Aa
2nd round of tx for Hep C
Should I go thru tx for HCV a 2nd time?? AND what should I do differently to make sure I dont relapse this time around? I'm genotype 1a. I've had HCV for 16 months. I've gone thru 44 weeks of Peginterferon alfa-2b & ribavirin, cleared the virus, and then relapsed shortly after. I am thinking to either take more meds, go longer (duration), or switch to a different type of interferon?? Let me know what you think??
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What happened to all the posts in this thread? Most were great responses with good information. Where did they all go?
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Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
If I were in your shoes, I would definitely try to wait for the new drugs (Telaprevir & Boceprevir, both protease inhibitors, also known as PIs) which should be coming out within a year. The SVR rates they're getting for relapsers have been very good, much better than trying a second treatment with the same meds.
You also might consider looking for a good clinical trial (www.clinicaltrials.gov) for relapsers, though this should only be necessary if you don't have insurance or if you can't wait for the new drugs to be approved by your carrier.
I am assuming -- perhaps incorrectly -- that since you've only been infected for 16 months you probably don't have much liver damage. However, if you've had a biopsy that shows to the contrary you might have less leisure to wait. In any case treating with one of the new PIs will absolutely give you a much better chance of clearing than treating again with higher dosages or a longer duration.
Finally, you might want to try posting in the regular Hep C forum, rather than in this forum, which is the "Social" forum.
Best of luck to you!