pegintron vs. pegysis

Well its me again... still have not started tx..... fired my old doc yesterday and started with a new one at UAMS.... she is a nurse, but says if she has any problems (and she does not forsee any) that she gets help from their on staff hepatologist, so that made me feel pretty good.

She talked me into changed to pegysis, because according to her experience, people tend to lose more weight on the pegatron and I am a small person, so she likes the pegysis for the small frame people.

Anyway, this all  has me in a complete state of confusion, and dont know what to think, I just want to start.

But I would like everyone to reply to these two questions:

1.  If you are on or have ever been on treatment which did you use.

2.  If you have tried both , briefly describe your experiences with both.

thank you so much for participating in this informal poll.
I really need some input here.

Bandman
(ps - I know I probably misspelled the drug names but I will blame that on the hcv

[bandman54]

hello?

[pigeonca]

I took pegintron.  It was rough.  I've heard that pegasys is easier.  

[bandman54]

thanks pigeonca!  oooxxxooo!
bandman

[derbykid]

Also took the pegintron, sides wasn't to bad but did lose alot of weight. Don't recall reading anything about the weight issue but maybe she has something there. Good luck

[jdwithhcv]

I'm taking pegintron.  It is rough (bad anemia the whole time) but I've been UND since week 4 so I'll ride it out for the full 48.  I have only 8 more shots to go.

[bandman54]

thanks dk and jd!
this is exactly the kind of info I am looking for.
bandman

[mar148]

I took pegasus, I am type 3.  maryellen

[doxies]

I took pegasys  type 2 .SVR now for 10mo. Very few sx.

[DragonSlayer45]

I just started with pegasys and have no sides but I cannot speak because I am just getting started but from what I have read and heard some people tolerate pegasys better then pegintron. There are posts here where someone treated a second time with pegasys and said it was much easier to do, some had an opposite effect. Here is an earlier post about it:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/97666

[Survivin52]

I have been on treatment 4 times, from plain interon to Pegintron and Pegasys twice. I experience was Pegasys was much better and side effects less extreme.
Good Luck
Survivin52

[ladybuglola]

I am on pegasys, my hep doc said it is easier on you, effects not as bad as pegintron about the 1st 3 months, then after that the effects are about the same as pegintron.  Because I'm so sensitive to meds is why he put me on pegasys. week 4 was my worst weekend.  flu symtoms (symptoms) and headache, but nothing tylenol and motrin cant help.  I have lost some weight, so far about 1 pd a wk and going into wk 5 now.  I inject on fridays and for the most part I can still do things, I just move slower.
good luck,
d

[FlGuy]

another


http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/539790

[rita863]

I am on pegatron, i am also small, 4'11 108lbs. I dont even know the difference in the two.

I must really be out of it.

[Bill1954]

I treated previously for 56 weeks with Pegasys; fatigue and late-treatment diarrhea.

I’m currently in week 91/96 with PEG-Intron- fatigue has been my biggest complaint to date.

For expert analysis of the IDEAL study results, refer to:

http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_c/news/2008/011808_a.html

and

http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_c/news/2007/082207_ideal.html

Best,

Bill

[bandman54]

thanks to all!

you have been very helpful!
bandman

[bandman54]

thanks to all...
any more opinions would really help!
bandman

[FloridaMouse]

I did PegIntron my first round of treatment for 48 weeks and am currently doing Pegasys for round 2 (72 weeks).   I lost 45 pounds when I did PegIntron ... I've lost 6 pounds on Pegasys.   My physical sides seemed to be worse on PegIntron although my blood counts seem to take more of a wallop on Pegasys.

As far as response rate ... well, they are pretty much for the same for me.  I was undetectable at week 24 on PegIntron and just recently got my undetectable status at week 24 with Pegasys.

Mouse

[bandman54]

thanks mouse!
bandman

[HCA]

I have experience of both.I found Pegintron tougher.The difference is that Pegintron has a shorter half-life.It hits harder and is flushed out quicker.Pegasys has a smoother curve.
Statisically there is nothing to choose-I would opt for weight based Pegintron.

[bandman54]

thanks hca!
bandman

[Texas714]

I'm on Pegintron.  This is my first and only tx...so far...

[bandman54]

thanks tex,

dare I ask... how is it? and how long have you been on tx?
bandman

[patti1957]

i am half way thru 24 week tx on pegasys (GT 2b) - first few weeks not bad, but starting with week 4 - very exhausted, mouth & tongue sores - very nasty - about 4 evening only bouts of fever in 3 months.  i can't comment on pegintron but all i know i was UND at my 4 week blood results so it is working for me.  i have started procrit and i hope that helps the exhaustion

good luck - keep checking this site - it is a GODSEND - thanks to all >;o)

[bandman54]

thank you patti!

bandman

[paulalynn1965]

I am only on #2 of Pegysus. The first was rough but as I journaled, my 2nd was very uneventful. I am type 3

[bandman54]

thanks paula!
bandman

[grlpkr]

I just spent time writing a comment and dont know what happened to it.  My name is Cathy.  I have had Hep C for 15 years at least and have been treated 2 times.  Pegi and Pegysis.  It has been a nightmare for me.  The pegitron was successful fo about 4 years and was supposedly virus free.  it returned with a vengence and now have been treated with Pegysis.  My treatment was discontinued do to drop of white blood cells and platlets.  i ended up having 2 transfusions.  The Pegysis teatment lasted for 16 weeks prior to discontinuation.  I was weak, hallucinating, nausea was fairly bad and as I said needed 2 seperate transfusions.  

The doctor has decided to restart my treatment next monday.  I am very afriad.  If I encounter the same problems it will stop again and I will be placed on the transplant list.

GOD BLESS ALL OF US

Cathy

[grlpkr]

3x  I forgot about the striaght interferon with reb...  good luck.  Have you been having your biopsies?

They are doing a Endoscopy on me next Mon.  to see if there are any bleeds or weak blood vessels.  

Good luck
Cathy

[Mija4u]

My fiance is on his second week of pegysis.  First week he had flu symptoms, chills vomiting diarriah he said that even the hairs on his head hurt, he could not sleep and was out all the next day.  The second week; we prayed, he took his shot, some discomfort, but no vomiting, no diarriah, no chills, he slept well and the next day he felt good.   He still works physically hard when he can.  I tell him to slow down but he likes to work.  Please help me to understand, how I can help, what I can do to be supportive.  Thx, Meja4u

[AKHepper]

I did 52 weeks of Pegasys and riba five years ago. One month in they lowered my peg dose to 3/4 because my white cells dropped. I managed to get it up to .80 of the standard dose and keep my blood levels acceptable.
4 months after I finished I relapsed.
They were just starting in with pegasys and using rescue drugs wasn't really all that well known, then.
I felt like hell pretty much the whole time. Especially the first few days after the shot, then it would ease up a bit, some weeks. It was a long year, but looking back on it, wasn't really that bad.
I believe I'm going to have to give it another shot in the near future.  

[bandman54]

wow, this is an old thread!

I have not had another biopsy, but am scheduled for an ultrasound next week...
i know, i know, ultrasounds are worthless...
but I think they can tell things like ascites, and tumors and even fatty liver.
My ast and alt are high around 80 and 100, but holding steady and the ast is still below alt, which I have read is a good thing, according to some.

pegasys vs. pegintron,  they both suck, roll the dice and go with it.
I am torn between tx'ing again, as soon as I get my IR under control OR waiting for the polymerase/protean SOC combo.  I think that is going to kick some arse!

bandman

[merryBe]

I've been on pegasus, and heard the pegitron is harder. Also, although many docs do try it for second and 3 time treaters, the studies I read suggested it did not work better, or as well even...in some literature.

I've thought about this, and the pegitron is harder because you get that boost 3x a week..so you get sicker as those milligrams all hit the bloodstream at once, but with pegasus it's more of a steady state of less but every hour on the hour some hits the blood strem all week.

I can tell you that one week I did try what some have done in here for many weeks, and that is to double dose my INF.....(actually for only about a 3-4 day overlap....but that was a hellish week I would NEVER want to repeat...not ever.

As to weight loss....most do lose, but some don't ...I didn't....in fact, they put me on an antidepressant called remeron whose main side effect is increased appetite...so I gain 10 lbs.
So if weight loss is a concern I'd definitely suggest you stick with the pegasus...the efficacy is better, according to independant studies and perhaps that's why it is now the SOC pretty much world wide. That and it's easier on the patient to remember one shot a week rather than 3. Plus there's no "drop off" of your level, were you to accidentally forget a shot day there might be a worse drop off than with pegasus, and that is not a good thing. You need both drugs in there working....but Riba has more staying power in the bloodstream whereas INF does not.

mb

[ejoli]

   I'm getting ready to start tx again in a week or so. I'll be doing pegasys again as my Dr. says that pegitron is not indicated for patients with cirrhosis. I was kind of glad even though I wonder about doing the same meds again. I have heard the the sides are more difficult with pegitron.
                         I think that I'm going to kick some *** too!     -Libby

[IMstacie]

pegasys.  1st tx and hopefully last.  first 12 wks - rough.  

It's interesting about the weight loss comment on PEG-Intron.

I have read journals about folks that lost a lot of weight.  I'm curious now, as to what they were treating with.  I guess if you had a weight problem, maybe PEG-Intron would be the way to go.  I mean if you have to feel like ****, it would be nice to get an additional benefit. :)

[jdwithhcv]

The weight loss on tx thing is a mixed blessing.  Yes, many lose weight, but mostly they lost muscle mass.  After tx you will gain it all back, not muscle but jiggly fat.  Don't think of tx as a weight loss miracle, you still need to sort out your eating and exercise habits for that.

jd

[moahunter]

I am another person who did both, although only mono on Pegasys (I did not respond sufficiently - during acute phase). I was a bit shocked when I went on Pegintron - it really knocked me out from the outset. I lost 50 pounds over course of 48 weeks. In saying that, it worked.

[epiphiny]

Yup, jiggly fat, that's what we get back.  My scales say I have lost weight but all my clothes fit the same and I wobble in all my large muscle areas.  I have definitely lost muscle which I believe accounts for the discrepancy in weight vs size.

On my previous tx I gained 8 kgs after tx and I am fully expecting the same thing to happen when I finish this time and am already planning an exercise regime to start as soon as I get bit more energy back.

[jdwithhcv]

If you were not half a world away I would say let's work out together.  I'm trying my best to keep the pounds off, walking 3 miles/day and so on, but its an ongoing battle.  

[merryBe]

well, epiphany gives me one....ephinany that is

that mostly muscle mass is lost may explain why I didn't loose.

I'm oh HGH injections, as most of you know, and HGH is known for maintaining muscle mass amongst it's many essential functions.

well mystery solved...

thanks for that light bulb!!

mb