Doctor referral and/or patient experience

I live in San Antonio TX and was diagnosed with HCV Genotype 3a on 09/09/11.  Is it appropriate to ask for doctor references in this forum?  Or to post my doctor's name (or clinic) to see if anyone else has used this facility???  Didn't want to commit a faux pas right off...lol!

[HectorSF]

Sure others have asked for recommendations for doctors in their area and asked if anyone else knows about the doctor.


Good luck!
Hector

[mdudley]

Thanks!  I am currently seeing Dr. Membreno at Alamo Medical Research in San Antonio.  Has anyone here had any experience at this clinic?  My only concern is that I can't get another appointment until Oct. 25 to discuss test results and possible treatment.  I am GT 3a, VL 466,000 (if I am reading it right...hopefully I am not supposed to multiply that by ANYTHING...LOL).  His email said they have great new options for treatment and had mentioned in first visit that treatment was interferon-free.  I did find a post about them working with Pharmasset but I assume those are still trials.  My husband is very adamant about me not being in a 'placebo-arm' of study, but I don't know if that is possible.  Any thoughts on this?

[mdudley]

Thanks!  I am currently seeing Dr. Membreno at Alamo Medical Research in San Antonio.  Has anyone here had any experience at this clinic?  My only concern is that I can't get another appointment until Oct. 25 to discuss test results and possible treatment.  I am GT 3a, VL 466,000 (if I am reading it right...hopefully I am not supposed to multiply that by ANYTHING...LOL).  His email said they have great new options for treatment and had mentioned in first visit that treatment was interferon-free.  I did find a post about them working with Pharmasset but I assume those are still trials.  My husband is very adamant about me not being in a 'placebo-arm' of study, but I don't know if that is possible.  Any thoughts on this? .

[OdinLovesLife]

I don't live in the U.S.A so I can't help with a doctoer recommendation but I wanted to say don't let viral load scare you. I know it sounds counterintuitive but viral load  doesn't correlate with liver damage. The current state of your liver and your risk for progression into serious liver disease are the most important things to consider when making treatment decisions. Risks factors such as other health conditions and age are best discussed with your doctor.

With clinical trials some are good and some are not. You need to read the details of the study and decide on that basis. There are people on this board with experience of being in clinical trials who may be able to offer advice about how to interpret the trial guidelines and what to look out for. You can also see information posted by people currently in a Pharmasset trial. It is still too early to say for sure whether they will all remain virus free long term. They have to be monitored long term for that. With the current treatment regimes you need a test about six months after treatment before you are considered most likely to be virus free for the long term. The Pharmasset drugs are looking very effective with very few side effects but it is still early days.

Once you have had the currently available treatments using Interferon, Ribavirin, and often a third drug either Victrelis or Incivek, your chances are of getting into another trial are greatly reduced.

After my experiences with Interferon and Ribavirin, if there was time to wait, and I could get into a trial of drugs without side effects I would leap at the chance. BUT... Check the details of the trial first.

HCV is a slow progressing disease so no need to rush your decision. If you get a reports from others here about your doctor it is worth waiting to see him.

Best wishes to you

[frijole]

mdudley
If they are talking about an interferon-free treatment, they are talking about a trial.  There is nothing out yet without interferon,  I agree with you -- I would not have wanted to do anything that had a placebo arm.

Perhaps all they do there is research??  Perhaps you need to look for a hepatologist?  I told you I had talked to them about trials some years ago , but I don't know anything about their facility and if they have a clinic to treat unrelated to research.

Good luck with your search.
frijole

[desrt]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Texas_Health_Science_Center_at_San_Antonio

http://healthguideusa.org/teaching_hospitals_texas.htm

My gastro is in Odessa but does trials and research under a doc in SA. I need to call his office this week anyway. If you haven't found anything by the end of the week, PM me.