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Stage 4 cirrhosis hep c related
Can someone tell me if the new meds for hep c with the excellent cure rate can be given before liver transplant. I have genotype 1 and have been recently diagnosed with stage 4 cirrhosis. Was seeing gasteronilogy dr for nearly 20 years, and had had one biopsy that was inflammation and last month had second biopsy to see if I am a candidate for new meds for hep c and now being referred to UAB in Birmingham for a three day evaluation for liver transplant. Will see hepotoligist and liver transplant surgeon and lots of testing. I am confused as whether I can take the meds first and then get transplant after treatment or get transplant first and then take meds? Does anyone know the answer? I got hep c from blood transfusions in 1965 and 1966 when I gave birth to my children. It lay dormant for years and showed up in 1995. Also I am 68 years old and I know age probably plays a part in whether or not I would be a candidate for treatment and or transplant. Would appreciate some input on this.
I am now on day 3 of my Sovaldi treatments. I am naturally excited after all of these years of not being able to treat my Hep C. I am on the liver transplant list at UAB. I am told that the treatments will not affect when the transplant takes place. I can take the meds right up until a liver becomes available for me.
The doctors at UAB are world class, in my opinion. You will be in good hands there.
The doctors at UAB are world class, in my opinion. You will be in good hands there.
I did inteferon treatment. I can't speak about the new treatment from experience but I'm told the side effects are easier. If you can do the new interferon free treatment, that's the way to go.
Of course, I had side effects on interferon. Mainly, it made me depressed and exhausted though I also lost a lot of hair. Now that is all in the past and I'm a happy, hairy camper.
There are options for low income people to get their meds covered. I'm kind of out of touch with that now, but if you search, I'll be you can find the info.
Good luck.
Of course, I had side effects on interferon. Mainly, it made me depressed and exhausted though I also lost a lot of hair. Now that is all in the past and I'm a happy, hairy camper.
There are options for low income people to get their meds covered. I'm kind of out of touch with that now, but if you search, I'll be you can find the info.
Good luck.
Was the medicine real expensive and how did you deal with the side effects? I have heard that the meds make most very sick. I am on Medicare and have a supplement but don't know how well that will cover this very expensive treatment. So many uncertainties.
Did you take the latest treatment available and did the medicine make you sick and did it include shots, and pills?
I'm going to pipe in here just to tell you that I did treatment with interferon/riba with decompensated cirrhosis which failed. Over two years post transplant, I treated again for hep C and it was successful.
As others have mentioned, a lot has to do with how advanced your cirrhosis is.
Of course its' easier to be hep C free post transplant but conversely, it was much harder for me, doing treatment with a sick liver than with a healthy one.
Best of luck to you.
OH
As others have mentioned, a lot has to do with how advanced your cirrhosis is.
Of course its' easier to be hep C free post transplant but conversely, it was much harder for me, doing treatment with a sick liver than with a healthy one.
Best of luck to you.
OH
I was told that the treatment meds could make the cirrhosis worse and if that is the case, will have to stop the treatment. I am going to UAB in Birmingham for 3 day evaluation to get on the list for transplant. Will see hematology Dr. and transplant surgeon and labs. a lot of testing. It is nice to know we can communicate with others in similar situations.
Thank you for the sharing of information. I will know what my options are soon I hope. I have really not been feeling well for so long.
Thank you so much for your sharing of information. I do have other health issues but hoping none of which will hinder the treatment or transplant.
Hi. I read your post and Hector's response (and everyone else's). Hector is one of the best on this site, very knowledgeable and on top of things. The reason I'm writing you is I am 59 years old and have several health problems now that aren't unusual for my age, but they do present obstacles in curing this stupid virus. So when you said you're 68 (or your husband?), that hit home for me.
I have failed all three treatment attempts. The body we're trying to cure now is quite different from the one I had when I was much younger. I have essential tremor, high blood pressure, mild stroke, arthritis, osteopenia (thinning bones) umbilical hernia, irregular heartbeat, GERD, and retinal hemorrhaging that developed 9 weeks into my last treatment attempt, so I had to quit and am no longer eligible for any clinical trials due to the eye issue. Good luck to you.
I have failed all three treatment attempts. The body we're trying to cure now is quite different from the one I had when I was much younger. I have essential tremor, high blood pressure, mild stroke, arthritis, osteopenia (thinning bones) umbilical hernia, irregular heartbeat, GERD, and retinal hemorrhaging that developed 9 weeks into my last treatment attempt, so I had to quit and am no longer eligible for any clinical trials due to the eye issue. Good luck to you.
My husband started Sovaldi + RBV treatment last week on his 68th birthday. He will be on this treatment for 24 weeks. He too got it in 1979 from blood transfusions. He had a liver transplant in June, 2012. Now he is post transplant with aggressive recurrent Hep C. He found out in December that his new liver has cirrhosis (a year and a half post- transplant). He is geno 1a.
Every one is different so I don't think anyone can tell you whether you should treat pre-transplant or not. We don't know how advanced your cirrhosis is and whether you have other medical conditions which may influence that decision. Ideally, it is best to treat before you have your transplant to avoid what happened to my husband.
This should all be part of the evaluation process for transplant. Be sure to ask the doctors whether you can safely treat your Hep C prior to your transplant.
The evaluation process itself is extensive and if you meet all the criteria, you will be placed on the transplant list. This in itself should not prevent you from treating your Hep C. The previous poster (Hector) was on the transplant list the whole 48 weeks he was treating his Hep C.
Keep us posted on how things go. There are people with all kinds of knowledge and experience on this forum who can help clarify things for you.
Wishing you the best.
Nan
Every one is different so I don't think anyone can tell you whether you should treat pre-transplant or not. We don't know how advanced your cirrhosis is and whether you have other medical conditions which may influence that decision. Ideally, it is best to treat before you have your transplant to avoid what happened to my husband.
This should all be part of the evaluation process for transplant. Be sure to ask the doctors whether you can safely treat your Hep C prior to your transplant.
The evaluation process itself is extensive and if you meet all the criteria, you will be placed on the transplant list. This in itself should not prevent you from treating your Hep C. The previous poster (Hector) was on the transplant list the whole 48 weeks he was treating his Hep C.
Keep us posted on how things go. There are people with all kinds of knowledge and experience on this forum who can help clarify things for you.
Wishing you the best.
Nan
Welcome.
Whether one can treat their hepatitis C is dependent on how far a person’s cirrhosis has progressed. Since that is an unknown now (there are different classes of cirrhosis. From early to End-Stage) that is one part of the evaluation process.
It is generally preferred that a person treats before a transplant. There is more known about treatment outcomes and its safety pretransplant than posttransplant (few posttransplant studies) and treating posttransplant is more complex as the patient is immnosuppressed. Since you don’t mention anything about the symptoms and complications of decompensated cirrhosis (ascites, HE, varices) I assume you are still compensated and could be a candidate to try hep C treatment while you are on the waiting-list for liver transplant.
When your evaluation results are complete you should discuss this you’re your hepatologist.
Being 68 has nothing to due with whether you can treat hepatitis C or not assuming you don't have other serious health conditions or diseases. A friend of mine is 67 and he is treating after appropriate testing.
Liver transplant centers mostly transplant patients under 70 years old but there are exceptions.
It is good thing that you may get proper treatment for your hep C soon. Maybe your cirrhosis can still be reversed if your hepatitis C is cured and you may not need a liver transplant? The doctors at the transplant center are the real experts on liver disease and its causes, they with do what they can to give you the best outcome possible, transplant or not.
By the way your hepatitis C was never 'dormant'. There is no such thing as dormant hepatitis C. Once someone is chronically infected with the virus it continually destroys liver cells. Liver disease caused by hep C is a slow moving disease. It usually takes between 20 – 40 years for the virus to destroy enough liver cells to the point where the liver becomes cirrhotic.
Best of luck with your cirrhosis and hepatitis C!
Hector
Liver transplant 11/16/13
Treated with Sovaldi + RBV for 48 weeks starting 9-2012 - Relapsed
Whether one can treat their hepatitis C is dependent on how far a person’s cirrhosis has progressed. Since that is an unknown now (there are different classes of cirrhosis. From early to End-Stage) that is one part of the evaluation process.
It is generally preferred that a person treats before a transplant. There is more known about treatment outcomes and its safety pretransplant than posttransplant (few posttransplant studies) and treating posttransplant is more complex as the patient is immnosuppressed. Since you don’t mention anything about the symptoms and complications of decompensated cirrhosis (ascites, HE, varices) I assume you are still compensated and could be a candidate to try hep C treatment while you are on the waiting-list for liver transplant.
When your evaluation results are complete you should discuss this you’re your hepatologist.
Being 68 has nothing to due with whether you can treat hepatitis C or not assuming you don't have other serious health conditions or diseases. A friend of mine is 67 and he is treating after appropriate testing.
Liver transplant centers mostly transplant patients under 70 years old but there are exceptions.
It is good thing that you may get proper treatment for your hep C soon. Maybe your cirrhosis can still be reversed if your hepatitis C is cured and you may not need a liver transplant? The doctors at the transplant center are the real experts on liver disease and its causes, they with do what they can to give you the best outcome possible, transplant or not.
By the way your hepatitis C was never 'dormant'. There is no such thing as dormant hepatitis C. Once someone is chronically infected with the virus it continually destroys liver cells. Liver disease caused by hep C is a slow moving disease. It usually takes between 20 – 40 years for the virus to destroy enough liver cells to the point where the liver becomes cirrhotic.
Best of luck with your cirrhosis and hepatitis C!
Hector
Liver transplant 11/16/13
Treated with Sovaldi + RBV for 48 weeks starting 9-2012 - Relapsed
I believe so, so that the transplant doesn't become infected. Check out the full information pdf on the Sovaldi website.
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