How to help prevent relapse Immediately following INF/Ribavirin?

[Randalee]

I finished a 72-week course of INF/RIBA two weeks ago. I was 137 at 12 weeks and undetectable around 14-16th week and suppressed the whole time after that. I am hoping that someone will have some advice for me on what I should do in order to give myself the best chance of success (no relapse) as possible during this critical period. I'm not sure what supplements to take/not to take, whether it's OK to have a massage, or sit in a steam room or hot springs pool. What do these do to the immune system? Should immune stimulation be avoided? What else might encourage the virus to rear it's ugly head again and how can this be discouraged? There doesn't seem to be any documentation on this topic out there. I'm curious to hear whether anyone has some information for me.

[Sincebirth]

I am just speculating here and am speaking without any real knowledge or authority but would think the following:

Your body has rid the virus with the "aid" of the treatment for 48 weeks.  Now your body has to make the transition of keeping a lid on the virus without the aid of medication.  There may be some adjustment period here where it may be benificial to do things that keep your natural immunity as high as possible.  

In light of recent studies that say your body never completely gets rid of the virus, I would think the only thing that would keep it at bay would be your natural immune defenses.

[wyntre9]

I'm a steam room fan and tried to go once a week pre TX.  When I started injections, I asked my Dr. if there was any danger in continuing to go.  He said as long as it made me feel good, go for it.

I asked about it on Forum and most responses were that as long as you don't feel faint or sick, it should be OK.

But I would run it by my Dr., too.

About massages, I can't imagine how they could be harmful!  I can't afford to go to a therapist so I got the homedic shiatzu massager and use it once a day.  It's rated #1 by Consumer Reports and is amazingly effective.

But there's no substitute for the real thing, if you can afford it!  :)

[stangshelly]

first great job in comleting the 72 weeks, tough I sam on the same road week 50/72. In counting down I am really getting nervous. I hope you remain svr and keep your fingers crossed. I worry about the same..prayers:)shelly

[nygirl7]

My story and stats are very similar to yours. I just finished the 72 4 weeks ago. Boy I kept reaching to take my riba every day out of habit and instead had to take a vitamin supplement because I felt like I was being bad!  ;)


I don't have any real advise. I am trying to follow with good liver health practices (no drinking etc.).

Unfortunately, if we still have the virus in us...it's just going to replicate once again. That is why people relapse...they didn't get rid of them all. Even with a test down to 5 - there still is a good chance (when you consider HOW MANY mls of blood we have inside) that one could have escaped death and punishment that it deserves!

We just have to do the best we can for our overall health now and pray we get lucky.

I know exactly how you feel - but we did the right thing doing the extra months...it DOES give us MUCH better odds that we've killed it off.

Going from a 50% chance that we would have relapse down to a 30% chance (only a third) of relapse - that is HUGE odds in there...a whole 20%.

Plus - we were on tx keeping the virus at bay for a long time...so worse come to worse hopefully our livers have gone down at LEAST a full stage and bought us more time.

I'll be keeping an eye out for you. Let me know when you get your PCR results. I was supposed to do mine tonight but the weather is so bad in NY right now with flooding - I'll probably waiit till Monday.

I'm in no rush. I'm so NERVOUS!

Debby

[mikesimon]

I don't think there is anything you can do to avoid relapse - you've already done what you can. But, a healthy lifestyle is always the right way to go. Good luck. Mike

[Randalee]

Thanks for all the kind support, and congratulations to all for your strength and courage. I have been on the 'healthy path' with diet and such for a while even before treatment. I realize how important this is long term and have seen the impact on Hep C positive friends who have not taken the reins in this area. I guess what I am more worried about are the things that help me feel well like deep massage, steam room, sauna, soaking in jacuzzi or hot springs pools. These all stimulate the immune response and are quasi detox. Is this OK for us immediately post treatment? I had this rigid routine for 17 months. Now I don't know what to do with myself. :)

[WillPower]

I asked the same question when I stopped tx.  The answer is not known, but I speculate as follows:  If people spontaneously resolve when they first are infected, which is a fact, I "speculate" there is a second chance if one is post tx for the same "dynamic" of the body being able to spontaneously resolve, assuming there are still critters at a low level in your system, be they quasi species of hcv, whatever.  

At this point, again speculation, your liver and body has had a rest from the insidious chewing of the virus, possibly you have built up your immune system by more rest, water, cleansing and a better diet.  NOW, I speculate you can continue the pure lifestyle and have another chance to spontaneously resolve or conquer the remaining virus or quasi species, if any remain.  

My advice is very dramatic because I believe the liver needs a rest from too much fat, too much protein and too much food.  CONTINUE to eat good food, in SMALL meals and drink plenty of water between meals.  I am post tx negative (6+ months) and my hunger level increased with time, but I still consumed small, frequent meals to protect my liver; I still drank lots of water; I still kept sugar intake low; I make damn sure I get 9 hours plus sleep; I avoided fat, oils, and difficult to digest food; indeed, I did an enema once a week to cleans my system!  Of course, above all, avoid all other drugs, most supplements (you do not know what is in them) and alcohol. I want to let my "inate" immune system and my liver have an "easy life" -- it deserves another chance.  This is my theory.  

What do we have to lose?  Post tx is a critical time.  Why not go for the best odds after spending a long, difficult, scary, and toxic experience ingesting horrible drugs with the somewhat slim hope of success, albeit worth doing?  Now is the BIGGEST chance you have, in my humble, speculation.  When you feel better you will want to take more risks.  Don't!  Continue to give your liver a vacation from the American diet, it deserves it!  Do not give in to temptation.  

Congratulations for your progress.  You are a worrier.  Keep up the vigilance, my friend.  Al

[wyntre9]

First of all, congrats on finishing 72 weeks and being UND.

I have my fingers crossed that you stay that way.

(I'm a newbie so can't speak to the other issues.)  

Best of luck

[jmjm530]

If anyone has the answer to that one, be wary. Frankly, I don't think there's anything you can do at this point. Either you're going to SVR or you're going to relapse and that has probably been determined at some point in the past. Of course I could be wrong because again, no one has the answer and if they did, we'd know a lot more about when to stop treatment then we currently do.

My suggestion is not to start taking supplements or make any other drastic changes like training for a triathlon, but just sit tight, try and relax and take a sensitive viral load test 4 weeks after you stop treating. If the test is negative, you can take a deep breath because that means you have around a 90 per cent chance of SVR. Then take another test at 12 weeks post treatment. If that test is negative, you can take even a deeper breath because a negative 12 week post treatment test correlates almost exactly with a negative  six month test which is the definition of SVR.

All the best luck with SVR.

-- Jim