Hep c and cirrohsis

[spoontea]

I have hep c and cirrohis due to a blood trans I received in 1974.  I Just found out in 2006 that I was infected with Hep c and cirrohis.  I can not take the pegulated drug treatment as I am allergic to meds. I am symtomatic and my labs are wild. What other options do I have? as my doctor tells me very, very little.    

[Garfinkle]

  I think that the choo choo guy has a very good point. There are allot of different things out there that you can try to work with. none of them can lower your viral load but they can help minimize the damage that is occuring in your liver. this could possibly buy you enough time for a new tx to come along that you can take. One word of caution though" ther are allot of things out there that not only do not help but can hurt your liver and the last thing we want is to go backwards".

[Kalio1]

I'd get another opinion. Never heard of being allergic to the meds unless you have autoimmune hep or some other disorder that specifically prevents it's use. I'd fight hard to get a doc to put you on treatment.

In the meantime, I'd lose any excess weight and be extremely diligent about good nutrition and eating a top notch liver friendly diet. I'd also take nutritional supplementation because with cirrhosis your liver is not able to filter and absorb all the nutrients it needs to sustain your body. No alcohol of course and be very cautious with meds if you take any.

Find a top heptologist who deals with lots of advanced damage HCV patients and try to get treated. Where one doc will reject treating out of hand another will do the opposite.

At this point you have got to stop that virus to stop disease progression and treatment is the key. Even if you treat and don't achieve killing the virus, the treatment can possibly heal your liver and prevent it from decompensating. Right now that is what you want to avoid, further damage and decompensation because after that happens your options are limited to transplant.

Fight for the treatment you need and deserve. If your body can't take it you can stop but at least you tried!
There is a school of docs that "don't treat cirrotics" which is absurd, find a doc that does and try to get interferon. Im in a similar boat as you with damage and there is a ton of evidence showing that this treatment is your best option.

[wyntre9]

Aren't there several different types of interferon, besides the pegalated version, that spoontea might try?

(I'd list the names but I don't want to get the info wrong.  hopefully, someone who knows more will post)

Good luck and keep reading.

Wyntre

[orphanedhawk]

I was diagnosed with hep c and cirrhosis simultaneously. Determined not to take interferon, I found a very good herbalist. She looked at my lab results, said she could help me manage my symptoms and side effects and sent me to a GI. It soon became clear that the only way to stop the cirrhosis from creating further damage was to stop Hep C. And the surest way to do that is with interferon.
   As stated above, how do you know you are allergic? Perhaps you can use herbs to help you with your reactions while doing treatment.
   Good luck.

[CrazyTrain]

I know this will go over like a fart in a space suit - but you might consider  some of the alternative medicines.

I'm not trying to suggest nor endorce anything and only have my own personal experience to draw on.

Who knows maybe you find something that counter acts your allergic reactions.

[ladybug52]

Love it. Fart in a spacesuit.:)

[r4c7]

Never heard of anyone being allergic to interferon either.  Hmmm...  Perhaps you need to get in contact with a first-rate hepatologist who can better assess your particular situation. What part of the U.S. do you live in?

[FlGuy]

Hello.  Sorry to hear about your situation.  There are many of us here who have cirrhosis - it's good that you are looking into any possible options. I'm curious, how do you know that you are allergic to interferon?  Have you tried to take it before?  Although there are some hepatitis situations in which the use of interferons is not indicated, it is a substance that naturally exists in our bodies.