abbreviations used here

[tulsatime]

I noticeed a lot of new people posting, so thought it might be time to post this again. Hope everyone has a great day! Debi

PCR: polymerase chain reaction(viral count)this test we some times get at the 4 wk,12wk and 24wk during treatment to see how or if our viral load has gone down.
Tx: treatment
SX: side effects
BX: biopsy
HX: history
VL: viral load
EVR: early viral response
RVR: rapid viral response
SVR: This is what we all want = sustained viral response
AST & ALT: liver enzyme
WBC: white blood count

Others will come on and give you more if I forgot some.

[GrandmaA]

Thanks Debi for the abbrevs. Very kind of you. What does LOL stand for? Sometimes Lots of Luck doesn't fit.

[sfbaygirl]

LOL= Laughing Out Loud

[NYgirl]

Whatever you do DONT let them reduce your dosage unless you have tried the Epogen and it doesn't work!  The most important thing according to both of my doctors is to not have any reduction - especially in the beginning.

If you doctor WONT prescribe epogen (procrit) then find someone who will.  But DONT REDUCE THE RIBA it's IMPORTANT!


PS Good news on the lowered liver enzymes...it seems to be working wooo hooo!

[Kalio1]

Hang in there! It could level out. I think it is pretty ommon to have a substantial drop in the first few weeks. I know I did and I have not taken rescue meds yet. Mine dropped from 13 to 10 and has remained lose to 10 much of the time and now is 11. I am nearing the one year mark. I now the hair shedding or falling out freaks you out at first but usually isnt noticeable to others. I would try to stay on the Riba you are on but just listen to the doctors and do as they say it could be lowering it a bit wont harm anything and will help you stay with the program. That is one downside for you that they dont allow rescue meds until the 12 week but as ong as you stay above the "danger" range and you an mudde through feeling so weak you should be ok. Do they tell you your VL or if you are UND yet? I think lowering the Riba is less important if you are already UND but talk to the doctors about all of this and see what they say. Be sure and tell them you feel OK even with the drop in Hgb. Try not to get too stressed out over any of it, stress makes things much worse. Try to stay positive, Hgb does fluctuate, mine goes up and down up and down. So ong as it doesnt go TOO far down you will be ok.

[Kalio1]

How are you doing? Good I hope! Pln is in the VX950 trials and so he can't take rescue drugs until the 12 week in the trials, that is why he is worried I think.

[NYgirl]

Oh I saw you only started at 13 (didn't read before no rescue meds).  So you've REALLY only had a 3 point drop.  You can't ALWAYS go by strictly the NUMBER you know.  It's more a how much and how fast it dropped thing than just looking at one number.

I'd take Kalio's advice and take another CBC next week and see where it is before I'd let them dose reduce for sure.

At 1200 that is an awful lot of riba - maybe it would be ok.

GOSH trials...I could NOT have made it without Epogen (had a 6 point drop in 10 days. It was BAd. Kept fainting ugh).