Interrupt TX ???

Hi All! I am new here but have been lurking for some time. My Stats are: male 45 yrs, HVC type one, infected early 80

[jmjm530]

Of course it's very hard for any of us to put ourselves in your shoes -- or let's say sinuses :) -- but that said my first choice would be to more agressively treat your flu/sinus symptons, maybe see an ENT specialist. I also have had sinus problems and was put on Augmentin SR, however this only works if it's bacterial in origin. On the other hand, you don't want to get so sick that they pull the plug permanently on you. Tough call from this side of the pond and best left up to you and the doctors who examine you. A compromise might be to reduce all or some of the meds depending on which ones appear to be giving you the most problems.

All the best.

-- Jim

[NYgirl]

I wouldn't want to go off treatment that far a long in the game if I absolutely didn't have to but I am not in your shoes.  You are so close to being done!

Can the doctor treat this condition more aggressively somehow and leave you on the meds or at least just drop them a bit - but leave you on for a while longer?

We are all a bunch of grumpies in here at times...side effect or real personality coming through?  ;-)  Just kidding.

In addition to the physical changes due to the meds we have a lot on our minds and the psychological is tough too.  I'm sure that your family knows this...and with so little time left they MUST understand right?

Best of luck with all your decisions.  It seems we who have Hep just have too many things on our plates to deal with sometimes.

[honey11]

There is no way that you can stop your meds for 2 weeks and then continue on,,,,Its called Relapse.  If you are in for 48 weeks and missed a dose every once in awhile,,,spread out of course,,,,that may not hurt but 2 weeks straight,,,nope.  My dr said if you stop meds,,,,you are back to square 1,,,,48 weeks. I know what you mean about flu like symptoms because I went through it also but it will get better.  I did 52 weeks and made it. Hang in there and fight,,,,You can do it!

[cuteus]

I have been in conversation with a friend about subclinical infections and how drs seem to miss them. Your dr should have tried antibiotics instead of anti flu meds. It looks like some of us get infections that don't follow the normal course known to drs. Try the antibiotics before changing your treatment.

[DoubleDose]

Flu-like symptoms are part and parcel of HCV therapy.  You can't avoid these nasty sx, or interrupt tx to make them go away...you will only ruin your tx efforts.

If by some chance you actually have contracted the flu, or a severe cold while on tx, then I cannot think of better drugs to treat it!!!!  Interferon and Ribavirin, both are very effective in knocking out viruses of many types, because of the tremendous up-regulation effect on our immune system.  So my choice would be to continue therapy full speed ahead to fight off any foreign viruses you might encounter.

I tend to suspect that your flu and sinus symptoms are just good old 100% typical side effects of HCV therapy.  These will come and go, and will generally get a bit easier to deal with over time.  Don't let the sx discourage you, or frighten you.  Keep your eye on the ball, and go for that SVR!!!!

Good Luck, and Happy Holidays!

DoubleDose

[beamishboy]

so,if the avian flue strikes  the masss we may be the only survivors! I was hopeing there would be some immunity to flu ,but this means we may have to rebuild society from the bottom up-- this time we can change a few things,like, i say on sundays no speedlimit.You can drive as fast as you want..just a thot.i'm sure others have different ideas,like free health care,end to all this killing&war,ahh boy lot to do....i 'm not sure i am up for this avian flu pandemic-i'm already tired thinkin about it.......
  My sx on trx feel like the flu only now&then,the rest of the time i merely feel like misery dipped in sh#t......if i could handle whatever you are goin thru,i think i would really try to stay on for the full scheduled treatment term-but what do i know???GOOD LUCK

[cquest]

I am totaly serious here and it worked for me years ago before I knew I had this virus...

Scene of the crime is I moved from Houston TX to Boulder CO, the sea level moist air to high altitude dry air messed up my sinuses big time...major major sinus infection for 3 months and it would not go away, my sinuses were filled w/ fluid, I could feel it when I pressed down, the pain...oh the pain...that was also the same summer I got the bug bite turned nasty nasty infection on my foot....sooooo anyway....I had no money, no insurance....I worked in a small South American Macro-Biotic restaurant...we made something called 'Chorriana' which was mostly onions and green peppers used as part of another dish...anyway, after cutting 50 lbs of onions one day, tears streaming down my cheeks, nose running like crazy...low and behold - my sinuses were clear for the first time in months!! NO JOKE! Obviously the onions made my sinus drain all that nasty fluid and finaly gave my body a chance to do it's own thing...I have never had another sinus infection since that time but if I do, I'm goin' for the onions again!

Also, our family has always made 'the tea' when any of us are sick...it works too...mint tea (stomach problem), freshly grated ginger (sinus), cayenne pepper (sinus), lemon and honey (throat) BAM! Kick it up to full throtle heat w/ the ginger and cayenne pepper and you're good to go! Don't wimp out, it's gotta make your eyes water...  

If nothing else is working, you gotta do something, right?
Cin

[cuteus]

nothing weird about that one, I believe it!
when we were little(4 of us) and we got a cold(all 4 again) my parents would make it a beach day or weekend and we spent the day in the warm ocean, bathing, inhaling the water unknowingly and voila, instant saline cleaning. Whatever it takes.

Vienna
I still say antibiotics, a friend on tx, just got off a couple of Z packs for chest discomfort, that cleared after the meds, it probably was an undiagnosed bronchitis or something.  I had some of those subclinical infections that cleared while taking antibiotics for something else.  THe interferon affects the mucosal lining everywhere in your body, so you can expect changes there.  Most are not severe. You know your body on tx, if it does not feel like the "normal" course, try the antibiotics, a couple of days won't hurt, and you will know if that was the problem.
good luck

[friole]

Will the prescribe blood boosters in Austria?  Sounds to me like your white blood counts are low and you have lost some of your natural ability to fight off infection.  Most doctors here will prescribe Neupogen when your absolute neutriphils (ANC) drop below 750.  If you have some lab work handy check your white blood cell count and your neutriphil count and your ANC count.

I agree with most everyone here - the 80/80/80 rule was not meant for those who are 100% compliant to stop treatment early.  
Bring on the onions........
frijole

[suzieq2]

I had to stop treatment as a non responder. My Hepatologist told me my viral load would jump right back up to starting point in two weeks. WOW stopping at this point with your positive response to treatment would seem to me to have a result of starting over again.IF i was clearing , and treatment was working, I would try anything and everything other than stopping your hvc meds. Those little buggers would love the chance to beat interferon. My opinion bad call from your DR.

[cquest]

Yes the beach is the best! Your parents were pretty smart to know that back when almost everybody thought antibiotics were the only answer...I had a spider bite in South America and the darn thing just would not heal...went to the beach every day and the heat, salt water, etc did the trick...pretty amazing...
Cin

[viennacalling]

Thank you all for your kind comments. It feels good to have a support team mostly on the other side of the globe :)

Friole: my white bloodcount is borderline since the beginning, Doctor would only recomment treatment if it goes any lower.

As Jim suggested, I went to see a ENT specialist yesterday and already started antibiotics while I continue TX. I`ll keep you posted of my last three months in TX.

Cheers,
Chris