pcr 12 weeks still with 116.000 viral load

[techcherry]

hi
I gvot my result from 12 weeks pcr and were a bit dissapointing , I started with 560.000 and now i am in 116.000 with the liver values still around the 100 , my doctor said on the 6 months pcr if the virus is still detectable we should stop the treatment , is this normally the procedurte, how propable it is to be clear?
by the way I am in combination therapy =ribav. 1200/day plus pegint.180 once a week...

[cuteus]

you could be classified as a non responder or as a slow responder depending on the physician. either way it means you should not be treated with the standard approach of 48 wks of therapy.  
check an excerpt of this article:
"....Results

By treatment week (TW) 12, plasma HCV RNA was undetectable in 32/45 (71%) patients. These 32 patients were randomized to a further 12 weeks therapy - Group A (n=11, mean time to HCV clearance 7

[mikesimon]

Now you've confused me. You say you're at 4 weeks and injection  #35. At first I figured you must be doing daily injections of infergen but even if you were you'd only be at #28 after 4 weeks. So what have I misunderstood here? You have got the right viral load goal you want to achieve at 12 weeks so your log work is correct. Regardless of what tx you're doing I want to wish you good luck with your labs and encourage you to hang in through the tough times. I know well how much good labs can mean when you're struggling with the sides. Good luck. Mike

[donAlfonso]

Doubledose, having just re-read my post, I want to apologize for being obnoxious and self righteous.  I'd like to blame the Riba, but the truth is I can be a jerk sometimes, with or without drugs of any kind.

I agree that patients need to be informed, and I think it's fine to point out that 2% figure.  If my doc and my personal research, and all the research and advice from people on this list, for instance, all pointed to a fact, that I personally had a 2% chance of SVR, it would have made the decision to continue more difficult.  But that is not the case.  You talk about science, so please ask a scientist if it is good science to apply study results to an individual.  The answer will be "no", unless the study was 100% conclusive, and even then probably only if it concurs with other similar studies.  Look at Layla, who is SVR at 6 months, but took more than 3 months to clear.  Certainly look at other options.  Pegasys has a slightly higher success rate with Type 1's than Peg-Intron.  I know that Peg-Intron is weight based, but don't know that formula, though I'm sure you must!

In sum, we focus too much on these numbers.  We are individuals.  We do not all respond in the same way.  Or we would all be SVR, or none.  Sorry again for being so obnoxious.

Cal, thanks for your Riba info.  I don't think I'll even try 1400, mostly because my supply is not that great. I just happened to realize that the bottles contain enough for a 1200 daily dose.  I'm going to keep this up and see what my blood shows, maybe end up doing something like you.  Right at this moment, 1 hour post injection, I'm actually feeling pretty sick, nausea and wicked headache, probably ought to quit typing, as my laptop screen is so hard to read I'm sure it's not helping things.

Layla, your post is both inspiring and scary.  I'm really sorry that you continue to suffer so long after stopping these awful meds, and hope that after the higher dose Riba that it just takes longer to recover.

I am on Procrit, only 10,000 a week, after my insurance company complained about the cost.  I had been getting 40,000/week, worked great.  At 10,000 my crit has only gone from 32 to 34 in 6 weeks, and for me I don't feel any better.  I need to be around 40.  If the higher Riba drops my crit again, I'll ask doc to be like Emeril and kick it up a notch.  BAM!!

Peace out,
dA

[layla]

Oh yeah. I weighed 135 lbs and took 1000. Had I known what I know today I would have taken 1200. I started on pegays right after it was approved and was given a scrip for 800 a day. I did that the first month on tx but in reading forums I saw other saying that for pegasys it was not weight based like pegintronand it should be 1000. I called the docs and was upped to 1000. Well I did not clear at 3 months. I was very close but not clear. Yes I beleive this was the problem. I ended up doing 18 months full dose. Actually the last 6 weeks I did 800. I notice the difference in the dose change within a week. I just say becareful as riba sx may linger a very long time and some may be permanent. I am having some trouble still amost year post tx. LL

[layla]

Yes the docs are looking for 2 log drops but that doesn't mean it is your only chance. I do think they are more strict in the UK due to the government paying. There are also many doc here in the us that won't trest unless clear at 6 months. There have been a few I have seen who have fought and been able to get what they needed but I am not sure of the system there. I also think if you want to go for this you definately need extended treatment at this point at least 48 week from clearing at full tx and agree with doubledose you might seek a higher dose or switch to pegasys. I've also seen numerous poeple not respond to one drug but then get SVR on the other. It might be worth a try on your first round. There are too many people doing tx over. If your liver is already two the meds can only help with that. I know this doesn't sound great but if your wanting to keep trying you will most likely have to fight to do it. Some people do chose to wait. It's certainly a personal choice for each of us and we all have different circumstances to deal with. I myself was not clear at 12 weeks but I was at 6 month. I did 18 months and did clearand got SVR. There is a patient my doc had to tx for 3 years and did get SVR so it can be done but it is a personal decision. I wish you the best in making it. LL

[DoubleDose]

No, my intention is just the opposite of having techcherry drop out!

In fact, my intention is to promote the opportunity for techcherry to increase the odds of success.  I do not know how you feel, but I would have had a very hard time finishing 18 months of greuling therapy if the odds of success were only 2% or less.

The other option is to 'obscure' the facts, and tell someone like techcherry that his odds are just fine, but I think that is a great disservice.  We all want the truth, so that we can make GOOD decisions.  If techcherry understands the odds, and decides that full term tx, at the current levels of dosing are acceptable, then that is just fine...BUT...it is important to understand what your chances are.  That is why many doctors are doing customized tx for patients....exactly so that patients like techcherry do not have to endure a greuling round of tx, for only 2% chance of success.  With the right modifications to tx, tech's odds might be increased dramatically.

How do you suggest dealing with the realities of techcherry's situation?  Most docs, as techcherry stated, will pull their patients off tx anyway, with a poor response....so the choice may not even be in your hands.  Better to find a way to get a proper response, than blindly floating along on a wing and a prayer.  That's why they call it science.  We can make good predictions about outcomes.  And we can try alternate strategies when one is not working.

DoubleDose