damage to liver from tx

[passagrille]

my doctor says i may damage my liver from tx...anyone heard this
he is not sure i should treat because of my counts
rbc 3.68....wbc 2.4,,,,platlet 90
i get the feeling he just want to xplant
need 2nd opinion any good doctors in charlotte?

[jt57]

What genotype are you?  Have you had a biopsy?

My Dr. is Dr. Mark Russo with the Liver Transplant Center at Carolina Medical Center in Chatlotte.  His specialty is Hep C.  That is why I sought him out.

He is starting a study trial in about a month.  I really like him and think he is great.  Who are you seeing now?

Jean

[moahunter]

unless there is something odd about your personal physical condition, it would seem a strange comment to suggest that treatment could damage your liver. It may hurt other parts of your body, if you are unlucky, but it will not hurt your liver normally.

[FlGuy]

A transplant will not get rid of the hcv. Even with a new liver, you'll need to deal with hcv at some point.  Seek a second opinion and try to preserve the original equipment.

[passagrille]

I have genotype 4 and have had varices bleeding about two years ago and a tips procedure was performed. i have not had a biopsy due to the fact that we know my liver has cirrosis and stopped the blood flow enough to cause the bleeding......my doctor is dr john hanson.

[HectorSF]

Do you have cirrhosis? If so then yes, there is "some" data showing that patients with compensated cirrhosis have somewhere between a 1% and 10% chance of tx causing the cirrhosis to decompensate. You will see it mentioned on the newest warning label from Roche, for example.

If you have cirrhosis, you should be monitored carefully especially at the beginning of tx to see if you begin to show any signs of liver failure.

I just went through this process myself about a month ago. Luckily after 4 or 5 weeks of serious ups and downs, my blood levels (bilirubin, albumin, platelets) stabilized and my liver has been able to handle the PEG/COPEG. Although I have not been able to clear the virus as of yet!!! But at least I still have my "original equipment" and I will try whatever other options that are available before I need a transplant.

Best of luck in finding a good doctor!

Hector

[passagrille]

i do have cirrhosis but feel pretty good but dont want to damage my liver further.
that why im seeking a second opinion, or some advise here.
thx
randy

[Mr Liver]

Treating patients such as yourself who have a decompensated liver can be done, but it requires close vigilance and a good understanding by the hepatologist on treating this population.   My doctor is a recognized pioneer in  treating decompensated HCV patients, as well as treating HCV patients post-tp. So I feel very fortunate that I have with a different setting to beat the HVC.
You are headed for a transplant regardless of whether you treat or not from the posts I've read.  The question is how long will it be before it becomes absolutely necessary ? The numbers say that once decompensation occurs 50% going forward will need a liver within 5 years.Your chance of success at treatment (as I'm sure you are aware) is not great with the current meds. Lowering the odds yet a little further is the
likelihood for dose reductions or even discontinuance of treatment as a possible outcome. Starting with a platelet count as low as yours could be problematic after a few weeks of therapy, as an example.

Obviously, it would be ideal to clear before transplant. However I can certainly understand your concerns about treating now as the risk your doctor mentioned is real and could speed up the process of decompensation and the need for a new liver.

How are your score  on Child-Pugh Turcotte and MELD prognostic scoring systems ?
Determining a rough timeframe based on those scores may help you make a decision concerning txing before or after tp, or maybe do the one Im looking at, doing tx both before and after tp..

I'd get the CTP score and take it from their.

Hope this helps you some.

Best of Luck. I'm standing in very similar shoes right now, myself.

[passagrille]

my meld score fluxuates between 8 and 10. i have all my lab work but not sure how to figure out my ctp score.
randy