News Stories

[TnHepGuy_]

<a href="http://www.hcvadvocate.org/news/newsRev/2005/NewsRev-84.html#5">Discontinuation of Pegylated Interferon plus Ribavirin Therapy</a>

<a href="http://www.hcvadvocate.org/news/newsRev/2005/NewsRev-84.html#6">Patient Concerns Regarding Chronic Hepatitis C Infections</a>

<a href="http://www.hcvadvocate.org/news/newsRev/2005/NewsRev-84.html#7">The Survival Benefit of Liver Transplantation</a>

<a href="http://www.hcvadvocate.org/news/newsRev/2005/NewsRev-84.html#8">C-ing the Light: People Who Know They Have Hepatitis C Fight the Stigma Along with the Disease</a>

<a href="http://www.hcvadvocate.org/news/newsRev/2005/NewsRev-84.html#16">Organetix, Inc. Announces Hepatitis C Patients Continue to Progress and Plans to Commence a Double Blind Placebo Controlled Study in Second Quarter of 2005</a>

<a href="http://www.hcvadvocate.org/news/newsRev/2005/NewsRev-84.html#19">Peginterferon Alfa-2a for Hep C after Liver Transplantation</a>

<a href="http://www.hcvadvocate.org/news/newsRev/2005/NewsRev-84.html#20">Antivirals for Cirrhotic Hep C Reduce Hepatocellular Carcinoma</a>

<a href="http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_c/news/2005/012405_a.html">Schering-Plough Defends Design of

[cuteus]

concentrating on your health is the best move for you right now, best luck to you.
Susan is not on Tx, so her problem is not Meds related, I believe she is inquiring on a HCV connedtion.
I disagree that ALL the sides we experiende are tx related. I think that the hemolytic anemia we are faced with causes many of these problems.  My BP has always been below the "normal" range and it shot up within the first two months in Tx.  In looking back at my blood work I noticed that my Hgb had begun to decrease significantly, though not enough for intervention. Dizziness and lightheadness also were present. All these stabilized after I was given Procrit.  I found that if my Hgb dropped below 11.5, I would have symptoms like weakness and dizziness.
The meds are powerful stuff, but we should not have to live with the extra symptoms brought about by anemia.
take care and be well

[Tess Marie]

I too have the same perception problem, car-wise, home and office wise. I bump into everything and my arms look like someone has beaten me. I have fallen 6 times, 2 very hard falls and God is certainly watching over me. Nothing broken, black eyes and bruises. I am now not able to drive as I found that even though I tried very hard to concentrate,if I reached down to turn on heat, etc., taking my eyes off the road for a second, I would turn the steering wheel and find myself drifting into the wrong lanes. I have had many close calls and I am lucky to be alive. During the first months of therapy, I had a hard time staying awake while driving. I fell asleep 3 times one day and could easily have killed myself and others. I have a 1 hr. drive to my office ( on I-4), if you are famaliar at all with this highway, at times my commute would be as much as 3 hrs. I just last week had a rear tire blow out on me while driving on a two lane road, and I had no control over the car. I had no warning signs that the tire was going down until at 50 mi. per hr., my car started violently going back and forth and their was nothing I could do to stop it. I hit the guard rail on the right side of my car, flipped it around and hit the rail on the left side. The insurance company has totalled my car. Please everyone, be extremely cognizant that the meds have major side effects.I am on my 6th. mth. of Infergen and Riba,
plus anit-depressants, etc. and just yesterday was put on blood pressure meds. I have never had high bp, but at my appt.Monday, my bp was 220/104. I was immediately made an appt. at my Primary Doctors on Tues. aand I just got back from my Neurologist. My Gastro Doctor called and made these appts.Please everyone realize that these drugs are extremely dangerous. I am a Ib, stage 4, F, 61 yrs. old and have carried this for approx. 30 yrs. (biopsy). The only clue I could have was that I had extreme hives for the last 10 yrs.I did 48 wks. of Peg-Intron in 2002, clearing the virus during therapy and then relapsed. I researched and found the right therapy and Doctor for me. I have had 3 viral lodes, showing the disease is gone, but my therapy will continue to June and possibly August. I know I cannot do this therapy again, so I must clear. I just took a leave of absence from work, to dedicate 100% focus to my health. I too have insomnia due to all the meds., causing extra fatigue which is not needed. I may get 5 hrs. sleep at night, after taking Ambien. All of these sides we all are experiencing
are meds related. Be aware and take good care of yourself, making the decisions that you know are right at the time. I have the very best support from my family, who also are dedicated to my clearing this disease and I don't think I could do this without them. I am truly blessed in many ways.I could go on and on, but if anyone is having these problems, I hope that this helps. Wishing you all the best and praying that we all clear.

[Magnum]

Sorry to post on this subject. No more posting allowed today, but this could be great HOPE for non-responders like myself:

Merimepodib (MMPD) is an enzyme (a chemical in the blood that causes chemical changes) that interferes with liver cell processes that are necessary for the virus to cause damage. In this way, it is hoped that the drug will help to stop the virus.

The study is being conducted by the company that makes the investigational drug, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  
Participants will be enrolled into one of three groups receiving either 50 milligrams (mg) MMPD twice a day with pegylated-interferon/ribavirin combination therapy, 100 mg MMPD twice a day with pegylated-interferon/ribavirin combination therapy, or placebo twice a day with pegylated-interferon/ribavirin combination therapy.

At Week 24, your blood will be tested to see if the Hepatitis C virus is responding (a large decrease in your viral load or even undetectable virus).  You will stop taking the MMPD or placebo pills, but will keep taking the pegylated interferon and ribavirin until the results of the blood tests come back.  

During the study, you will have blood drawn to look at the Hepatitis C virus in your blood.  Some people respond to treatment for Hepatitis C, and some do not respond.  The Hepatitis C virus might change during treatment, to make itself

[bluepeng]

One more story on "Magic Bullet for Hepatitis C"

http://www.forbes.com/investmentnewsletters/2005/01/24/cz_sg_0124soapbox_inl.html?partner=yahoo&referrer=

[Tallblonde]

Thanks David for the above list!

Question to all:

Did any of you have pre-treatment visual disturbances?  Something seems a bit "off" in my brain's processing of visual information, particularly when I'm a passenger in the car.  I perceive that the vehicle is going faster than it actually is, or that the car is too close to something (i.e. the car in front of it; the curb, etc.)

These perceptions create a lot of anxiety and, not surprisingly, turn me into the world's worst "backseat driver" ("Watch out!  You're going to fast!  You're too close!).  I'm driving my husband crazy with this.  

Is this just me, or have some of you experienced something similar?

Susan

[TnHepGuy_]

<a href="http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_c/news/2005/012105_b.html">Outcome of Hepatitis C Virus-infected Kidney Transplant Candidates Who Remain on the Waiting List</a>

<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15340017">Liver-Targeted Drug Delivery Using HepDirect Prodrugs</a>

<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15664228">T-cell responses and previous exposure to hepatitis C virus in indeterminate blood donors</a>