4 weeks VL results after Alinia from illo

[Hepatitis Researcher]

Illo, by now you should be on Alnia for at least 4 weeks. It would be very important to know the early response rate from this new and possibly extremely interesting drug to treat HCV and HBV.You did not indicate if you take Alinia alone or in combo with one of the Peg Interferons. Also did you have a VL before entering treatment?

[jmjm530]

Magic: Given the wide range of severe short, medium and long term medical problems linked to interferon-ribavirin treatment and the relative safety of Alinia, though it does have short term discomfort sides, the case for taking this drug on its own is that it is far more likely to comply with the stated 'Do No Harm' principle, frequently not taken seriously by ifn-rib prescribing MDs.
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Thanks for stopping by and offering your valuable insights.

As you can see, we've had a number of Alinia discussions going on here for some time.

But as for "taking this drug on its own", i.e. mono-therapy if indeed that is what you are suggesting -- the issue of resistant variants (with Alinia Monotherapy) was rasied by an MD who occasionally posts here under moniker "HepatitisResearcher" (HR).

In part, "HR" says:

"The second problem with monotherapy - and that goes most likely for Alinia as well - is that, once resistance has set in, even in the past and even after no drug was given for prolonged periods of time its future use in a combo is clouded with a quick return of the resistant variant that has been" archived" as Doug Richman puts it. Same for HCV and HBV and HIV."

HR, btw is very much a fan Alinia, but only when used in conjunction with SOC, at least for now.

Hopefully, I haven't mischaracterized anyone's comments/opinions, but I did flag HR, in case he's around.

Quote above from the following thread:
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/hepatitis/messages/44784.html


-- Jim

[copyman]

hey matt,  not sure if you have ever been here before but welcome to the forum. i have read your book and found it to be very informative, great job! thanks for your input on alinia this seems to be a promising drug for HCV. when i treat i may add it to the present combo drugs. i think my doc would go off label with this. please stop by more often.

[susan400]

I don't know if you happened to see my results from the Prove 3 that I posted.  I posted them on Mon.  Anyhow, I have 2 questions for you.  

First of all, what types of cancer were you referring to with regards to Ribavirin???  I ask because I have taken so much of this darn drug over the years...

Second of all, wasn't Alinia originally used for treating diarrhea in AIDS patients and they realized that it helped those AIDS patients who were co-infected w/HCV?  That's what I was told...   If that is true, would Alinia cause a person to be most inclined to constipation???   This is not a topic I really like to bring up...., but I have a tendency towards that end of the spectrum if you know what I mean.  So, I've been sort of not really into the idea of going to the Alinia because of that reason.  This has been a pretty significant problem for me, for years now.  Fiber does not have any affect on this problem, does not help.....        Can you see where I would not want to take something that might aggravate this other problem?  

Susan

[magicmatt]

My name is Matt Dolan and I am the author of The Hepatitis C Handbook.

Alinia came to be considered for HCV treatment as a result of the fact that several groups of chronic parasite infected patients in Egypt presenting with classic symptoms, who also had chronic HCV geno 4, were found to have become HCV negative following their anti parasite treatment with Alinia. In other words, like a number of important medical discoveries, it was unintentional.

Given the wide range of severe short, medium and long term medical problems linked to interferon-ribavirin treatment and the relative safety of Alinia, though it does have short term discomfort sides, the case for taking this drug on its own is that it is far more likely to comply with the stated 'Do No Harm' principle, frequently not taken seriously by ifn-rib prescribing MDs.

So even if the prospects of success are modest, the health costs involved, make the logic appealing to the HCV patient, if not the MD. Heath risks and benefits need to be objectively assessed for all treatment decisions, and Alinia fits the bill as being worth a try as a monotherapy for a very large group of HCV patients, even though it has not been comprehensively researched for efficacy on genos other than 4. Incidentally geno 4 has usaully been regarded as a 'difficult to treat' geno, though some MDs close to ifn manufacturing companies have been attempting to suggest that it is an 'easy to treat geno' - this is incorrect and suspicious.

Worth giving serious consideration I'd say, but remain sober and objective. Matt Dolan

[Hepatitis Researcher]

i just wanted to make sure your BW included a VL. If not you could send one to my lab, we would test it for free, since the Alinia question is so important.

[illo]

Hi HR,

I had about a 10mil VL, HCV, smooth muscle not great.  The viral load spiked because I had to undergo 3 rounds of antibiotics, and amoxi always spikes it.  I was between 1.2 and 3.6 mil before the amoxi.  Cirrhosis is stage A.  I am on my 4th week of Alinia, and went for BW this AM.  I will know more next week.  I am also taking some herbs.

I've heard mixed reviews on this.  At least there are no sides to speak of.  Regulating the bowels is about the only issue I have to contend with.