reducing dosage

If they have to reduce your dosage for some reason during tx does it reduce your chances for success?

[pcds]

The preference is not to dose reduce because it can decrease your chance for success.  There is usually another option other then dose reduction.   Those are called helper medications, for low WBC, low HGB.  Anemia is often a reason for dose reduction.  There are medications that can help with these problems.

[portann]

Are you treating and facing a possible dose reduction?

Many people have reduced and gone on to success. And some people have never reduced and not won their battle.

It's more complex than simple dose reduction. I never reduced during tx because I was stubborn (and maybe stupid) and didn't want to take the slightest chance. I probably could have reduced after I reached undetected because I had such a great initial response to the meds, which my doc associated with how my hemoglobin tanked.

Anyway, are you facing a possible reduction?

Susan

[janv83158]

no, I haven't started tx yet. Just trying to get my facts in a row. Will be starting probably in the next couple weeks. I just wondered if you are doing great and they can reduce the dosage would you have less side effects. I'm just really concerned about having effects from the medication forever. The things I read scare me.

[nygirl7]

If you are doing great they would not dose decrease unless you had severe problems and no other option available Ie; Procrit or Neupogen. It would be ridiculous to just take less meds when the best case scenario is only tops 50% anyway as it is. You need all the advantage you can get with this virus and still half of geno1 do not succeed. It's not just getting to UND it's staying there for good that matters.

[FlGuy]

Reducing the med dosage is not a good idea at all.  Based on the side effects expereinced, there are additional meds to counteract the effects of the treatment drugs.  It's important to stay on med schedule and with the right dosage when treatment begins.  There is no space for skipping meds, reducing meds or going on vacation from treatment once it starts.  It takes committment.

[meakea]

Be sure to talk about this issue with your doctor before you start TX so that you are clear on how he/she will treat any potential issues with low blood counts.  Some GI docs are not comfortable prescribing the rescue meds such as Neupogen and Procrit and take the route of reducing the treatment meds instead.  My doc was one of them that told me up front that he was not comfortable giving rescue meds and that he would reduce my treatment meds if my counts got too low.  I didn't like the sound of that so I got him to get a hematologist on board that would treat me with the rescue meds if it was necessary.  Fortunately, I did not require rescue meds.

Since low blood counts are really the specialty of a hematologist (blood doctor), be sure to ask your doc if he can send you to a hematologist "if" your counts get too low rather than reducing your treatment meds.  

Not everyone's blood counts go "too low" while on TX but being prepared in case it happens is a good thing and it appears that you are doing that.  Best of luck!!

[banarep]

it also depends on when the dose reduction occurs.  recent studies have shown that reduction of ribavirn later in treatment does not seem to affect outcomes.  but like others have said, it all depends.