New Rx : Many questions

[1fairygirl]

About 2yrs. ago I was diagnosed with rheum.arthritis. I had a high rheum. factor and much pain and swelling in my hands and feet and sore knees, hips, shoulders,etc.I also had extreme fatigue, which can be a huge factor with RA.  I wasn't getting any relief with treatment from my rheumy so asked my gen.pract. for a referral for a 2nd opinion.  Before the new rheumy would see me he wanted some lab work done.  Included in that were hep. tests.  I came back pos. for hvc.  The test was repeated with the same results.  I am now set up to see a gastro. and the new rheumy said to discontinue my RA meds.  I have also, since trying to treat the RA, developed small nodules on my fingers and sides of my feet.  I am only 42 and yet, have gone through menopause about 5yrs. ago.  Is that common with hvc?  What about all the other symptoms-the swelling, joint pain, and nodules.  Can those also be associated with hvc?  I do see from other posts that the fatigue can be common.  I would greatly appreciate ANY info anyone can give me about my questions and anything else about hvc.  Since I've not yet seen a gastro, all I have is the info I can find online.  Based on many of the sites I've come upon, you people seem to have alot of knowledge.  Knowledge is power...Know your enemy.  I plan to beat this and need to be armed when I go in fighting.          Blessed be, Sue

[1fairygirl]

Thanks to all for your support and information. It is great to have some place to go without having to always put upon family and have people who have knowledge.  
Cuteus- I am so happy for you that the tx worked and I hope you will ALWAYS stay negative. Thanks for your well wishes.
LL-Wow you had a long wait to find out the cause of your pain. So happy to hear your results, though. I know there's no question to treat or not with hearing all the results. I just hope to be one of the lucky and it works as well....
Susan-Thanks for the info on Sam-e. I had heard of it before but had no real idea of what it did or was for.  I think it sounds like something I definitely would like to try. Could also probably use the anti-depressant effect about now!
Aubie-Best of luck to you, too. This isn't easy to figure out or deal with. I hope tx goes good and you have little sx. thanks for the info and take it as easy as you can.
Dave-30 years,huh? Wow! I've no idea how, when, or where...It must have also been decades ago. It's obviously no coincidence that some of us had an RA dx. This new rheumy wanted me checked before he saw me so it must have a connection. Hope more are starting to test before they just assume and treat for years with no results. Good luck at the rheumy, hope they can fix some of your aches and pains!
Thanks again to all, Sue

[layla]

Welcome to this forum. I am sorry to hear you have HCV. The best thing to do is educate your self so you can make informed decisions. All the numbers you are posted are very low and that is good if you decide to to tx (treatment). Tx works best with low VL (viral loads). Tx is interferon and ribavirin. It's tough on some people and easier on other so it's really impossible to say how it will be for any one person. Most of us work our jobs right through it even though many days are hard but there are a few who have more difficulties. That being said it does work to get rid of the HCV which is called being SVR. Make sure you have a doc who is very knowlegeable about HCV and treats many parients already. I suggest seeing a hepatologist if possible which is a liver specialits. If there is not one available see a GI who specializes in HCV. You did not mention if you were having a liver bx (biopsy). This is the only way to tell if you have any liver damage. The numbers you indicated do not corelate to the extent of liver damage you might have. HCV progresses at different rates in everyone so this is the only way to tell if you have any damage. There are some who don't have one but most here in the USA do. If you have question people here are very helpful and supportive so ask away. LL

[twotells]

I too was diagnosed with HCV by a Rheumatologist back in '02 (at age  52) and completed combo tx nearly 6 mo ago (PCR clear at 3 mo post).  He said his practice finds 2 or 3 such cases per year.  It's a hell of a thing to be surprised by after 30 yrs of unknowingly having it.  I still have joint aches and pains so I'm going back to the Rheumatologist in a couple of weeks.  There's plenty of support and info here on this forum, so hang in.  I wish you the best in your tx,  Dave

[DODII]

Hello there,
My name is K.Omar,about three weeks ago i was diagnosed with hep c,my HCV-RNA(by RT-PCR/b-DNA) 52,800
s.g.o.t(A.S.T) 34
S.G.P.T(A.L.T) 58
AND MY gENOTYPE 4

My Q it that too heigh?Well interferon and Ribaviron helps.

Thank you and good bless


Khaled Omar
***@****

[Tallblonde]

Sue,

I forgot to mention that SAM-e also has liver-protecting AND anti-depressant properties.  It's good for your liver, your mood AND your joints.  That's a lot of bang for the buck.

Susan

[Aubbie]

HELLO to all and I am gonna ask about Same and see for me.I have stiff neck andjoint ache alot with muscle weakness. I went to MD today, Found out that My fibrosis is not good,type 1, my load count is 129385 low she says. I have 2 things against me and 2 things good for me. I have had this for 30 years and it is a very slow progressing one. And my count is low!  but being 52 is against me,and I am mild to moderate on the Bridging!  Good news so my TX is ordered from Schering and will come to my home. I have always wondered why I ache like I do, PLUS I do beleive menopause plays a role in HCV , It can be confusing but THANK YOU FOR ONFO!  ONLY ON THIS SITE WILL BRING SUCH KNOWLEDGE  and  GOD bless all of you.  Aubbie

[Tallblonde]

Hi Sue,

There's an over-the-counter product called "SAM-e" (S-adenosylmethionine) that can probably alleviate all of the joint and muscle pain you described.  Many of us here take it (I take 400 mg. daily on an empty stomach) and have had remarkable results.  It won't cure your HCV, but it will likely eliminate the discomfort of joint and muscle pain.  I'm not exaggerating when I say eliminate.   I went from feeling like an 80-year old when I stood up and down in the pew at church, to being able to do deep-knee bends without a trace of discomfort.  It's kind of pricey (I pay about $25 a month), but well, well worth it.  It can also be taken during interferon/ribavirin treatment for HCV.

You have a lot to learn about this mystifying disease and you have some very important decisions to make about whether or not to treat.  There's no sense in being in physical pain while you're doing all this.  SAM-e can likely help you immensely.

Best wishes to you, Sue.

Susan

[layla]

I was also positive for RA but in fact had HCV. I had joint pain for 7 years. The RA doc told told me he saw that quite a bit. My hep doc agreed. Sorry you have been dx with HCV but the one good thing for me was after a couple months on tx all my joint pain went away. It's an autommine reaction. My joint pain was getting pretty bad and it's good to be rid of it. Some of us are prone to autoimune problems. I happen to be one and I also lost my thyroid on tx but a pill a day makes me feel normal. I think if your seeing a doc and are prone to these things I personally would try to see a hepatologist. If they are aware of your problem I think in many cases the loss of thyroid can be avoided but it's usaully to late before it's caught. Of coarse it is different for everyone but having a good hep doc is very important for all of us. I am not sure about the menopause being so early but I have always had some problems and wonder if it's also associated. I had HCV for 28 years then was dx. Luckily I had almost no liver damage. I also did 18 months of tx and I am now SVR and feel pretty good. I wish you the best and hope to see you around. You will get suppost when you need it here. LL

[cuteus]

sorry about your schocking news, that is exactly how I found out also. The rheumatologist saw no classical signs of RA and sent me for a hep panel. Lo and behold, I had hcv. I say had, because after 72wks of treatment, I believe it has left the premises.
I am also 53, was diagnosed at 50, an eternity ago.
stay tune to this forum for incredible support and knowledge from the members.
best to you in your decissions