Saw The Doc - Have Some Answers

[FlGuy]

Went to see doc#3, one of those

[52TELE]

Paris , I think after your last shot you should have enough ribavirin for another 7 days. I really dont know how important it is that you finish them  , but thats the protocol.

[Kalio1]

am also 3a, did 24 weeks at 800/riba a day and relapsed. I am now doing 48 so in the end I ended up doing 72 all together instead of 48 straight through. In the last year my doc says the thinking on 3a's is pretty much do the 48 now, that thinking has changed since this time last year. He upped it to 1200 a day. This does not mean you won't clear it in 24, of course some do but it does mean your risk of relapse if you do stick with the 24 is higher than previously thought is the way I see it. It is a very tough call, I feel for you, but if you DO stop at 24 and then you do relapse then you will have to do the 48 week course and end up doing 72 weeks altogether.
I had no indicators of liver damage at all but found out recently I DO have liver damage and maybe that is why I relapsed, I am sure it is a contributing factor.
I restarted, did "induction" thereapy (double dosed IFN and riba for 30 days but not doctor ordered that was my idea) and was UND by week 4. Now I am on 1200 riba a day and 180INF a week which is what the doctor ordered. Good uck with your decision. If it hepls any, the seond tx hasnt been quite as hard as the first part.

[azgrl]

Thanks for your input.  Your case is one I have brought up with my doc in the past in regards to getting pcr soon after quitting at 24.

I just may have opened my mind a little more to the 48wks.  I see my doc tomorrow so I will bring it up with her again and see if I continue if I can up my riba.  I have put on weight since tx so I should be able to go higher without a problem.

Trying to figure this out is the pits.

deb in az

[Mister beagle bailey]

I still believe 24 weeks is good for 2B's.  But I would ask for a PCR test to be done before stopping meds.  I had a 22 week PCR done to make sure I was still UND and I was, If I wasn't I would have continued on the meds.

If I remember right, you were UND at week 4, right?  I think the earlier you clear and VL before tx plays a large part of how long treatment is given.

Beagle

[tulsatime]

With me being a relapser and geno 2. I was wondering if anyone knows if there is anything I could print out to show my dr. that I need to treat for longer than 24 weeks again. He still thinks I should try for 24. I am at my wits end. I called to find my old dr but he is not treating for hep c anymore.

FLGuy Thanks for info

[Mister beagle bailey]

In your case, I would treat longer then 24 weeks as you are a relapser.  Maybe it would be good to see another DR if possible.  If I relapse, I'm going to treat again but not with the same DR.

Beagle