TRANSPLANT

IS ANYONE ON THIS FORUM RECEIVING TREATMENT WHO HAVE HAD A LIVER TRANSPLANT LIKE MYSELF? I WILL BEGAN TREATMENT SOON.

[HCA]

There is a man whose screen name is mikesimon.
He is very helpful and you could send him a private message in case he does not see this -go to my MedHelp and find people.

[mikesimon]

Yes, HCA is right. I treated and stopped in June 2004 and finally achieved SVR.
It took me 3 tries but I blame that on the fact that I was under-dosed the first 2 times I treated. Once I got the right doses I cleared by week 12. I did extend treatment but, upon reflection, I am not sure that was necessary.
If I can answer any questions please, don't hesitate.
Mike

[2Scoop]

Thanks a lot. I'm three years out with no rejections and had a biopsy last week in which the doc's found fibrosis and want me on treatment. They said they were going to start me on some anti-depressants for four to six weeks and then began the anti-viral therapy.

[FlGuy]

In your previous posts on the subject I think you said that your treatment for hcv was always under very close scrutiny by your transplant doc and that they always kept a real close eye on your treatment meds and the effects on your prograf doses and a delicate balance therein.

[mikesimon]

I agree with that. To this day I don't understand the relationship between treatment and Prograf dose. It sounds logical to think that the higher the Prograf dose the less likely TX will be successful and, at the extreme, I think that's probably true. But, whether 3 mg per day or 6 mg Prograf per day makes any difference is a question I cannot answer.
When I treated there was a reluctance to dose the way a non-transplant patient would have been dosed and that can be and, in my case, was problematic. What the risk of organ rejection triggered by interferon is has yet to be answered fully so far as I know. I think the risk is far less than first believed but acute rejectioon is a possibility. There are other factors which make adequate doses more risky but it really is an individual thing - like everything, I suppose.
Mike

[orphanedhawk]

I had a tp 6months ago and there a few others of us but mikesimon is the man!