low alt and ast one month post treatment

[Dirac]

Last week I had this arthiritis-like pain in one of my fingers and
I thought that I had a relapse. My viral load to be measured
3 monthes after treatment according to my doc and so I asked him
if I can get a liver function blood work.
My alt and ast came back to be 15 and 14 respectively. Their
values during treatment were in low twenties and before
treatment were in the 50-60 range.
The level of anxity has lowered back now.
I just wanted to thank you all for being here.

[Galen]

You wrote in your first posting your beginning PCR and your 12 week one...

"I started pegasys at 250,000 and three months later I am at 31,000."

250,000 is a really low viral load but a two log drop from there would be 2,500.  For each log drop, you drop a zero from the original number.  I am sorry, but 31,000 is not quite a one log drop.  Maybe you made a mistake in the first number?

[Sablerae]

The doctor told me that I did have a two log drop. That was the only reason she was going to let me go on another two months.
I just really hope and pray that I am doing the right thing. Heck it took Pearse 48 weeks to clear the virus. Still frustrated but I'm thankful for your honesty. I just want that little bit of hope that I just might have left. But then again I don't want to forever scar my body all up.

Thank you all
God Bless
Sablerae

[Dirac]

Thanks a lot..

[lizzee]

I USED TO WORRY LIKE YOU..BUT SEE..YOU R DOING FINE!!!!!!!!!!!
SO GLAD TO HEAR THIS...KEEP POSITIVE..OK?
BE WELL,
LIZE   :0)

[britgirl]

I agree with doing the extra two months - it's just more than that that might be the problem!

[BethUK]

Sorry you are not having much luck on the pegasys.  I know you probably know in your heart of hearts that your doctor is right, but I think if it were me, and I was physically able to do those extra two months she's agreed to, i'd give it a go.  I am talking as someone who came through treatment relatively unscathed though.  Hope husband, son and dog are OK!

[britgirl]

I know it must be hard to stop and accept that you are not a responder, but I feel you are just hitting your head against a brick wall. Think of the damage you may be doing to your body. As you may remember, I got permanent hypothyroidism from the tx, as well as hearing loss, timnnitus and permanent hair loss. None of these were known until I completed treatment. There is little or no evidence that Pegasys will work if Peg-Intron hasn't. Travelmom had the same problem, switching her daughter from one to the other and then back again all to no avail. I am  afraid i think your doctor is right.

[Galen]

I am so sorry you are not really responding to tx.  As you know, you had nowhere near a two log drop.  All the statistics are in agreement that if there is not at least a two log drop by week 12, the chances of clearing the virus drop to about 3%.  I know some here have posted on the long term benefits of interferon alone for maintenance of the disease and will wait for them to refer you to those studies.  There are also a few who are doing infergen shots daily and seem to be responding.  I am so sorry to add bad news to your plate, but I think you already knew the answer to your question.  Take care and stay with us.

[Sablerae]

I'm sorry to burst in here but I need some advice. I have done the peg intron for 6 months I did not clear the virus. I was off 6 months and I went on pegasys against my doctors advice. She said if I didn't clear I would not clear on Pegasys. I started pegasys at 250,000 and three months later I am at 31,000. She did not like that I did not clear the virus at 3 months. I talked her into another 2 months. I feel that If my viral load does not go up then why stop. My white count is pretty low. Feeling terribly tired and fogged out. I know she won't give me procrit she will just tell me to quit the tx. I am so frustrated. She does not give me any support. But I am in the Kelsey Seybold trap and I know that the other doctors there would probably side with her. What do you think about it? Any ideas suggustions? She said if I don't clear in two months I'm off the medication.

Thanks
God Bless
Sablerae

[MajNeni]

Hi, Mike,
One of the worst sides I have is being kinda slow on the uptake, a form of brain fog.  It's hateful; if I'm lucky, I get the joke/point after a minute or two... if I remember long enough.
Yeah, I can think of a lot of things I'd rather be cured by than cauliflower. ;)  

Hi, Dirac,
I'm glad things look more optimistic now.  I have a strong feeling you'll get the good results at the 3-month mark!  We humans are so good at imagining worst case scenarios to scare ourselves.  

Old saying:  "Sufficient to the day are the troubles thereof."

Maj Neni

[MichaelT]

I was hoping a large bowl of vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup and some crushed nuts would unlock the doors to overcoming viruses.

Ah well! It brings some pleasure for a short while, anyway!

[MajNeni]

Mike, is this the same as ordinary cauliflower?  
Maybe we can eat our way out of HCV someday.  It would be neat to discover that commonly available foods, which can be worked into a sensible VARIED diet, might protect people even from viruses.  Maj Neni

[MichaelT]

Sorry to jump into your thread!
-------------------------------------
Plant compounds from Stylogne cauliflora block hepatitis C virus protease.

Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2003 NewsRX

2003 OCT 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Plant compounds from Stylogne cauliflora block hepatitis C virus protease.

According to a study from the United States, "the 70% aqueous ruethanolic extract of the Peruvian plant Stylogne cauliflora was found to contain two novel oligophenolic compounds SCH 644343 (1) and SCH 644342 (2), which were identified as inhibitors of HCV NS3 protease."

"The structure of 1 and 2 was established based on high-resolution NMR studies. Compound 1 inhibited HCV NS3 protease with an IC50 of 0.3 micro M, while compound 2 showed an IC50 of 0-8 micro M," reported V.R. Hegde and colleagues, who work at Schering Plough Research Institute

Hegde and colleagues published the results of their research in Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters (Two antiviral compounds from the plant Stylogne cauliflora as inhibitors of HCVNS3 protease. Bioorg Med Chem Letter, 2003;13(17):2925-2928).

For additional information, contact V.R. Hegde, Schering Plough Research Institute, 2015 Galloping Hill Rd., Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA.

The publisher of the journal Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters can be contacted at: Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd., the Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, UK.

The information in this article comes under the major subject areas of Enzymology, Antiviral Therapy, Phytotherapy, and Virology.

This article was prepared by Hepatitis Weekly editors from staff and other reports.

[scruffy]

Anxiety about relapse seems pretty reasonable after all you've gone through. I wish you well.