Rash people - does it get any better next time around?

I got a rash with telaprevir + peg, and then another rash with SOC.  I didn't have to stop tx but it was bad enough that I really don't fancy treating again with either telaprevir or ribavirin, and especially not with both of them together -   plus I might need high dose riba to SVR.

So my question is - in your experience does the body get used to the drugs first time so that there's less rash allergic reaction the next time around?  Or maybe it's the opposite?  

I know that I never used to have trouble with insect bites until I got stung by a jellyfish.  Now every bite swells up and itches for ages.  

Thanks
dointime.  



    

[miked]

dointime,

You were in the Prove Arm without Ribavirin, right?  I understand the next Prove trial to be for naives only.

As I posted, I had the Vertex rash too.  Before Prove 3 I read about the rash and thought, "How bad can it be?"  It was amongst the worst experiences that I've evern had.  It changed from a poison oak looking rash to solid patches of raised, anngry rash covering huge areas; to the one I hated the most were the 1/2-1" round raised spots that itched like crazy.

The rash even developed inside of my ear channels.  I knew enough not to pick or dig at it because of infection.  After 3-4 weeks of treating with Lidex steroid cream and anti-histamines it's under control.  Two weeks ago the rash inside my ear channels caused an infection like swimmers ear and I was on antibiotics and ear drops with a 104 fever.

My guess only but I think the VX rash is simply an allergic reaction.  I'm prone to seasonal allergies, certain medications, foods, poison ivy, etc.  When I reas about the 34% who get the VX rash I knew I'd be amongst them.

My guess is you would get it again.  Was your doc proative and aggressive in treating it?

[susan400]

There has been talk that the Group C people may be offered a chance to "rollover" into taking all 3 drugs at a later time (as of yet undetermined), if they decide to do that.  I'm undecided if I even want to go through the whole rash thing again and also, I was told that if they do over the rollover that it would still be without the rescue drugs.  Being as my white blood cells and neutrophils are still below range and it's been 12 weeks since I came off of the Prove 3 trial, I don't know that there's any point in it, (for me) to try to retreat with the 3 drugs, only to be told a month into it (you have to stop because your white cells are too low).  I'm sort of in this predicament now...    I really need to have those rescue drugs on future treatments.

Susan

[dointime]

Susan, oh that's a difficult one for you.  What a bind to be in.  It's enough to make you want to throw in the towel - if only we could.  

Mike, the rash is a systemic allergic reaction and I suspect you are right, if I  got it once I'll probably get it again.  

Just the thought of another rash makes me want to throw up.  There just has to be another way.  Before I did my one-and-only tx I was scared because I didn't know what would happen.  Now I'm ten times more scared because I do know.

dointime.