Met with the DR

[mnkdrt]

Hello all...
We met with the DR last night and it went good. We talked about the treatment and what to expect and when to start.
I decided to start ASAP so if there are any problems with the treatment we will know way before my wife gets to the point where I need to be taking care of her and also before the baby is born.
I asked some questions you guys had mentioned I should ask and he answered them good.
He has and still has a number of patients on TX so I feel confident he has my interest in mind. This is the DR who told me 8 years ago not to start until the medicine had come a little ways. He still did not trust it when I was diagnosed.
I am now waiting to hear from the nurse who handles the prep and insurance haggling. I hope my insurance pays for it all, does anyone know how much TX is? I guess I can look it up somewhere.
So thats the deal at the moment...it sounds like it could become a haggling ordeal with the insurance company.
Later-
Michael.

[ambersfire]

i ws informed by schering plough that if your insurance company provides you with a letter of denial for treatment medications and your income is below 30,700  or 31,700  (or somwhere in that area im not sure exactly it was a c0uple years ago) that they will give you free meds upon receipt of proof of income and denial of meds from insurance company and rosche i think is the same.

[Dale_Ray]

I think the reason this forum makes you think about sex is that you know we've all been poked a lot. Dale

[mnkdrt]

Well he was honest about all that. He told me he wasnt the person to ask, I have to meet with the DR that handles all the TX patients which I am waiting on a call from. I guess the DR I have been dealing with is just the front end DR and there is the actual TX DR. He said all hose questions would be answered by him or her.
So I know she cant touch the medicine and we probably shouldnt have sex atleast until the baby is born.
But could there be some effects to the baby just by being touched on the skin or kissed?
Well like we said before time is on my side being only phase 1, waiting till the baby is born wouldnt hurt anything I guess. I just didnt want to be sick after the baby is born.

[mnkdrt]

Thanks folks,
I got on the insurance site and they have a copay/calculator by drug...
I put all variations of interferon with a once a week for 48 weeks plan and each shot had 25.00 copay. I can handle that if it really that much. But could be worse and or better I guess we will have to see later.
Michael.

[jmjm530]

Besides the peg and ribavirin, check out your insurance coverage for two other "helper" drugs which can become quite costly -- Procrit and Neupogen. You may not need them, but many of us do.

-- Jim

[dutchman]

Hi, just thought i would add something quickly. You mentioned " before the baby is born ". If i can recall right, there was some kind of contraindication to treatment if your partner is pregnant. Ask your doctor about this. I believe it was on the package insert for the treatment medications. take care

[mnkdrt]

I was told by many people that my wife cant tuck the medicines. But I have not heard of actually not doing the treatment. I dont know why I couldnt take it as long as she never touched the meds.
If you can find the insert or more info let me know please.

[dutchman]

http://www.rocheusa.com/products/pegasys/pi.pdf

[Bill1954]

Here is the address for the package insert (medication guide) for Roche's Copegus (ribavirin). Once there,if you scroll down a bit, the issues regarding pregnancy are addressed.

Good luck,

Bill

[Bill1954]

Woops! Here it is--

http://www.rocheusa.com/products/copegus/COPEGUS_MedGuide.pdf

[can-do-man]

I imagine oral sex could also potentially become an issue.

Good point there jim, all i know is when he started talking that p word. everything else was a total blank for me. Just thinking of it gives me the shakes.

[mnkdrt]

Well to be honest I am not even concerned about doubling up. I would never risk a defect to the fetus...PERIOD.
We would just have to wait until the baby is born to get busy again.
Anyways, I went to the site jmjm mentioned and posted a question for one of the specialist to answer.
WOW...this is all getting pretty strategic.
Michael.

[can-do-man]

Your hepatologist has no problem with you taking these drugs while your wifes pregnant???

[jmjm530]

Fortunately, my insurance pays almost everything, so I've never bothered to add it up, but probably costs in the neighborhood of $1000-$2000 (possibly more) a week, depending on how many helper drugs you need. That's drugs only. Then there's doctors visits, lab fees, procedures's, etc. Because of the high cost of treatment, it's important to get your insurance ducks in a row as early in the process as possible.

-- Jim

[jmjm530]

Frankly, don't know much about the topic, but think you're on the right track.

Either, the drug companies are being overly-cautious (don't want to risk the chance of your wife picking up a dropped pill, etc,), or there must be some specific transmission route of the riba they are concerned about possibly such as semen or saliva.

Otherwise, wouldn't all of us be warned to keep a distance from pregnant women while we're treating? Be it our a friend, relative, or even neighbor? I would think so, but we're not.

My guess is if you take some normal precautions you'll be OK but of course you'd want this confirmed by someone knowledgable in this area.

-- Jim

[Dale_Ray]

Micheal I have insurance but they tried to dodge the treatment cost on the front end but finally came around. My average out of pocket for the treatement and support drugs and doctors office is around $60 to $100 per month. Could be some exceptional months but on the average. I am taking Pegasus / Copegus and Nupogen along with Lexapro and Ambien. Whoops I probably spend $1000 dollars a month on Extra Strength Tyleno - kidding about that one. Good luck to you - Dale

[lionesss]

Yeah I heard about that contraindication for pregnent partners too. It made me wonder how toxic these drugs really.  Best to speak to doc about how paranoid you have to be.  I heard no tests were done on humans (funnily enough) but on rats.
Congratulations on starting Tx!  I just started myself and I feel positive about the process (so far).  After reading all your insurance negotiations, I am so pleased we have got medicare in this country (Oz).  I just pay $4.70 per month for the drugs. blood tests are free.  My doc is private, so i pay $70 for her (but claim $50 back). That was my choice though, I could've gone public and paid nothing.  my biggest expense is the naturopath. About $100 every 6 weeks.  But I love those herbs and fresh perspective.  When do you think you will start Tx?

[NYgirl]

It's NOT only the cost of the Interferon and Riba - Epogen ALONE is like $600 a VIAL and during the course of treatment you can possibly take $50,000 of this ALONE (if you take it twice a week as some of us have had to).  I believe there were like ten in the box and the cost was OVER SIX THOUSAND FOR THE ONE LITTLE BOX (and I've already used 5 at least at $30,000)

Then there is the cost of the Neupogen (I haven't taken dont know) and sleeping aids like Ambien and antidepressants like Paxill and various other medications for the various illnesses that are generic to our disease.

Then you add on top the things we need to just live like the water (can't drink tap) and syringes (insurance doesn't cover)and moisturizing lotions for the skin problems and things like that

Then, if you are like me and have a severe problem like having to have your thyroid out and take THAT medication for the rest of your life...and have nuclear testing etc - well I can't imagine what that cost is going to be.

Then add in all of the many CBCs, hep panels, PCRs, doctor and hospital bills....

And the total probably ends up well over $100,000 - $200,000 but at least $100,000 for just the regular treatment MIMIMUM when you are all done.

It's NOT just the Int/Riba combo at all like you'd think it is.

[jmjm530]

Just found some more specfic verbage which I'll parapharse ..."treatment is contraindicated if a male who has a pregnant female sexual partner.."

----------

So, apparently, it does have something to do with sexual contact,  as opposed to casual or household contact.

If I were in your situation, I'd put some time into researching this out as well as getting a couple more opinions prior to making a decision.

You might also post the question on one of the doctor run hep c sites such as:

http://www.thebody.com/Forums/AIDS/Hepatitis/

And just so you know, the riba issue extends not only to while you're treating but to six-months post treatment, as riba can remain that long in your system. During that time, two forms of birth control are therefore recommended.

-- Jim

[can-do-man]

Jim i think its the  semen  part of it. He asked me if my wife was or could be pregnant. After i stopped screaming and they caught up with me i was told men would have to wear double the protection. But if it was me and only a stage 1 i wouldn't want to take the risk. Best to you

[jmjm530]

CanDo said: But if it was me and only a stage 1 i wouldn't want to take the risk.
-----------------------------

I tend to agree here, but that's a whole other issue. Hopefully, Mnk will get some more specfic risk data from his doctors that he can discuss with his wife.

I imagine oral sex could also potentially become an issue. Frankly, based on my experience treating, better than doubling up the condoms are the treatment drugs themselves. LOL.

-- Jim

[NYgirl]

I was told that a woman shouldn't even HANDLE the medications without fear of birth defects...so I'd imagine if you can't even touch them then bodily fluids being deposited may have a higher concentration getting in to you somehow.  I would be concerned about that and use superduper double up protection since you've already "done the job"

[OnAPrettyPoison]

I really hate to point this out, but after a few weeks of treatment, you are probably not going to be thinking of sex.  Well, you may be thinking of it, but you really won't have the energy to actually do it!  Good luck in what ever you decide!

[beamishboy]

pregnant women,double protection,oral sex, nygirl handling'it' --on a pretty poison: this young fella is gonna be thinking about sex! heck i got 20 yrs on him and you guys got me fixated on Sex!! thank u 1 and all ...Mnkt-you will do fine Dad,keep askin lots of questions and keep having FUN-more then a couple of ways to get your ashes hauled...