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Hep C
I'm new, just found out I have hepatitis C, genotype 1, at stage 3 for scarring. They say I will need the drug treatment right away. I have not drank alcohol for 6 years, which of course is great!! I feel completely healthy. I would like to know if you guys think I can wait 6 months before I start the treatment as I am just starting my work season, April to September. After would be much better financially. Also is there any disability for me while I'm on these drugs? Any info would be great. Thank you...
I am in week 10 of the 3 prong drug attack. I have not missed a days work yet. However there have been times I wanted to peel out and go home.
Another thing to think about is being light sensitive and that includes sun exposure.
With the incivek I take a probiotic twice a day and shoot for 30gm of fat for max absorption. Melatonin and benadryl in the evening fights the insomnia.
Looking forward to getting off the incivek soon.
Good luck.
M
Another thing to think about is being light sensitive and that includes sun exposure.
With the incivek I take a probiotic twice a day and shoot for 30gm of fat for max absorption. Melatonin and benadryl in the evening fights the insomnia.
Looking forward to getting off the incivek soon.
Good luck.
M
Happy things worked out the way you desired. Just make sure you follow through with treatment. You do not want it to become worse.
Blessings to you.
Blessings to you.
After meeting w/ my doctor and more blood test, they both thought it ok to wait til fall to start treatment, which is what i wanted to do. All test looked good, along w/ the fact i quit drinking 6years ago. My next goal is to be able to start the newer drug treatment.
I would also check out a possible clinical trial as the side effects on treatment are much less severe and there are no costs. I know there is an Sofosbuvir trial in Minneapolis and Rochester that has shown great results in previous studies. You can look up the trial on clinicaltrials.gov. However, discuss this with your specialist and make sure that you are making a decision that is best for your long term future.
I discovered in August that I had Hep C and already had cirrhosis. That is something you want to avoid if at all possible as it definitely affects your outcomes. However, I met up with a professor at Emory who advised that I wait for a clinical trial that I could enter due to the side effects and limited efficacy of the triple therapy for cirrhotics. We monitored my liver and it remained stable for the next five months. In March I was finally able to get into a trial and I'm doing great (apart from a headache and some fatigue).
This is a personal decision, though, and you will want to be careful lest in waiting you end up with cirrhosis which will limit both your chances of success as well as your ability to get into standard treatment or a trial. Have they checked for cancer yet? That would also be a factor in how long you can wait.
All the best in your decision!
I discovered in August that I had Hep C and already had cirrhosis. That is something you want to avoid if at all possible as it definitely affects your outcomes. However, I met up with a professor at Emory who advised that I wait for a clinical trial that I could enter due to the side effects and limited efficacy of the triple therapy for cirrhotics. We monitored my liver and it remained stable for the next five months. In March I was finally able to get into a trial and I'm doing great (apart from a headache and some fatigue).
This is a personal decision, though, and you will want to be careful lest in waiting you end up with cirrhosis which will limit both your chances of success as well as your ability to get into standard treatment or a trial. Have they checked for cancer yet? That would also be a factor in how long you can wait.
All the best in your decision!
If you're going on triple therapy, the first twelve weeks are the hardest. That would be a good time to be off work, if that works out. Just something to think about. Garry
Yes, specialized construction. I work 6-8 months in the summer and I am now going to see my specialist this week to talk about waiting till fall. Thank you very much!
I'd talk to your gastrologist or Hepatologist before postponding treatment. Depending on your agencys polocies you are eligible for TDI. Most agencies only cover 3 months, so be sure to talk to your companys HR for details. Congrats and good going on the clean time.....
BTW I was able to work after the first 3 months of treatment
BTW I was able to work after the first 3 months of treatment
Welcome to the forum.
Let's see, you live in Minneapolis and your work season goes from April through Sept. Well, I am guessing here, but my guess is you are in construction of some sort, either building construction or road construction. I know MN has two main seasons, winter and construction, especially road construction. I mention that because being able to work often depends on the type of work one does. Desk jobs and less physically demanding jobs are a lot easier to do on treatment than are physically highly demanding jobs or precision jobs.
That said, everyone responds to treatment differently. Some people have few side effects or less severe side effects. Others have worse side effects and/or more side effects. You are not going to know what your side effects are and the severity until you start treatment. Even then you won't know exactly how they will be because they vary from day to day and week to week.
Generally speaking though, I would not want to be doing electrical work, construction work, precision work, roofing, climbing ladders, surgery, calculations, or any job where a misstep or faulty calculation or faulty thinking could result in a major problem or disaster, such as getting electrocuted, falling off a roof or beam, killing someone by calculating the wrong dose, running over someone with a forklift, etc.
People talk about the physical side effects and there are plenty of them (fatigue, weakness, flu like symptoms, dizziness, balance issues, etc.) but there are also mental and neurological issues such as inability to concentrate, inability to think straight, memory problems, etc. Those mental issues are why I would not want to be working with electrical wires or doing surgery or calculating drug dosages.
The other problem with working outside during the summer in Minnesota, if that is where you will be working, is that it is hot and can be humid. If you get a rash, your rash will go wild in the heat. You may not get a rash, but if you do, the heat and sun will make it drastically worse.
I agree with the others that you do not want to become cirrhotic while waiting for treatment so it is best to find out as much as you can about your liver fibrosis stage and discuss everything with your Hepatologist.
Best of luck.
Let's see, you live in Minneapolis and your work season goes from April through Sept. Well, I am guessing here, but my guess is you are in construction of some sort, either building construction or road construction. I know MN has two main seasons, winter and construction, especially road construction. I mention that because being able to work often depends on the type of work one does. Desk jobs and less physically demanding jobs are a lot easier to do on treatment than are physically highly demanding jobs or precision jobs.
That said, everyone responds to treatment differently. Some people have few side effects or less severe side effects. Others have worse side effects and/or more side effects. You are not going to know what your side effects are and the severity until you start treatment. Even then you won't know exactly how they will be because they vary from day to day and week to week.
Generally speaking though, I would not want to be doing electrical work, construction work, precision work, roofing, climbing ladders, surgery, calculations, or any job where a misstep or faulty calculation or faulty thinking could result in a major problem or disaster, such as getting electrocuted, falling off a roof or beam, killing someone by calculating the wrong dose, running over someone with a forklift, etc.
People talk about the physical side effects and there are plenty of them (fatigue, weakness, flu like symptoms, dizziness, balance issues, etc.) but there are also mental and neurological issues such as inability to concentrate, inability to think straight, memory problems, etc. Those mental issues are why I would not want to be working with electrical wires or doing surgery or calculating drug dosages.
The other problem with working outside during the summer in Minnesota, if that is where you will be working, is that it is hot and can be humid. If you get a rash, your rash will go wild in the heat. You may not get a rash, but if you do, the heat and sun will make it drastically worse.
I agree with the others that you do not want to become cirrhotic while waiting for treatment so it is best to find out as much as you can about your liver fibrosis stage and discuss everything with your Hepatologist.
Best of luck.
Yes from a liver biopsy, ok I will ask about the grade of inflammation as I have not met w/anyone yet, biopsy was done 3 days ago. I read a little about the drug treatment, does not sound good. I am wondering if people can work while on this? Thank you.
Most people with stage 3 liver disease feel totally normal but don't left the fool you you liver has been seriously damaged by being infected by hepatitis for decades. It is like the business man who goes to work and feels fine but then has a heart attack. He felt fine but inside of his, unseen and unfelt is heart was seriously ill. Liver disease if ignored or not treated properly can in time can be fatal for some people make no mistake about it. Hepatitis C infected patients who are baby boomers account for the most of people needing liver transplants to stay alive.
Not everyone has to stop working when treating. Whether you can be paid for being off of work ill depends on where you work, their benefits and the state you live in. The same with taking unpaid time off on FMLA depends where you work and size of the company.
Not knowing your exact liver condition and general health I really can't say how long you should wait. If you are close to stage 4, cirrhosis and develop stage 4 liver disease the odds of cure go down a lot. To choose between work and health is not a good choice to choose between Only you can make that choice. It is someone you should discuss with your gastro or hepatologist as they are the only ones who know your complete health condition. Not an easy choice.
I wish you the best of luck whatever you decide.
Hector
Not everyone has to stop working when treating. Whether you can be paid for being off of work ill depends on where you work, their benefits and the state you live in. The same with taking unpaid time off on FMLA depends where you work and size of the company.
Not knowing your exact liver condition and general health I really can't say how long you should wait. If you are close to stage 4, cirrhosis and develop stage 4 liver disease the odds of cure go down a lot. To choose between work and health is not a good choice to choose between Only you can make that choice. It is someone you should discuss with your gastro or hepatologist as they are the only ones who know your complete health condition. Not an easy choice.
I wish you the best of luck whatever you decide.
Hector
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