. Were all 3 at the same place and did all 3 perscriptions order the same test?
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96938 tn?1189799858
You said you were 'tracked' for 12 weeks. Did you continue the meds for those 12, and on schedule?  Are you still on the meds now?
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