Viral load after the first 4 weeks

[Kranig]

Hallo, my husband has hepatitus C 1b, fibrose 3, and is on he triple treatment (with Incivek) and got the results last week from week 4. It as 35. Now the doctor said he would have to do 1 year treatment in stead of 6 months. He is very upset and wants to stop after 6 months. Are there any people that know if 35 is too much? He had many millions before, so it sounds to me very good???

[pooh55811]

If it was me, I would skip the fasting and colon cleansing in August.

First, the Teleprevir has to be taken with at least 20 grams of fat, and preferably with some solid food or very thick food.  You do not want the Teleprevir going through the colon to fast. And it needs the fat for absorption.

Even without the Teleprevir, I would skip the fasting and colon cleansing until off treatment. In my opinion, the body does not need anything else going on or happening to it  (in addition to the harsh meds). Plus, luckily the side effects are mild so far. That does not mean they will stay that way. (Hopefully they will stay mild, but one cannot count on it.) If he starts getting nauseated he has to eat. The nausea is worsened by having no food in the stomach. Eating helps a lot of the side effects.

In addition, fasting is not easy on the body (I do not mean it is not beneficial, just that, at the time, it is not easy on the body). His body is already compromised with the Hep C and the harsh meds. Another change from "regular" could add more stress, which is not good while on Tx.

In reality, he would not be fasting anyway. He has to eat at least 3 meals a day with 20 grams of fat each. He also has to eat with the Ribavirin. So there is no way he could fast anyway.

I do not know what is involved in colon cleansing, but you do not want anything to interfere with medication absorption.

I would save the colon cleansing until after treatment is over.

[Kranig]

Thank you all for all your answers. Moods are better here now - the docter promised to look into it and have him also tested at 2 months again - and he does the accupunction, which really helps - I can recommend it to all. No real side effects untill now except tiredness. Usually we go for a week fasting and colon cleaning in a wellnesscentre, in august - but I think now this would be to much, does anybody know that? I also think that coloncleaning could reduce the effect of telepravir? The doctor said that fasting (with juices) would be fine, only ofcourse the medicine has to be taken with some fat. And I just realised about the coloncleaning - think its not wise?

[Peter2012]

And a count of 25 per millilitre of blood is very low when you consider how incredibly tiny the hep C virus is.  When researchers used to call it "not A, not B" they searched for it for over ten years before they finally found it (in the 1980s).

[Peter2012]

I'm in the same situation, I extended treatment past 24 weeks (now in my 27th week). I was detectable 44 at 4 weeks, and UND at 8 weeks (it's possible I became UND earlier at 5 weeks, but no test was done).

Some months ago on a website someone posted here I saw that people who are 50 at 4 weeks, extending to 48 weeks is the best option.

[Revalation]

Your husband is just disappointed and that is understandable.
Advocate is correct when he gets his next UND it will motivate him
to keep going. Just don't focus on it too much now and he'll get past the let down of having to go longer.

Reva

[Advocate1955]

PS:  He will very likely be UND with his week 8 results, and that will also help him feel more optimistic.
Advocate1955