idiot question

[sgabb]

Hey guys, it has been awhile, but I wanted to check in.  I heard from my doc last week, I am 15/24 so 9 more to go, and he said the virus is undetectable.  I will get more blood work 3 months after my last shot.  I think this is really good news, but am not sure what to expect from here on out, and what I need to do besides keep doing my shots and pills. I am type 2 and viral load was over 5 mil at start.  have some bridging and sclorosis of the liver.  Brain fog is no fun

[rexx73]

i m not i got that right,but you say that the therapy made more damage to your liver than it helped?
i never heard something like thatt.

even if your virus is still there,the thera should help youre liver.

[rere789]

I  had tx on two occassions,first   and second tx showed know signficant        improvement,as a matter of fact it speeded up the virus.I went from borderline to stage 4 in less than a years time.After  the tx I was simply told to return to work.

[layla]

whoops texashep not texasgal. LL

[layla]

Alcohol typically most mediactions so I would have to ask myself "is it worth it while on tx?" If you drink and don't get SVR how will you feel? LL

[sofarsogood]

I went through 24 weeks of torture. Keep on keeping on. Things will remain the same in my opinion. If your hemoglobin is up around 12 that is good news. That is part of the battle while on treatment. At least you have energy compared to someone who suffers from hemolytic anemia from the stinkin meds. (oops, almost broke the keyboard thinking about that rotgut riba). If you have the rash I doubt it will get better until meds are stopped.

This is real important. I have been on this bandwagon for a while. WATCH YOU THYROID. So many tell about hypothyroidism from the treatment.. The effects of that disease are such a damn nusance.

Have your doctor check your TSH, free t3 and t4.

I am the Gaffer.

[TEXASHEP]

Congrats!!!  I am new around here and have a quick question.  what are the affects of alchohol while on treatment?

[honey1616]

Hey,,,Congrats are in order for the undectable and 9 more weeks left,,,is not too bad!  Hang in there and you will be through in no time!

[LvdByGod!]

i would strongly suggest getting a viral pcr "blood check" for the virus again before going off tx...at least one more time. i personally would push for two more before going off meds if i was in your shoes...

the more clears the better before going off meds cause if it rears its ugly head again you would want to stay on meds longer  i would think, rather than starting over again...

it's not a given that it goes away in 24 weeks, although you have a great chance that it will...if any genotype was best for that the 2's would be the ones to do it...

i was clear on my first test but positive on my second test...so i continued tx beyond the 24 weeks for type 3...recently i have had two negatives in a row...so i'm praying for a few more negatives before going off meds and my dr agrees that for my case it's important...

some drs are very guarded and reluctant to push the treatment envalope and taylor the treatment length on a case by case basis...so they do the standard treatment times with out adequate thought for each individual,s case...for example people with a higher bmi or more advanced liver damage have a lesser chance of clearing...so it makes sense to me to concider longer treatment for them...each case by case instead of some "standard" length of time...the 24 and 48 weeks should be a guideline but not written in concret...just my opinion here...

in my case i was hovering up and down arround the baseline point. but wasn't really clear yet...(i certainly hope and pray that yours isn't like mine)...but i would be ticked at my doc if he only was going to do one test!!!

also, the more sensitive the tests the better...now i ask for the "Heptimax" by Quest labs, that tests down much lower than the 615 iu that is often done as a standard test...

maybe your doc will agree to give you another test so you feel your making a wise decision before going off meds. just a thought...

i wish for you the very best, congradulations on your clear your on the road!!!

sandi

[whoaisme]

The very first rule - STOP drinking!! It is like put gasoline on a fire, its fuel...your best bet is to not drink at all. Your liver needs to use its energy to fight HepC, not metabolize alcohol. Good luck to you, and use this forum to ask questions. You will get lots of good information here.

[honey1616]

Most drs won't even start you on tx if you are drinking.  Whoaisme stated it like it is,,,,Alcohol is fuel for the virus. The meds are also very expensive so why waste your time if not serious.  Just some thoughts to consider....

[whoaisme]

Congratulations on being undetectable! Keep doing what you have been doing, apparently its working!