Boceprevir

Is anyone out there doing Victrelis (boceprevir)?  Hepatologist didn't think I could tolerate teleprevir. Fact is, not sure I can tolerate this either. I've done Peg/Inf twice before, this is worse. Exhaustion, nausea, sleeplessness. Just started Victrelis 6 days ago, after a month of Peg/Inf (that's the protocol). Don't know if I can do this for 47 weeks. Someone please  tell me it gets easier!

Thanks for any replies.

[willbb]

I have not had experience with VIC,,,,,sorry you seem to be feeling so poorly..

From what I understand as a prev. non-resonder if you were to be UND. this time at week 8 then you would do 36 weeks total  and having already done 5 weeks you would only have 31 left not 47 like you mentioned.
What is you HGB. ..it could be one of the reasons why you are feeling so bad.

One of our members(specta) was in a VIC trial and is now finished. He struggled thru many sides  and hopfully he sees your post and can add something because of his experience.
Hope you can hang on..
Will

[spectda]

Hi-
I treated with Vic in a trial. From what I have heard from people who treated with soc first and then retreated with vic or incivek treatment is tougher with the PI added. Of course as you know your chance of success will improve greatly.

When you say you can't tolerate the drugs do you mean that you feel really badly, or that your blood values get to low to treat or you have other dangerous adverse events? I read in your other thread that you started with very low platelets, are you cirrhotic?

I wish I could tell you that it will get easier or had some words of wisdom, but that was not my experience although it had it up's and downs of course. Many of us have treated with vic and some are treating now. How did you respond so far? what was your starting and week 4 VL?

Hang in there, I hope it get's better for you. the good news is that after the struggle and ending at week 43 of 48 I am und 17 weeks post TX. I hope you will have the same result.
-Dave

[frijole]

I plan to treat with VIC within the month.  I will watch for your posts to see how you are doing.  It may be difficult with VIC, but I do think it will be easier to handle than INC.

Good luck, ohm.

frijole

[ohmR]

Sorry I stopped posting. I had to abandon treatment after only 3 weeks of Victrelis. Blood counts fell so fast, RBC 8.7, Platelets went to 37, too weak to move, then suddenly I was in the hospital with encephalopathy, don't even remember the first 24 hours there. I missed 2 days of tx, then was restarted. I immediately felt awful again. Doc & I agreed I wasn't going to make it. My viral load after 2 weeks wasn't that good anyway. After 4 weeks of Peg/Riba, load was 500,000. After 2 weeks of Victrelis it only dropped to 250,000. Guess I'll try and wait for a non-interferon tx to appear.

Frijole, hope tx is working for you!

[frijole]

I just saw this post. I am so sorry that you could not tolerate these drugs.  It sounds like a pretty rough go .  I wish you were able to treat, as it sounds like you have a lot of damage.  Perhaps you can get into a trial since the noninterferon drugs will probably take - from the rumor mill - another 5 years to hit the market.

Take care of yourself.

I take my lead-in PCR tomorrow and will start the VIC Friday.  I hope I tolerate it.

frijole

[rockymoe]

I am on my 10th of Bocep after the 4 week lead. I agree it has intensified all the sides. I keep telling my husband I can't do this for 48 weeks and he keeps saying you have too. I just hope this is the one that works for me. Just take it one day at a time. You can do it:)