hepc treatment

Hi guys,can someone tell me who had a relaps did the second time treatment and how were the results...i was thx for six months with pegintron and ribaviron,but after the six months when i finished treathment the virus appeared again but very low.My doctor told me to repeat thx for a year now and i am a little afraid of the side effects .My genotype3 was a slowly response altough in the first 4 weeks of thx was good responder,even my doc was confused of this what happened after the year resuts.I am asking now if for the second time of thx if anyone did it for the same genotype3,thanks and good luck to everyone.

[Kristina538]

I'm so sorry about your relapse; this is such a really long difficult road....

I'm a 3A and relapsed after monotherapy in 1994 (I was unable to retreat until my liver showed progression).  My specialist does not expect me to respond quickly this time (I'm in my 5th week and waiting the results of my PCR), but expects me to clear by 12 weeks, and, if so, I'm hoping he (and my body) will let me extend treatment.

You didn't mention the state of your liver or whether you'd had a biopsy result?  With those details, your question would be a good one to poste to Dr Dietrich, the resident expert here. http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/272

There are other G3's on this site who are doing extended therapy the second time around.

Do you get rescue meds made available to you? and what stage is your biopsy result?

[FlGuy]

I was g3. Relapsed after 24 weeks with Peg and 800 mg riba.  Waited 10 months and did tx again - 46 weeks with Peg and a grown-up weight-based dose of 1200 mg riba, with a couple of other wrinkles thrown in.  Was successful in #2.  Thing to keep in mind, you cannot do the same as the your first time around, you'll likely get the same result.  Basically, longer or stronger, probably both.  The wise words of the liverhead as I pondered treatment #2; if undetectable at week 4 - go 48.  If not undetectable at 4 - go 72.  It was in my interest to get to undetectatble by week 4.  To do so, I predosed riba for a week and double-dose the Peg for 4 weeks.  It worked.  Find a doc you can work with who is willing to gamble somewhat.  It shouldn't bother the doc too much, it's you taking the meds.

[alagirl]

i know you haven't had many responses yet but it seems like from what I've seen its become almost a norm on this website that people are treating two, and sometimes more times, and are finding success on these later tries with the use of longer treatments, or additional medication, or a different type of medication thrown into the mix.  

[healthyliver]

Yes, the virus is very easy to  appear again. And if you continue to have a tx, the only thing we can do is reducing the side effect. Before one of my friend had bought a kind of herbal medicine YHK (Yojyo Henshiko) for me. i think it was good for me to battle with severe side effect.

Good luck, madfogs

[nygirl7]

Dear Madfrogs,

I completely and totally advise the same good advice as above - treat longer and harder this time.

3A is not that easy a strain as you see above, unfortunately we've seen a bunch of really tough people who treated relapse with it and I'm sort of concerned that your doctor doesn't know it can be a very tough strain.  are you see a heptologist?

Fortunately as FLGuy said I can't remember anyone who treated as a 3A for a second time longer and harder who failed. That's good news. I've been around about 3 years now.  But do remember........doing the same exact treatment will probably give you the same results.

So go out and kick some virus butt this time and don't give it another chance! (If your doc isn't willing to do of this I'd seriously advise finding a new doc).