Is there a cure or not for HepC

[antioch4]

I have just been recently diagnosed as Hep C in London UK
I have seen a Dr and he just keeps avoiding a real answer.

In the UK there are government guidelines for who can and who cannot be treated.  Meaning that if you have it and there is not any sign of damage then you cannot be treated but will be observed over the years.

Wouldnt it be better to just eradicate it ?

I am 47 and have no real idea where I caught it although there are a few small ideas.

Do the treatments eradicate or not.

thank you for any help

Antioch4

[louisep]

Just wanted to apologise for butting in on your thread yesterday.  I was overwhelmed with happiness because of my pcr result & you too will be one day soon.
I had absolutely no idea that there were government guidelines on who to treat & who not to in the UK.
I was also in the Uk, Cornwall, & there was never any question about treating me even though I had minimal liver damage.  Fight to get treated on the NHS, I feel anyone living the nightmare of hep c SHOULD be treated freely.
From being diagnosed with hep c to having a biopsy took around 7 months, there was a waiting list.  After the biopsy it was down to me whether I treated & when I started.
You have found a wonderful place, I certainly couldn't have got through all this without the amazing people here.
Keep asking questions, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER & as someone here once told me, TAKE CHARGE of your medical care.
Wishing you all the very best & so sorry for being insensative.
Louise

[honey1616]

Way to Go!!  Great News!  Glad to hear you are enjoying your new hep free life...

[layla]

Congrats! I hope you have a fun celebration. LL

[BethUK]

Hi, im in the UK too and consider myself cured - having just had a 2 year pcr come back negative!  I got treated in 2002 at Queen Elizabeth liver unit Birmingham and did 48 weeks of pegintron/ribarvarin

I'm not sure how I managed to get treatment because I had only minimal liver damage and they seemed to have a wait and see policy at that time.  I got the impression that they had some funding left over from a clinical trial, so I went for it.

let me know if I can help in any way

[scruffy]

Good,Good,Good News!!!

[mikesimon]

Congratulations and good luck! Mike

[antioch4]

Thanks for all imput so far...No I havent had the biopsy yet

I will have one in Jan/Feb 05, I asked the doctor would it be best for me to go private. He didnt seem to happy about it and within 25 minutes I talked to another doctor who said he could but the time span at the moment will be about the same for the biobsy so I didnt go private. I dont know yet about the genotype either.

I havent had my wife or children tested yet so we might get medical insurance first and wait about 8 months before we get them tested (just in case) I rang a few anon and they said they would treat any condition that was not previously found in the patient or medical records including HEP C

If the hospital say I cant have the treatment I will enquire about paying private for it and how much it costs

At the moment I am fatigued and sometimes slightly borderline confused, no pain, no jaundace, little bone pains in the foot.

[antioch4]

Also

What about this milk thistel stuff ? Does it help ?

And what vitamins should I take and not take ?

The Hospital is vary unhelpful with these things and just rush onto the next person.

Would appreccate all help.

I am still in the shock,fear etc as only diagnosed about 4 days back.

They say I may have got it 25-30 years back..So I am trying to push fear away by looking at that if I had it all that time I should see it as something new in me.. If that makes sense.

I also have faith in God too

Thanks everyone

[antioch4]

How long was the whole process from when you were diagnosed before treatment  ?

I am attending Kings College Hospital in London

[antioch4]

How long was the whole process from when you were diagnosed before treatment  ?

I am attending Kings College Hospital in London

[Tony-z]

Congradulation........... Those must have been the best words you've heard in a long time.

May your liver and body heal now.

           Talk about a Christmas Presant............


                 God Bless

                 TonyZ

[britgirl]

I am also in the UK (London) but had enough damage to qualify and was therefore treated. I attained SVR, and would consider myself cured. Certainly, that is what I have been told by the hospital. Do you know your genotype? I had to fight with the doctors to get this test done, but in my opinion it is one of the most important. If the government don't want to spend money without a reasonable chance of success, they should at least treat genotypes 2 and 3, as these have a much better chance of success, over 80%. Genotype I is only 50% chance. Have you had a biopsy? I assume they found no damage and won't treat you; is that the case?

[britgirl]

I was treated at King's College in Denmark Hill too, but had a very different experience from the one you are having. I found the specialist nurses very, very helpful, much more so than the consultants, and they are the ones you will be dealing with most of the time if you go on treatment. The hospital used to run a supprt group which met on the first Wednesday evening of every month. The Gateway Acupuncture clinic in Stockwell is also very good with HCV patients and is available on the NHS if you get a letter from your GP. They helped me with the side effects I got whilst on treatment. By the way, it is highly unlikely your wife and children have got the disease. Just pray you are a "good" genotype and have an unscarred liver......oh yes, and you'd better not drink any more alcohol. Personally, I don't think milk thistle and those things do much good.

[jevs2]

I am also in the UK and was treated at Kingston Hospital, Surrey. I had only mild inflammation when biopsied but encountered absolutely no problems in getting treatment.
Have a great Xmas and try not to worry. January will be here soon enough and then you can have your biopsy and take it from there. Remember 'no alcohol'!
Best wishes
Joanna

[Tony-z]

Hi antioch4


I would like to welcome you to the forum.
All the feelings you are going through are fairly normal. It is very Scarry to be told you have this Virus and what it can do.
You figured part of it out, in that you just didn't get this virus, you have had it for many years and not even known it.
Time and knowledge will help you with the acceptance issue. But learn all you can about this Virus your lifestyle and treatment.

Again remember you have had the virus for many years and your still doing fine. I believe Faith is very essential.

Milk Thistle is a good herb. I believe you should see a natural-Pathetic Physician and work with him/her and your Primary Care Dr and Specialist.

Also check the web for good healthy hepatitis diet.

And remember no Alcohol!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is a web site that should answer most all your needs.

<a href="http://janis7hepc.com/">Janis Web Site</a>

http://janis7hepc.com/

                            God Bless

                            TonyZ

[nitapeach]

Hey antioch4....
I am a newbie as well....I was diagnosed about a month ago....my first appointment will be in january.... i too am still going through all those stages of confusion, fear, anger.....I am just glad I found this website because the people here answer questions quickly and are extremely supportive and welcoming.....Good Luck with your journey!!!!

[BethUK]

I was diagnosed in 97 and didnt get treatment until late 2001, but the treatment back then only had about a 30% success rate, so I didnt feel ready to go down that road.   Im sure you will be able to get treated soon once all your investigations are done.

Thinking about the NHS, you are probably better off at a big specialist teaching hospital like Kings College .  Those sort of consultants are usually academics who do loads of research etc., and don't do private work, but will be the most up to date on the subject.   Why dont you go back and ask to see the consultant again, not a junior doctor, or the clinical nurse specialist (mine was fantastic), and get some of your questions answered.

I know what you are going through, it was a total devestating shock to me when I found out.  I thought I would never see my kids grow up and that I would die imminently.  Thankfully that wasnt the case - my husband and 3 daughters were all negative too.

[antioch4]

Thanks everyone for the positive input.
It really cheered me up a little

I havent drank alcohol of any kind for nearly 20 years,never was one for drink when I did,havent smoked for 16yrs so at least thats a help.

I will wait for the Biopsy and see where it leads me.

Those that went to Kings College Hospital did they move you from the Liver Outpatients to Hepatitus Clinic ? thats what they told my GP they are going to do ? Yet it is still the liver Outpatients clinic that is doing the biopsy etc

antioch4

[antioch4]

Also

I must admit I felt like a lepper, who can I tell or should I keep it just a family secret.

So far my wife knows and she has taken it well and is supportive towards me,rather than panic or go crazy with fear she went and search the net for information. She has been encouraging me and even going along with me to the Hospital. Although I am afraid to sleep with her my whole drive has just gone.

But I cannot tell my children in case they repeat it at school or among friends. I couldnt even tell my mother, although I have said to some close friends that I have a liver problem.

How did you cope, did you feel this way too.  I think I was ignorant what Hep C was, I never knew it was a desease of the liver. I thought it was just a blood desease like HIV. I think too many are ignorant of the whole issue, I was !

[britgirl]

IN my day there was no Hepatitis clinic, just the liver outpatients up on the second floor. I was surprised to learn there is now a specialised unit for Hep C.
Hep C is a blood borne virus, in that it is similar to HIV. As you probably know, it is spead by needles, in the past by blood transfusions, and in that it is similar. Luckily, it is rarely spread by sexual contact or passed from mother to child.
As for telling people, I differed form you in that I was open with nearly everyone, employers, colleagues, friends and family (including 83 year old mother). I couldn't have borne the stress of being secretive, that's not the way I operate, but we all have very different personalities, we even have different kinds of friends(!). In my case, my husband had always known I been an IV drug user before I met him (that honesty again!) so it wasn't so much of a surprise for him when I found out about the HCV. If I had been married to someone I had concealed things from I may have acted differently.

[Tony-z]

See the post below and go and read the manuscript, I think you'll be shocked.

Post: PUT C-SPAN ON NOW ASAP.......

Here is a look at my life with hep-C.

<a href="http://www.geocities.com/tzeazas/">My Journey</a>

http://www.geocities.com/tzeazas/

I am like britgirl, I had to share, I could not live that kind of secret.

                    TonyZ

[louisep]

Hope you don't mind me butting in on this post, but thought it seemed appropriate & wanted to share my good news.

Just got my 6 month PCR result (finished 24 weeks of tx in May this year, 3a)  NEGATIVE!!!!!!  My Specialist said the word CURED!!!!!
I feel like I have finally got my life back!!!
And this was on a reduced dosage of both interferon & riba 1/2 way through tx!!!!!
Just want to say a big thankyou to all those here that guided me through tx & for your patience, understanding & compassion.  Thanks to Cindy & Phil of Medhelp & a special thankyou to Lori (Blue skies, my saviour) Kimmi (Ringading, my guardian angel & voice of reason!) & Vicki (Befud for making me laugh through tx & brightening my days)
Best wishes to all.
Chin up, newbies!!  If I can do this, anyone can!!!!!
Louise