Starting Week 12 on INC & THEN WHAT ???

Hi Warriors :)   Well, I will be starting week 12 tomorrow on INC, and I am looking so forward to getting through it peacefully !  ( PRAYING )    
From what I have read its might be HELL CAMP for me this week, however I am actually wondering what it will be like the day after I dont take any INC, Or the next week, and so on ?     There's no doubt that Incivek is a very powerful drug and has lots of sx, but for some reason when It seems to soothe me more than the Riba.  Riba seems to have the worst sx for me.    Same with Peg, seems like them sx are not as bad , its all points to the Riba for me.    

[hrsepwrguy]

Hey Carrie, to answer your question about riba absorbtion, it is better absorbed with fat but really not needed, that is why the insert doesn't say anything. I am in a study that is focused on how the body absorbs riba.
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01097395?term=hepatitis+c+AND+colorado&rank=1
I am in group 2 the concentration controlled arm and when my blood levels of riba are checked I am required to show up in a fasting state before I take my pills then blood levels are checked, I am still taking wt based riba dose and absorb it just fine with no food at all, not once has the research team at UC Denver told me to take it with fat only suggested that I take it with food to avoid nausea. Yes there are studies out that say it is better absorbed with fat but none of them say how much fat to take and when compared to incivek you will see that 40 to 60% really is not that much.

Effects of Food on Oral Absorption
The systemic exposure (AUC) to telaprevir was increased by 237% when telaprevir was administered with a standard fat meal (containing 533 kcal and 21 g
fat) compared to when telaprevir was administered under fasting conditions. In addition, the type of meal significantly affects exposure to telaprevir.
Relative to fasting, when telaprevir was administered with a low-fat meal (249 kcal, 3.6 g fat) and a high-fat meal (928 kcal, 56 g fat), the systemic exposure
(AUC) to telaprevir was increased by approximately 117% and 330%, respectively. Doses of INCIVEK were administered within 30 minutes of completing
a meal or snack containing approximately 20 grams of fat in the Phase 3 trials. Therefore, INCIVEK should always be taken with food (not low fat).

Basically if you choose to take it with fat that is fine but really not needed if you want to cut down on fat intake after stopping the incivek

[Livinontheedge]

Also,   Do we keep up our fat content with the riba when eating.   Ive heard several things that , yes we do, but how much ?      And No it is not necessary?     When reading my insert to riba it doesnt say anything about eating fat grams with dosage.  

[scoleman]

You're so close, hang in there.  I  started feeling better and had more energy about 10 weeks into triple tx with Incivek so not everybody has a hellish 12th week.  My impatience to jettison the fat meals from my diet peaked but other than that, week 12 was a nonevent.  I've been off Incivek for 3 weeks now and a week ago I added Abilify to the AD I was taking because my emotions were so volatile.  I got my UND result from my 12 week PCR and was devastated because my best friend couldn't go to dinner with me to celebrate.  Pretty crazy considering that that PCR test means I only treat for 24 weeks total.  I think while I was taking Incivek, I didn't have the energy to feel much of anything.  After a week of taking 2.5 mg of Abilify, I feel so much saner.  I was seriously worried about finishing treatment if my thoughts and emotions didn't level out.  For me the mental side effects of Peg/Riba are much harder to handle than the physical ones from the PI.

Take care, Sherry

[scoleman]

I gave up the fat when I got off Incivek but I make sure to take the RIba with a meal.  One day I didn't eat when I took my Riba; I just had a Mocha and I felt nauseous the rest of the night and couldn't take my second dose that day because I felt so sick.  That's the only time I've missed a dose.  

Sherry

[Livinontheedge]

Thanks for the info "S"  and so happy you made UND, what a great feeling that must be knowing you only have a total of 24 weeks of tx.  Thats what I am banking on too !    I know for me , the mental end of this has been emotional challenge, but I knew that coming in to it.   My AD is Lexa Pro and there is a little contradiction with INc, making the Lexa pro not work to its full ability.   So with all hope this is going to help me out a whole bunch coming off the inc.   I would love to have some energy back, or some motivation :)  

[scoleman]

My AD worked fine while I was on triple therapy but I could tell the mental stuff got worse when I got off the PI.  That's when I added the Abilify.  Careful what you wish for ;)  I've got a energy now but my insomnia has gotten worse.

Sherry

[pooh55811]

I am just starting my 10th week of triple med treatment with Incivek, Pegasys and Riba. I also look forward to getting off of Incivek.

I have read studies that state that Ribavirin is much better absorbed and there is more Riba available to fight the virus if a person takes it after eating at least 20 grams of fat. I know the Riba insert does not state that, but I have read it in some studies. I will try to find the data for that and will post a link here if I find it.

I figure I can continue eating 2 high fat meals a day. That will be a lot easier than 4 high fat meals a day. I do want to do everything possible to facilitate kicking the butt of this virus and if I have to eat fat to do it, I will, LOL.

[pooh55811]

Here is the information and the link to the information:

"Effect of Food on Absorption of Ribavirin"
"Bioavailability of a single oral dose of Ribavirin was increased by co-administration with a high-fat meal. The absorption was slowed (Tmax was doubled) and the AUC0-192h and Cmax increased by 42% and 66%, respectively, when Ribavirin tablets were taken with a high-fat meal compared with fasting conditions."

http://www.drugs.com/pro/ribavirin.html

[Ajw78757]

Incivek with fat, Riba with a meal (does NOT have to be fatty)


The data listed above says "when compared to a fasting state"

That means the riba is absorbed more with a high fat meal IF......

you are comparing taking it with high fat meal vs. taking it on an empty stomach.

Additionally, it says they only recorded data on a single dose.


My Dr said the riba will get absorbed just fine with a meal, you dont need to help it along.

I stopped the Incivek last month
I started feeling a lot better about a week after stopping the incivek, and have even been getting comments on how much better I look.

[hrsepwrguy]

Hey Carrie, to answer your question about riba absorbtion, it is better absorbed with fat but really not needed, that is why the insert doesn't say anything. I am in a study that is focused on how the body absorbs riba.
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01097395?term=hepatitis+c+AND+colorado&rank=1
I am in group 2 the concentration controlled arm and when my blood levels of riba are checked I am required to show up in a fasting state before I take my pills then blood levels are checked, I am still taking wt based riba dose and absorb it just fine with no food at all, not once has the research team at UC Denver told me to take it with fat only suggested that I take it with food to avoid nausea. Yes there are studies out that say it is better absorbed with fat but none of them say how much fat to take and when compared to incivek you will see that 40 to 60% really is not that much.

Effects of Food on Oral Absorption
The systemic exposure (AUC) to telaprevir was increased by 237% when telaprevir was administered with a standard fat meal (containing 533 kcal and 21 g
fat) compared to when telaprevir was administered under fasting conditions. In addition, the type of meal significantly affects exposure to telaprevir.
Relative to fasting, when telaprevir was administered with a low-fat meal (249 kcal, 3.6 g fat) and a high-fat meal (928 kcal, 56 g fat), the systemic exposure
(AUC) to telaprevir was increased by approximately 117% and 330%, respectively. Doses of INCIVEK were administered within 30 minutes of completing
a meal or snack containing approximately 20 grams of fat in the Phase 3 trials. Therefore, INCIVEK should always be taken with food (not low fat).

Basically if you choose to take it with fat that is fine but really not needed if you want to cut down on fat intake after stopping the incivek