Harvoni

[marso]

hi to everyone, glad to hear successfull stories on harvoni. Just want to ask, my husband 7yrs post transplant and first time treatment, prescribe 8weeks for harvoni, he took 4 weeks with slight to no side effect, until the last days if his 4th week, he experience diarhea and later on has jaundice. We bring him to ER his bilirubin and ggt were elevated, that was the worst 2 weeks of our life, he was very sick and yellow, they stop his harvoni so still 4 weeks left (one bot unused). Thanks God after 2 weeks to he recover, one great news his viral load from 2 million down t0 28 only, bili and ggt slightly elevated, doctor advice once it go to normal he can continue the 4weeks more to harvoni. My question, does any one has the same story, we sometimes has a 2nd thought to continue or not because of the hardship we experience during the treatment, we are worried maybe bilirubin and ggt shoot up again. Please any advice. Thanks

Marso

[Dee1956]

Is your husband seeing a hepatologist?  I had read that elevated bilirubin was a side effect of the tx, a rare side effect but I will check to make sure.
I don't think he can stop and start treatment like that.  I have never heard of it.  I will look around and come back.

[flyinlynn]

Has he treated before? What is his genotype is it 1a? Does he have cirrhosis? Do you know his meld score?

[flyinlynn]

I am not seeing a recommendation of 8 weeks of Harvoni except for treatment naive with low viral load and minimal liver disease in the current AASLD (American Association for Liver Diseases guidelines)

http://www.hcvguidelines.org/full-report-view

For prior transplant patients I am only seeing either 12 weeks of Harvoni with Ribavirin or 24 weeks Harvoni without riba so not being a doctor myself not sure on your doctors thinking the only 4 additional weeks after a break in treatment that was only intended to be 8 weeks is adequate but as I said I am not a doctor.

I am not post transplant but am a multiple null responder to interferon based treatments and a relapser on Sovaldi Olysio I have had cirrhosis for over 7 years. My treatment is 24 weeks of Harvoni and we added Ribavirin a few weeks after I started.

Sorry to hear of all your husbands health issues I hope he is feeling well enough to resume treatment soon

Good luck to you both
Lynn