RIBAVARIN & PEGINTERFERON

my dad is 74 and is to start taking RIBAVARIN & PEGINTERFERON for tratment for hepatitis C. Plz can anyone tell me if it works well and the side effects on a man of 74.

[Bill1954]

In our local support group here in town, we have a 76 year-old man that successfully treated for Hep C genotype 2; he was 74 through treatment, and has been pronounced SVR (sustained viral response). His biggest complaint through treatment was fatigue.

Good luck to your father- we all respond to this treatment differently—

Bill

[Trinity4]

Tell your Dad good luck for me and I hope he reaches SVR without a lot of problems.  Just tell him to keep in mind the older we are (yes, there are exceptions) the tougher tx is on our body.  Younger people seem to tolerate tx better but if your Dad has decided to go ahead and treat at 74 he's got to be a tough old bird to begin with!!  That kind of determination starting out will definitely work to his advantage.  
All the Best
Trinity

[Odin999]

The treatment works well for some people, and not for others. Some people react very badly to it indeed, while some seem to get through with only some discomfort and fatigue. For most people treatment is very tough both psychologically and physically. It can exacerbate existing health problems and cause new ones to appear which will be permanent.

It is not easy to predict whether the treatment will work, but a really good specialist can give you a lot of information prior to starting to help with the decision. Current condition of his liver, HCV genotype, initial viral load, body weight, race and other factors all affect his chances of success so you need to find out those details if you haven't already.

This treatment is best undertaken with a hepatologist or gastroenterologist who is really experienced with HCV. A good specialist will frequently and carefully monitor what is going on during treatment. If they don't do so, you should immediately seek an alternative.

In your father's case since he is in his 70's the monitoring/response is critical. At that age he shouldn't have to suffer through treatment if it is unlikely to work. You want to make sure that he has a good chance of success, and that treatment will actually improve his quality of life if he undergoes it.

Treatment protocols will vary by country and specialist. If the specialist doesn't order a precise viral load test prior to treatment, or suggests waiting for 12-weeks of treatment before getting a second viral load test to monitor effectiveness, that is a bad sign. You can ask Dr. Dietrich on the "Ask a Doctor" HCV forum for a second opinion on treatment decisions as well as people on these forums. Give people as much information about your father as you can though. Stage of liver disease, HCV genotype etc. All makes a big difference.

Don't let him rush into this.

There are some newer drugs on the horizon which may be more effective with a shorter duration treatment. There is no guarantee those drugs will be available by a particular time, but if your father has Genotype 1 and a high viral load (harder to treat) then he might be better to not treat at all, to wait, or to get into a drug trial. That is only the case if his liver is in good enough condition though.

[Mr Liver]

To answer your question one really would need to know the condition of your dad's liver, at the very least. Assuming he is cirrhotic and is being advised to treat, the potential side effects are not the prime consideration . That's a bridge that may or may not have to be crossed. However, I would be remiss if I didn't disclose that those with cirrhosis, on average, have more complications with treatment than non-cirrhotics.

If your dad is not cirrhotic, I would rethink the situation and get a second opinion about the necessity and appropriateness of treating in this setting.
Best of luck to your dad and hopes for a smooth treatment course.
Mr Liver