WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN THE 2 INTERFERONS

[cottoncandy99]

JiimJim
  What is the difference between those 2 interferons that are out there?  Is one better than the other, as this hepatologist has now put me on the Pegasys,but when I was at St. Luke's hospital there was another one that I never heard of that you give yourself a shot everyday.  Can't remember the name, and then there is the Peg-Intron interferon by Sherring.

[jmjm530]

That's nice blood pressure, I'm jealous! Honestly, don't know much about the relationship of  sodium to the kidney/liver  so really cant add much other than to confirm that eating out is difficult if you are to limit your sodium as they seem to put salt in just about everything, even where it doesn't seem necessary.

Did they mention "diuretics" to you? These are sometimes used to flush out the water/sodium in those with high blood pressure, but not sure how it would apply in your case. I was on them for a bit, but didn't like them and am now trying to battle bp with a lower sodium diet plus exercise. Anyway, something worth asking them about if you can't get your sodium down to the levels they want just via diet. You can also google "low sodium diet" and come up with some constructive reading as well as sodium values for certain foods.

Nothing beats doing your own cooking to keep the sodium low, but for convenience you need to judiciously read labels. BTW "Health Valley" offers a fine line of "No Salt Added" Soups and I think you can find it many supermarkets or health food stores. Just make sure that "No Salt Added" is on the label because I think they also have a regular line.

-- Jim

[cottoncandy99]

I just recieved the e-mail back from the dr and the reason is for the low sodium because of the condition of the liver and also my kidneys.  She told me that my blood pressure was fine as it was 110/79 & the pretest that I had to go to PCP for and have EKG was normal then I had to get a Nuro clearance as was Eye clearance before starting this tx.  I have never had to do this with any of those other doctors, but they are going to moniter me close.

I have lost 220lbs over this disease and these diets that they keep putting me on that I am down to 112lbs now and can't afford to loose any more.  I was sitting here ice cream as someone told me that if I do that everyday that I would gain.....not hasn't helped yet.  I am going to get this Ensure  and see if that would be any better.

She gave me example if you go out to eat the sodium is much higher  than if you were to stay at home and make something that I could handle.  She mentioned about staying  away from Deli meats as they are higher sodium.  So I guess here I go to the store and read labels as to what I can or can't have due to the liver.

Oh difinately these team said that is all that was in wieght based doses that strickly mainteance is all they were doing, but I would have given anything to have had a camera that day as those drs mouths  looked like they dropped to the floor.  One ws writing all the names and asking me now what was this drs excuse, and he would write something as I was thinking yeah go tell them exactly what I said cause this is the pits.

As a matter of fact they check my sodium level and it was 141.

[jmjm530]

You should really ask your doc why he's putting you on a low sodium diet. If it turns out its because of high blood pressure, you should get your actual values to become more informed. Sometimes a low salt diet and/or exercise (not always possible on tx) helps high blood pressure, sometimes medications are necessary. But again, that may not even be the reason for his recommendation. Ask.

Hard to comment on the rest with the little information given, but it appears you were put on a mainteance dose at some point which is losing favor based on more recent studies. Yearly ultrasounds seem pretty normal from what I've read here.

[cottoncandy99]

My hepatologists put me on this Pegasys as it is here in fridge but not going to start until I talk to him or his nurse as this diet that he has given me says that I need to watch my sodium intake but on the blood work that he did it was with in range so whats the reason for that?
Peg-Intron that I took before 80mcg,, 96mcg, and now after talking with this dr he said that from day 1(5/04)  til Jan.o8 all these other drs were doing is maintaining my liver and hoping that it would get worse than already is.
Is it normal because now I am being told that sonagram of entire liver etc. will be done every year???? Why so many or is that a better way to keep a eye on the liver?

This dr at St.Lukes they will mail me bloodwork that I have done, as the others just kept it for themselves unless I asked.  I am glad that I will also have a copy, as there may be things that I dont understand.

thanks

[jmjm530]

Most here treat with either Pegasys or Peg Intron. Both are Pegalayted, meaning you only have to inject once per week. Studies do not show one superior to the other, although some docs (and some of us) have our preference.

What your doc at St.Luke's is probably talking about is Infergen, also called consensus interferon. It's not pegalayted and is injected daily.

If it's your first time treating, doc generally do not start with Infergen although some docs will switch to Infergen early in tx if a patient is not responding to one of the pegalayted interferons. More commonly Infergen is used as a re-treatment strategy for those that failed tx the first time. It has a greater side effect profile.

--- Jim

[cottoncandy99]

The first two times on tx those vials that you had to mix didn't require any refrigeration and also wandering if that had anything to do with what they switched to now.

[cottoncandy99]

Do you know anyone that has been on  it?  First two times was those vials that you had to mix but need require refrigeration, and now these others need to be and the last tx I was on the redipen.
So does this other stuff from Roche the (pegasys) have then a better response rate I guess is what I trying to find out as well as I really am not understanding, cause when at pharmarcy they said that the success rate was a little higher than the Peg-Intron.  At St. Luke's  the other night was the first that I saw this other shot so it left me confused.  The only thing is that that man will have to take a shot everyday verus our once a week so for some reason he wants to swtich to the Pegasys.  I know that before I could start this I had to get eyes checked with clearance, neuro clearance as well as PCP and was on the Peg-intron but never had to any of these clearances...

[DragonSlayer45]

There is pegylated interferon, which you give yourself a shot once a week. There is interferon which you used to give a shot daily. The pegylated version attaches Poly Ethylene Glycol (PEG) to the molecules to make it stay in your blood at higher concentrations longer. Kind of like a time release (sort of) .The 2 manufacturers of PEG being Roche (pegasys) and Sherring Plough (Peg-Intron). The main difference between those two is the molecule size. Some ask and argue which is better and which has the least side effects. It seems to be split. Depending on who you talk to. I hope that helps.