pegasys or peg-intron difference?

[aquarius64]

i'll probably drive you all crazy with all of my questions, sorry, but what is the difference of the two? next week i'll be starting pegasys/riba. is one more frequent or stronger or for different geno's? has anyone ever done these meds and had a serious adverse affect on the first injection? like being allergic to them? die? thanks

[cuteus]

The ideal trial is not a head to head comparison per sae,  read the dosing in the arms. Plus, it is paid by one of the drug co. how unbias can it be?

[Kalio1]

Try not to worry too much, it's hard I know. You are doing great, you had a BIG drop in VL. You could be UND RIGHT NOW!You are smart to get another PCR, I bet this one you will have it.

If it was me, Id consult with the new doctor but keep with this guy so you keep your scrip coming, then jump ship when you get the other doc all squared away and just after you've renewed your scrip. The doc you have now sounds like an a**. I know they are super busy but that is no excuse to brush patients off like some do. They make you feel like you are taking up THEIR time, when you are paying through the teeth for the time!

Tell the new doc you call that you are on tx now and looking for another opinion and see if you can get in fast. Let them know it's somewhat urgent. Hang in there, hopefully a new doctor will be more on the same page and understand your concerns.

[LindyK]

Female, geno 3, week 7/24

My doc chose Pegasys and I asked him why not Peg-Intron.  He said he thought Pegasys was better.  I did not ask him why cause he just not the kind of doc who wants to "chit chat" about those sorts of thing.  I asked him about weight based ribavirin instead of the standard 800mg for Geno 3's also.  He told me the 800mg would work and there would be less sx with that dosage.  I guess docs are all over the place on this.

[Bill1954]

You've gotten good info from the comments above. While I have little to add, I wanted to mention that Schering-Plough's IDEAL study is currently underway to help provide "a head-to-head comparison of treatment regimens with PEG-INTRON versus PEGASYS, both used in combination with ribavirin." While the final results won't be released until later this year, it's something to follow for those interested in these things. Here is a short article from Ronald Baker, MD that discusses some of the ethical considerations of the trial:

http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_c/news/2005/012405_a.html

Take a look at this article, and follow up on any interesting links etc. hivandhepatitis.com is a great resource to have bookmarked for future reference as well. Best of luck on whatever you decide,

Bill

[FlGuy]

I've used both.  Currently, week 11 of treatment part 2 using Pegasys.  First time PegIntron and relapsed - but not due to the interferon.  I have found that Pegasys is a little more mild than PegIntron was, and virus responded with both. But, people are different and Forrest Gump's box of chocolates applies to interferon.  At about 185 lbs I was about the ideal weight for max dosage with both.  Others may have the reverse experinece that I had.  I still think that the treatment effects of the riba are the real bogey, not so much the IFN.

[LindyK]

I really think I'm going to have to change docs if I want to extend.  The doc I have now is really rigid.  He says what he will do and then literally will walk out of the room on me.  I actually had to call him back in once to ask some other questions.

I am going to get another PCR done this week (which will be week 7) and see what it looks like.

In the mean time, if I'm going to change docs it will have to be soon - like tomorrow so as not to interfere with tx.  I don't know how long it will take to get in.  Also I don't want to wait 3 more weeks to get the results of the PCR for same reason = if I'm not clear then, I will definitely need to change.

I wasn't worried before but I am now that the 4 week PCR wasn't UND.

[Kalio1]

My doctor said the same thing, and kept me on 800. second time around changed my dose to 1200.


Keep in mind MOST geno 3's clear the virus with 800. Here on this (or any) hep forum a lot of people with similar problems gather. Try to remember you have up in the 80% range to clear it. I know it is hard to not worry about that 20%. I''d work on trying to extend and push for more Riba if you can. Get him to explain why he WON'T give you more. Show him info. on why you want more. He might not "like to chit chat" but he has a duty to fully explain his decisions with YOUR treatment and you have a right to your input being considered on both the issue of exension and the issue of your Riba dosage.

[Cindy10]

I think everyone kind of wonders what is going to happen on the first shot. I too thought what if I die right after, boy we can work ourselves up. You will be fine. I asked my NP and she said she has never seen anyone die from the first shot. You will probably get somes sx after a while but you will survive it.
Good luck to you!

[desrt]

True allergic reaction to these meds is extremely rare. There are studies that seem to show the IFN in Peg-Intron may be superior in some ways, but the PEG part of Pegasys makes it stay in your system longer. Since no one has yet figured out who will respond better to which and statistically they work equally well, it doesn't really matter.

[avidreader]

Pretty much the same stuff. Prescriptions to Peg-intron are weight based so some theorize that it is the better choice for people who are large/overweight. Pegasys comes in one standard dose. Anecdotally, people seem to describe the side effects of Pegasys as being not so rough as Peg-intron, but since everyone reacts to these meds a little differently I think it's a tough one to call. If you travel a lot Peg-intron might be the better choice because you can get it in powder form and don't have to worry about refrigeration. I travel a lot though and did Pegasys without any problems. I've heard a lot of people complain about the Peg-intron redi-pen delivery system. I really liked the ready to go, already mixed and measured pre-filled Pegasys syringes. So--no compelling reason to pick one over another that I can see. A lot of us think that the docs probably prefer whichever manufacturer is giving away the most goodies/kicking back at the time they prescribe.