Aa
Symptoms HELP!!!!!
I have Hep C and I am planning on starting treatment in April.....when i had my testing done i have geno type 2, no scarring and level 2 inflamation..... I feel normal and am pretty freaked about feeling sick on the meds...PLUS a 1 yr old baby....what should i expect? what medications are percribed to off set the discomfort?
I imagine that treating with SOC and taking care of a one-year-old would be pretty taxing. There are probably women here who have done it though.
One big difference between your condition and Jacob's is that you are genotype 2. Often these patients are encouraged to treat regardless of the state of their liver because of the shorter treatment required (24 weeks) and the high rate of success for this genotype. The outlook for treatment of genotype 1 is not nearly so good.
It is a tough decision and you've got a lot of good advice above. The only thing I would add is that if you go the "watchful waiting" route, make sure to keep a good watch. It seems to be great strategy as long as you don't wait too long. I (my doctor) chose to wait when I was first diagnosed and I lived to regret it, but my situation was very different from yours. Mainly, we didn't watch carefully (or often) enough.
You are very young, so unless you have had the virus since birth, then you probably have quite a bit of time to wait as this disease usually doesn't cause serious liver damage for decades.
The liver-friendly lifestyle is really important, especially avoiding liver-toxic substances. No alcohol is very important, as I would guess you know.
Good luck to you whatever you do! Enjoy your one-year-old. They don't stay that way for long. :-)
One big difference between your condition and Jacob's is that you are genotype 2. Often these patients are encouraged to treat regardless of the state of their liver because of the shorter treatment required (24 weeks) and the high rate of success for this genotype. The outlook for treatment of genotype 1 is not nearly so good.
It is a tough decision and you've got a lot of good advice above. The only thing I would add is that if you go the "watchful waiting" route, make sure to keep a good watch. It seems to be great strategy as long as you don't wait too long. I (my doctor) chose to wait when I was first diagnosed and I lived to regret it, but my situation was very different from yours. Mainly, we didn't watch carefully (or often) enough.
You are very young, so unless you have had the virus since birth, then you probably have quite a bit of time to wait as this disease usually doesn't cause serious liver damage for decades.
The liver-friendly lifestyle is really important, especially avoiding liver-toxic substances. No alcohol is very important, as I would guess you know.
Good luck to you whatever you do! Enjoy your one-year-old. They don't stay that way for long. :-)
Hi Bambie,
You came to the right place for hep c knowledge and support. I would advise you to start reading all the posts. There's a search archive button for specific questions you may have. If you can't find answers feel free to ask any question you want.
Are you seeing a specialist yet? Have you had a biopsy? That will tell you how much liver damage you may have if any. If you don't have much damage you can wait for future drugs that are more effective and take less treatment time.
I know it's scary but arm yourself with all the knowledge you can to make informed decisions. You can beat hep c, lots of people have.
Best regards,
Kittyface
You came to the right place for hep c knowledge and support. I would advise you to start reading all the posts. There's a search archive button for specific questions you may have. If you can't find answers feel free to ask any question you want.
Are you seeing a specialist yet? Have you had a biopsy? That will tell you how much liver damage you may have if any. If you don't have much damage you can wait for future drugs that are more effective and take less treatment time.
I know it's scary but arm yourself with all the knowledge you can to make informed decisions. You can beat hep c, lots of people have.
Best regards,
Kittyface
So glad you came by here when you did. You appear more relaxed and positive now, than you did in your original post. Take the time to enjoy your child. Glad you're feeling more at peace because you should. Enjoy life! Jacob
That's the best news I've heard all day!! Good luck to you and enjoy your precious son and husband.
Kittyface
Kittyface
Thank you all for all the insight.....i am going to find a diffrent dr.
I talked to my husband and we both think its a good idea to wait till my son starts school, granted my regular dr visits show thats still a good option.
this is all so much to think about...........
all of you doing treatment are in my prayers, its sounds really hard!!
THANK YOU
I talked to my husband and we both think its a good idea to wait till my son starts school, granted my regular dr visits show thats still a good option.
this is all so much to think about...........
all of you doing treatment are in my prayers, its sounds really hard!!
THANK YOU
hi im new and reallly dont know who to talk to or what to do.ive got hep c and im scared so bad i dont know what im suppose to do.im 40 yrs old and i dont have anyone to talk about this with ,i hope we can talk or you can tell me how to talk to others .hope we can be friends bambie65
Hi, I am treating right now and can't imagine taking care of a baby. Sometimes I can't stand up for more than 30 seconds. These drugs are very toxic to body AND mind and you may be bedridden. At the very least, you'll be extremely tired and won't be able to take care of your precious one who deserves the best from you. These drugs also cause depression and the last thing you want to do is take your bad mood out on your baby.
In my opinion you should wait for a few years. How about when your baby starts school? Don't let the doc push you. It's your life and unless you're extremely lucky and get few side effects you can't imagine how sick you're going to feel.
Kittyface
In my opinion you should wait for a few years. How about when your baby starts school? Don't let the doc push you. It's your life and unless you're extremely lucky and get few side effects you can't imagine how sick you're going to feel.
Kittyface
You've received some good info from Jacob. Let me add to it just a bit.
The combination that is currently used to treat HCV, interferon and ribavirin. are to be avoided if at all possible. To varying degrees these meds are detrimental to both physical and mental health. The vast majority of the time the effects are not permanent. Unfortunately, there will always be a subset of patients who will suffer permanent damage from the current tx meds.
For this reason these drugs, particularly interferon, should never be taken unless it is both necessary and appropriate. A good argument can be made that tx in your case is neither at the moment.
There are newer therapies on the horizon that promise shorter tx lengths with slightly better odds for your genotype than exist today. These tx's will use interferon and riba, however the time that a person has to be on them will be reduced which is a very important consideration whenever toxic meds are used.
With your stats the odds for clearance are not dimished to any significant degree by waiting a few years. In your shoes, I would adopt a liver-friendly lifestyle, get regular LFT's done, and employ a 'watchful waiting' approach. I wouldn't be surprised to see even better and safer therapies in development by the time the first generation of polymerase inhibitors hit the market in force. In all reality you probably will have ample time to wait for a tx that offers even better safety profiles and SVR outcomes than those currently in trials.
You are right to learn more before you make a decision on tx. Doctors with a 'rush to treat' mentality are much less in number than they were once but there are still too many with this mindset treating HCV patients. Quite frankly, in many cases, it makes them appear to be totally uninformed of the natural history of HCV.
Good luck.
Mr Liver
Mr Liver
The combination that is currently used to treat HCV, interferon and ribavirin. are to be avoided if at all possible. To varying degrees these meds are detrimental to both physical and mental health. The vast majority of the time the effects are not permanent. Unfortunately, there will always be a subset of patients who will suffer permanent damage from the current tx meds.
For this reason these drugs, particularly interferon, should never be taken unless it is both necessary and appropriate. A good argument can be made that tx in your case is neither at the moment.
There are newer therapies on the horizon that promise shorter tx lengths with slightly better odds for your genotype than exist today. These tx's will use interferon and riba, however the time that a person has to be on them will be reduced which is a very important consideration whenever toxic meds are used.
With your stats the odds for clearance are not dimished to any significant degree by waiting a few years. In your shoes, I would adopt a liver-friendly lifestyle, get regular LFT's done, and employ a 'watchful waiting' approach. I wouldn't be surprised to see even better and safer therapies in development by the time the first generation of polymerase inhibitors hit the market in force. In all reality you probably will have ample time to wait for a tx that offers even better safety profiles and SVR outcomes than those currently in trials.
You are right to learn more before you make a decision on tx. Doctors with a 'rush to treat' mentality are much less in number than they were once but there are still too many with this mindset treating HCV patients. Quite frankly, in many cases, it makes them appear to be totally uninformed of the natural history of HCV.
Good luck.
Mr Liver
Mr Liver
You're welcome Nannerkins. Your son is fortunate. My wife and I have been reading about babies and children (or she's having me read a bunch). Studies have found that the human brain does much of its development in a child's first 3 yrs of life. What he sees and hears is important. Emotional growth as well. So now is an important bonding time between you and your son (sorry I was referring to your baby as a girl above!)
Please try to relax. Enjoy this time. I know I've had this virus for a minimum of 12 years and it could be as long as 15. Other members have had it for 30 years before treating. You may want another doctor's opinion. And be sure and tell your doctor what YOU want. The doctor won't be the one going through the treatment, you will. The very best to you! Jacob
Please try to relax. Enjoy this time. I know I've had this virus for a minimum of 12 years and it could be as long as 15. Other members have had it for 30 years before treating. You may want another doctor's opinion. And be sure and tell your doctor what YOU want. The doctor won't be the one going through the treatment, you will. The very best to you! Jacob
I wasnt sure how rapidly it progressed, and i also am afraid of my son remembering me going through treatment. when i saw the specialist he wanted to start treatment right then but i am breastfeeding, and said not now. i gained a ton of weight during the pregnancy, and the specialist said to loose it, and start treatment in the spring....
with it being the first time i had seen anyone and him being so pushy ive been really stressed. i have much more to learn, THANK YOU for your advice its nice to talk openly for a change!
with it being the first time i had seen anyone and him being so pushy ive been really stressed. i have much more to learn, THANK YOU for your advice its nice to talk openly for a change!
Hi Nannerkins! Congrats on having a one year old. In my opinion, that was a great move on your part starting your family before considering treatment. My doctor advised that in my case as well. That is what my wife and I are doing. I was diagnosed with HCV back in Feb of this yr and basically have the same good liver report you have. Your liver is healthy.
Reading the archives, I've found most members' doctors will suggest you treat regardless of whether your liver is healthy or not; or whether you have HCV symptoms or not. I have no HCV symptoms and my biopsy showed a good liver (like yours), and fortunately, my specialist has a bit of different view, at least in my case. Suggesting I take the time to start our family, get a biopsy in a three years, and see where I stand. Hopefully, in a few years, we will possibly be treating for less time with a better chance of clearing the virus. There's a certain percentage that do NOT clear the virus on treatment, and many here are on their 'third' treatments. (Some MUST treat given their biopsy status) I'd hate to see a young mother going through that, especially one that has a good liver report.
This may not be a popular point of view, however, if I were in your shoes, I'd take the time to enjoy every moment possible with the little one. Meanwhile, now is a good time to learn as much as possible about your options. With your child becoming older, reaching the 2 and 3 year old range, you will be very active, and most likely lose weight naturally, along with a good diet and the exercise you will have playing with your child. My wife and I take her sister's two younger children as much as we possibly can and believe me, they are a great workout!
Besides that, many of the members in their 40s, 50s and 60s here believe they contracted the disease in their early 20s, but were never aware they had HCV until later in life. You're fortunate you know. That way you can monitor your liver by having a biopsy every three years, if you decide not to treat while your daughter is young and you can strive to maintain a healthy life style - having your daughter (and the virus) would certainly be an incentive to do so.
Reading the archives, I've found most members' doctors will suggest you treat regardless of whether your liver is healthy or not; or whether you have HCV symptoms or not. I have no HCV symptoms and my biopsy showed a good liver (like yours), and fortunately, my specialist has a bit of different view, at least in my case. Suggesting I take the time to start our family, get a biopsy in a three years, and see where I stand. Hopefully, in a few years, we will possibly be treating for less time with a better chance of clearing the virus. There's a certain percentage that do NOT clear the virus on treatment, and many here are on their 'third' treatments. (Some MUST treat given their biopsy status) I'd hate to see a young mother going through that, especially one that has a good liver report.
This may not be a popular point of view, however, if I were in your shoes, I'd take the time to enjoy every moment possible with the little one. Meanwhile, now is a good time to learn as much as possible about your options. With your child becoming older, reaching the 2 and 3 year old range, you will be very active, and most likely lose weight naturally, along with a good diet and the exercise you will have playing with your child. My wife and I take her sister's two younger children as much as we possibly can and believe me, they are a great workout!
Besides that, many of the members in their 40s, 50s and 60s here believe they contracted the disease in their early 20s, but were never aware they had HCV until later in life. You're fortunate you know. That way you can monitor your liver by having a biopsy every three years, if you decide not to treat while your daughter is young and you can strive to maintain a healthy life style - having your daughter (and the virus) would certainly be an incentive to do so.
Im a geno 3 relapser when i did first treatment they didn´t gave me weightbased riba,
as to my knowledge they still don´t do it with geno 2 sometimes.
I don´t know if it was because of the weight or that i had insulinresistans that I relapsed they never checked for that, hasn`t checked this second time either.
Now I´m 20lbs lighter and have higher dose of both riba and peg + I`m doing 48weeks this time instead of 24 as in first treatment.
Ask the docs to do insulin resistans checks, if you have that maybe you should fix that with diet and exercise before treating.
With that said I`m no doc so you better check with a good doc or two, some docs are not uptodate at all.
Hope someone else willl chime in and give you some websites to go to for further info,
you can google janis and friends and get basic info there.
ca
as to my knowledge they still don´t do it with geno 2 sometimes.
I don´t know if it was because of the weight or that i had insulinresistans that I relapsed they never checked for that, hasn`t checked this second time either.
Now I´m 20lbs lighter and have higher dose of both riba and peg + I`m doing 48weeks this time instead of 24 as in first treatment.
Ask the docs to do insulin resistans checks, if you have that maybe you should fix that with diet and exercise before treating.
With that said I`m no doc so you better check with a good doc or two, some docs are not uptodate at all.
Hope someone else willl chime in and give you some websites to go to for further info,
you can google janis and friends and get basic info there.
ca
Hi there - I am 55 years old and have just started treatment and have the same fears as you. I have had Hep C for 20 years, no liver damage and low levels of whatever. I forget the geno type. I am working full time in a demanding job and today was my first day back at work and I feel great today - considering that the first week wasn't that great. I am amazed at the amount of knowledge on this site and the number of people who have had the treatment. I think you are brave and I agree with the others - do it now and be well for the rest of your life and let mum help - that's what mum's are for.
I am white, but by no means light....when i saw the specialist in nashville she recommended i loose weight...im down 20 lbs but really need to lose 40 more.....i was told i had hep c in 2006, i got pregnant in 2007 and decided to have him dispite being sick...i am really scared to do treatments due to what ive read but i dont want it to get worse....my mom said shed help shes worried about the behavior changes....this is the first time ive talked about this to anyone but my mom and husband so thank you....
The younger you are when treating the bigger odds I saw in your profile your only 24years. Geno 2 is very good as well as a woman and white and light (dont know what you are though, more then young and a woman already two benefits though)
You gonna be young for a while more its not an easy decision to make if to treat right away or maybe wait a while especially when having such a little child.
Try to learn as much as possible about the disease and consult a real liver specialist how knows his business.
Now when its weekend the activity on this forum tends to slow down a bit I´m sure other knowledgeable people will chime in later and say what they think.
In the mean time I wish to welcome you here at the forum this is a good place to be and get support and valuable knowlegde.
Good Gods bless to you and the little one.
ca
You gonna be young for a while more its not an easy decision to make if to treat right away or maybe wait a while especially when having such a little child.
Try to learn as much as possible about the disease and consult a real liver specialist how knows his business.
Now when its weekend the activity on this forum tends to slow down a bit I´m sure other knowledgeable people will chime in later and say what they think.
In the mean time I wish to welcome you here at the forum this is a good place to be and get support and valuable knowlegde.
Good Gods bless to you and the little one.
ca
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