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Vitamin D w/ triple TX

I've read lots of studies on vitamin d w/ peginterferon & riba, although haven't seen any with the DAA's.  
Are there any studies or interactions on vitamin d & incivek?  
Are others still taking this during Triple TX?
23 Responses
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317787 tn?1473358451
I was deficient after first tx so started taking and continued through to second tx.
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1748829 tn?1338037041
I take it but I was already taking it because i was deficient.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the info, and my levels in the norm.  
I checked with the NP @ the university and got the okay to take it.  
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Avatar universal
Hi Cory, I am NOT on tx yet but Hepa Dr checked my Vit D levels.  Evidently they are split into three levels.

Vit D, 25 OH, Total  30  (range 30-100 ng/ml)
Vit D, 25 OH D3  (30 in range)
Vit D 25, OH D2  <4

This is what the test read:  25-OHD3 indicates both endogenous production and supplementation. 25-OHD2 is an indicator of exogenous sources such as diet and supplementation.  Therapy is based on measurement of Total 25-OHd, with levels  or + 30 ng/mL.

Bottom line my Hepa Dr told me to continue to take supplements of Calium 600 mg with Vit d.  He told me to continue taking one at night and one in the morning

Jules
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163305 tn?1333668571
No please, I only know my experience. In real life I sometime have trouble making decisions, like, should I eat this or that?

I bought my drops at Whole Foods. Any health food type of store would have them.
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Avatar universal
As usual, you are the answer lady! I should have checked with you first...actually should not make any move without running by you 1st.

Of course just about every multi is going to have some vit D, so that messes things up if you only have 2000mg tabs. I didn't know they had drops. Can you find them at any drug store or do you get them someplace else?
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163305 tn?1333668571
I use Vit D drops. 5 drops equall 2000mg, therefore I can juggle the amount if there is already D in my vitamin or calcium.
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Avatar universal
Well, this is all very interesting. I'm on SOC and I was told to stop all supplements, but to take Vit D (2000mg) and a multivitamin w/o more vit D. I'm in a trial at a hospital that has been doing ongoing trials for years as well as treating individuals privately through their insurance, etc.

I don't know if they checked my Vit D levels before the trial and that is based on just my levels or if it is told to everyone on the SOC arm regardless of checking levels.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm grateful for the comments & additional links.  I may need to run this by the Doctor at next visit.
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Avatar universal
Of those links, 3 of them are dead. The others did not say whether or not the patients were tested for vitamin D deficiency, prior to the studies. I am not arguing whether or not it helps SVR, I am arguing exactly what I said. I also believe in the placebo effect of many things. For what it's worth, I am taling vitamin d and calcium, but that does not negate the worldwide dtudies...Mark
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Avatar universal
My Hep Doctor ( a well known specialist) had me go off all my vitamin supplements and herbs, especially becuz my ALT/AST were super high at 400/500 before treatment, and she thought I may have been hurting my liver with all the mega doses.
    I had also read that vitamin D3 can be TOXIC for the liver, while, meanwhile, the companies  have increased the recommended dosages, and have all thes pill bottles with large dose pills, like 1,200 iu...way higher then they used to be! Soooo...I have been sneaking in liquid D3, for babies, in a dropper, and give myself about 150 iu's...about three times a week, as opposed to the daily 400 iu's I had been taking...my Doctor said water soluble are safer, she knows we dont always do exactly what she tells us~ I take the vit D3, cuz the meds tend to deplete platelets...I take it with a vitamin C, but mega C is a no-no, becuz it can cause iron over-load in Hep C peeps...and I sneak in a low dose folic acid, every now and then, and a low dose vitamin e (200 iu), but vitamin e can also build up to a toxic level, so again, not daily, like I used to!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
While I am not aware of any studies which show directly in trials there have been w/ SOC.  Since Vitamin D has been shown to improve SVR rates w/ SOC I think one can infer improved rates with triple therapy since improved efficacy of SOC is a cornerstone in clearing with or without triple therapy.

per the link Orphanedhawk posted

http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/2010_conference/easl/docs/0518_2010_b.html
"Results
44% of participants receiving vitamin D achieved rapid virological response (undetectable HCV at week 4), compared with 18% in the control group (P < 0.0001).
94% of participants in the vitamin D group achieved complete early virological response (undetectable HCV at week 12), compared with 48% in the control group (P < 0.0001).
85% of patients in the vitamin D group achieved SVR, compared with 43% in the control group (P < 0.001)."

==========================

If the vitamin D group is netting a 85% SVR rate with "mere" SOC, one has to wonder why one would even need a PI?

I would like to see a trial w/ triple therapy to see if the super responders could treat either with shorter dosing with the PI or shorter total treatment time.

I have also wondered if ......for the purposes of treatment whether higher doses of vitamin D might yeild better response or SVR rates.  There may be a difference in for instance SVR rates of the bottom end of the scale versus being at the top end of the acceptable levels.

I totally agree w/ OH that levels should be checked and augmented before TX and that it could help safeguard against dental or bone issues.

willy
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Avatar universal
Always a good idea for HCV patients to have there Vit. D levels checked  whether treating or not.

Best.
Will

Low 25-OH vitamin D plasma levels and the unfavourable VDR bAt[CCA]-haplotype are associated with rapid fibrosis progression in chronic HCV patients. In combination, both variables exert significant additive effects on fibrosis progression.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22151003
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1669790 tn?1333662595
Here's a few links to show the benefits of Vitamin D3 and its improving the rate of SVR.  There are many more studies if you care to search.  Prior to taking suppliments such as Vit D3 you should have your levels checked and discuss with your doctor.

http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/2010_conference/easl/docs/0518_2010_b.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21793032

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22371640

http://www.hepctrust.org.uk/News_Resources/news/2012/January/Can+adding+vitamin+D+improve+response+to+HCV+antiviral+therapy#.Tyf38PD0tPY.facebook

http://www.natap.org/2010/EASL/EASL_26.htm
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Avatar universal
I stopped taking any vitamins while I have been going thru treatment just to be certain to avoid any unknown interactions.  Frankly, people are too flippant about taking herbs and vitamins since they, like the drugs, are chemicals and no testing is thorough enough to find all interactions.
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163305 tn?1333668571
45th Annual Meeting of the European
Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL 2010)
April 14 - 18, 2010, Vienna, Austria

Vitamin D Increases Sustained Response to Interferon-based Therapy for Hepatitis C, May Improve Liver Fibrosis

http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/2010_conference/easl/docs/0518_2010_b.html
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Avatar universal
There is no evidence in the studies that any vitamin has any effect on any disease that is not directly related to a deficiency of that vitamin. If you have scurvy, take vitamin c. Vitamins A,D,E and K are all fat soluble and are stored in the body fat. You can od and die from megadoses of these 4 vitamins. It seems instinctive to me that anything stored in fat MAY affect incivek treatment. We need more studies, IMHO...Mark
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163305 tn?1333668571
There's been research showing better results using vit D with SOC. I'd think that's hold true when adding the third med.
The other benefit is that tx is hard on our bones. Vit D helps calcium absorption.
In fact all women should also be taking calcium during tx. Not sure about the guys.
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Avatar universal
What's the benefit for Vit D during treatment?  I guess I have seen some posters mention taking Vit D but not sure why.
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Avatar universal
This is true, a vit D test was one of my prelim tests prior to tx.  I was deficient, so I am taking a supplement...but I believe a person can overdose on Vit D supplement, so you should be careful and review with your doc.
Helpful - 0
87972 tn?1322661239
Wouldn’t testing for vitamin D preclude guesswork? Deficiencies should be corrected regardless of treatment status, yes? And if the test results are within reference range, why worry about anything? I think the test is ‘25-hydroxy vitamin D’.

--Bill
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Avatar universal
Drugs.com didn't find any interactions.
Interactions between your selected drugs
There were no interactions found in our database between Incivek and Vitamin D3
However, this does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. ALWAYS consult with your doctor or pharmacist.
Incivek is in the drug class protease inhibitors.
Incivek is used to treat Hepatitis C.
Vitamin D3 is a member of the drug class vitamins.
Helpful - 0
1815939 tn?1377991799
I don't know if they did any studies on Vit D and Incivek. The studies I read about were done before Inc. was out.

However, I have been taking Vit. D the entire time I have been on Inc., Peg., and Riba (Inc. for 12 weeks and now Peg. and Riba for a total of 48 weeks).

I checked with my specialaty pharmacy and my doc and both said it was fine to take the Vit. D.

You can also list the drugs you are taking and see if any interactions come up here:

http://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.php

Helpful - 0
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