4 mo pcr

[bob johnson]

I tested 4 months ago (type 2, rebetron treetment three shots a week plus ribavirn twice daily) and I'm undetectable still so i'm actually very happy about it so as bad as it was to do I feel that I worked at it and it paid off so stay the course of treetment and drink lots of water and it seems to work,thanks to all of you who chatted with me during the dark times................Shovel head bob johnson

[harley dude]

Yea that shopping list question got alot of responses, But I did take everyones advice and still using the  Aveno soap, Nioxin shampoo and cond., biotene toothpaste and mouth wash, This place is a life saver (so to speak). Glad I found it also-- see ya cmurphy and have a good week.-- HD

[MajNeni]

Re Lexapro:  for a while, I got pretty lethargic, so my doc suggested taking the Lexapro around 6 pm instead of in the morning.  That got me a bit wired.  I am trying to find the best time of day - maybe noon, or 1:38... point is, one way to tweak the sleep/AD balance is by adjusting the time of day you take the med.  Maj Neni

[cmurphy]

Thanks for the info.  I am a couple of weeks ahead of you (#11) and am a 3a.  I had a high starting viral load (18,900,000 copies) so I am anxiously waiting for the 12 week PCR.  I don't know if extended tx will be an option if I'm not clear then.

By the way, the first post I read on this site was your request for a shopping list.  I printed the thread and created my pre-tx shopping list!  I've been hooked to this forum and all the great folk here ever since.  Thanks.

[harley dude]

Thank's for the advice, for now I'm going to try the paxil and see what happens, what I was doing lately was exercising right before bed and just a couple of days ago I read somewhere you should not exercise right before bed, it should be 3-4 hours before bed so your body can be cooled down before going to bed, I'll try that also. See Ya and thank's-- HD

[willing]

Hi HD - just wanted to let you know that I'm also a bit skeptical that the Lexapro is responsible for your insomnia. I have tendencies towards insomnia and like Galen it flared up when I started tx - before I started the Lexapro - but has since quieted down. I don't take Ambien but I do take Zyrtec an anti-histamine that helps a lot with the itching, rashes, etc and it has some sedative effect. One thing I have noticed is that whereas before tx physical activity/exercise would usually lead to a  good night's sleep, now it leaves me kind of 'wired'. You'd mentioned you'd really started doing a lot more lately - maybe that was the trigger. Also, it may be worth getting a referral  to a psychiatrist for the AD prescription - I'm not sure a GI is necessarily going to be well versed in all the ups and downs of the different ADs.

[harley dude]

Guess I'm going to have to borrow you next time I go see my GI.

[Galen]

I'm Irish.  Unless my doc were too, he doesn't stand a chance against me!!  Besides, he is a little dude, and I am 9 feet tall and bullet proof!!

[harley dude]

Your right, I asked the nurse if I could just stay on the lexapro since I was feeling so good and very high spirited and a good outlook on life, but he felt the insomnia was probably from the lexapro, well have you ever tried to argue with a very tough, strong willed GI, most of the time you'll loose. Well I will start the paxil tuesday. That ambien sure works good, that was the best night sleep I had since I started tx. See Ya -- HD

[harley dude]

Well first of all I am geno type 2b, but since my liver biopsy showed fibrosis stage 3, he would like to treat agrressively, to make sure we get it the first try (I wasn't that happy with that suggestion), and he could see that. So he said if clear at 12 weeks we will discuss 24 or 48 weeks, if not clear at 12 weeks there will be no disscussion, he said that we would go 48, but if clear at 12 it will be my choice but he recommends to go 48 either way. So it will be interesting. -- See ya and hope you have a side free weekend-- HD -

[doll face]

Remeron is an antidepressant, but it also helps you to sleep especially the soluable tablets. Yes you do need a prescription, but they work wonders. REMERON (mirtazapine) I was on 45mg  a day.But take at bedtime if you do.

[Galen]

I agree with you that your doc could just have given you something to sleep.  The insominia is caused by the interferon, mostly.  I had terrible insominia from the beginning and didn't start any ad's for the first month or so.  It didn't get better or worse with Lexapro and I take Ambien a few times a week with no problems.

[cmurphy]

Bob - Congratulations on your great news!  May you always stay clear.

HD - what genotype are you?  Why is the doc waiting for the 12 week test to determine length of tx?  (Sorry, I should know this, but it has fallen out of my brain.)

[harley dude]

Thank's you'll for the advice, He told me to stop lexapro and after 5 days to start paxil, and see if that helps with the insomnia, I was feeling pretty good on the lexapro, but he feels it is the lexapro causing the insomnia, it seems like he's never sure, that it's a guessing game, that's the part I don't like, I was doing and feeling fine on lexapro, I wonder why he just couldn't have given me something for sleep, that's all I really asked for in the first place, and doll face what is Remeron, and do you need a script for it. thank's you'll and just did shot #9, seems like I just started, my doc won't check to see if I'm cleared till the 12th week, depends what happens then if I go 24 or 48 weeks, that will be nerve racking waiting for those results. Well good luck all and hope you'll all have a side free weekend.-- HD

[doll face]

You might want to try Remeron (especially the sol-tabs) they melt in your mouth instantly. Help you to sleep and take away the edge. It is worth a try.

[DownThisRoad]

Get on up on that cloud '9' and enjoy. Thanks for sharing and your encouragement.

[cc2]

Congradulations - now enjoy....

[willing]

Great news! I hope Billy is encouraged by your post - for you lucky 2-3s the odds really are on your side. Slightly off topic, I came across something which might be of interest to those who have to make the pegasys(roche) vs pegI(schering) decision. Sorry if this is old news.
"For peginterferon -2a + ribavirin, only three variables are significantly associated with SVR: genotype non-1, age <40 years and body weight <75 kg.4 With this form of peginterferon + ribavirin, viral load and presence of significant fibrosis/cirrhosis are not important predictive factors. The reasons for this disparity in predictive response factors between the two types of pegylated interferons remain unclear. In particular, the unimportance of viral load, which is generally the second strongest pre-treatment predictive factor (after genotype) for all other types of pegylated and standard interferons, and combination therapies, is surprising, and defies easy explanation. A type II error is unlikely, as the sample size for the combination peginterferon -2a/ribavirin study was 1100 patients. We believe that the underlying explanation is that these two peginterferons are not interchangeably similar, as some have suggested, but rather differ in pharmacodynamics, bioavailability and perhaps antiviral efficacy.

" (see <a href="http://jac.oupjournals.org/cgi/content/full/51/3/487">article</a>) in other words, if your viral count is higher than 800,000 IU or you have significant fibrosis you may want to choose pegasys. These factors have a negative impact on your SVR odds with pegI but are not predictive of outcome with pegasys.

[lizzee]

MY DR HAD STARTED ME ON PAXIL... IT MADE MY HEART RACE, LIKE I WAS SPEEDING ALL OF THE TIME.
CELEXA WAS OK FOR ME...
I NEED A TRANG. ALSO TO KEEP ME CALM.
KEEP UP THE BATTLE,
BE WELL,
LIZE

[harley dude]

Cograts shovel, now go out there and enjoy your life, Also I'd like to ask the rest of you'll a question. First of all everything is going fine with my tx, hardly no sides except I started to have very restless nights, my doc said it might be the lexapro causing the insomnia so he put me on paxil to see what happens and ambien for sleep, those taking paxil, how do you'll like or dislike it any sides, and what about abbien I just woke up from it and I feel pretty drowsy, needed a large cup of java to get me going, sure would appreciate some feed back on this, do you'll think this was the right move, especially GIPA what do you think- Thank's and enjoy you'll Friday, and if possible have a side free weekend to all- HD

[pearse]

Harley, I was on paxil for awhile, i did'nt like it. It effected my sex life, not that i had one but, if i wanted to i could'nt umm get it going:) As for the sleeping pill, i use ambein when i need to, it works great. No problems like sides or anything.

[lizzee]

HEY...
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I AM THRILLED FOR YOU.
KEEP SMILIN'
LIZE

[mikesimon]

I read your post and was so touched that I couldn't think of anything to say that seemed right. That Amanda would be the least bit concerned for me is overwhelming. I can say that at her age I had one or maybe two things on my mind and they both had to do with me. So your post was special. And you and your daughter are special. I think about you both all the time. I want to ask about you both but you know how that is. Sometimes I'm reluctant because I don't want to know if things aren't going well. But you know that I and everyone here care deeply about you and Amanda. Be well and tell Amanda I said "hi". Mike

[TravelGrl]

Sorry to chime in here...Just wanted to congratulate you on your continued clearance.  I posted below on Meshelles post from the other day.  Just wanted to make sure you read it...I am soooo happy for you...You deserve this!! Keep up the good work...We all love you here!!
Jodi

Bob~
  Very happy to hear of your good news...Way to Go!!!

[mikesimon]

Great news. You should be thrilled. Now, just keep the rubber down. Mike