Post TX Side Effects for the Long Term

[jmjm530]

Good thread and badly needed IMO. Thought I'd continue it for others to chime in if they want.

First, what Snookmeister said "That what they are experiencing, is not in fact "rare", or "uncommon", but in fact the reality for MOST.. "

I've been dancing around the "most" word myself, but it sure seems that way at least for those of us geno 1's who went 48 weeks or more. "Rare" I don't think so. Thanks Snook for being so forthright.

Looking back, I do remember treatment being harsh and hard, but it was always presented in terms of the treatment period itself. Not what I might expect down the road after treatment. Being the red-blooded male I grew up as, once I started tx became a challenge to overcome. The only problem is that the prize for many that "win" this game may be worse than what they had before.

As others have so well put it, doctors are focused on treating the liver and the side effects during the treatment period. Afterwards it's "adios" in either a nice or not so nice way. Whether they don't have the time, inclination or motivation doesn't really matter. What matters is that objective information isn't getting out there when it really matters -- when someone sits down with their doctor for the treat or not treat decision.

I used to scoff some at alternative treaters like Dr. Zhang who preached that the real issue was fibrosis progression, not the virus itself. If I had to do it all over again, I think I would have given him a try first, even as a stage 3.
http://www.dr-zhang.com/drweil2.htm

-- Jim

[jmjm530]

Give the drug companies a break fella. How the h*ll are they going to find time to conduct studies in post-tx side effects when they're busy running getaway weekends for docs? But I will say this, the new breed of drug rep are so hot-hot-hot sometimes, that I don't think the average middle aged male doctor stands a chance. I mean I was drooling in the waiting room a few weeks ago while an rep for that new long-lasting epo drug was being ushered in. That meant I had to wait twenty minutes more. If my doc was younger, the wait would probably have been an hour :)

-- Jim

[Snookmiester]

Up above in a previous post, a member here attempted to tell a funny, I assume. Because in it, she stated that why we aren't seeing any studies? I just have to laugh, as obviously AGAIN, somebody hasn't done research..That person forgets how all the interefron studies were brought about, and paid for.. The article I am about to link to, is a response to an article that was published on the front page on The New York Times, back on June 27, 2004.. This is how Dr's where rewarded for prescribing interferon for Scherring Plough, and how they were paid for conducting trials, etc.. Big, big scandal, in which Scherring Plough was fined over 345 million.. Boy, I guess we all forgot how honest the medical commuinty really is! Medicine is a business, nothing more!

<a href="http://www.newstarget.com/001298.html">Pharmacutical curroption</a>

[jmjm530]

Don't know what to make of those stories but just came back from a new derm who spent about an hour with me. It was obvious he never saw so much different stuff going on in the same person at the same time. Some suggest that most of these problems were pre-existing -- well, yes and no. True, I had pre-existing skin tendencies prior to treatment let's say a 1 or 2 on a scale of 1-10. Zero effect on QOL. Now, it's like 15 on that same scale and QOL is significantly effected. The fact that I had an underlying benign pre-existing skin issues prior does not make it any better for me. How many of us know exactly what is lurking just under the surface when we take interferon for long periods of time? Certainly one way to find out :)

-- Jim

[GoofyDad]

and I'm in rapt confusion...

"I never saw an increase in fibrosis over all those years, and well might have had it not been for herbal prophylaxis."

I mean, how do you propose I keep the dang things on, that's what I want to know....and wouldn't they leave green smudges on the the thingie-ma-bobbie? Sure, fine for St Paddy's day, but you know, showering at the gym and all......

All kidding aside, thanks for the thread.....

[Forseegood]

ha ha ha, wow, some of those stories!!! Do you have a pistol lying around? Cause I ain't got enough of my sleeping pills to do the job, ha ha! Man, that place a buzzkill or what??? They need a little bit of levity over there, we might send Goof and Can Man to go tag team them, geeeeesh!!!!

[Snookmiester]

Anybody ever gone and read through this site? Not sure how to take some of the stories myself?

<a href="http://lloydwright.org/hepatitis_messages/Interferon_correspondence.htm">Interferon stories</a>