1 month post pcr?

[jelise]

My nurse told me the other day that they are not going to test my viral load until 6 months and one year post tx.  I can't find the exact threads, but I thought most people got a one month post pcr too.  What does a one month tell you?  If it is useful (for something besides peace of mind), does anyone have a link to the study so I can try and convince my doc to order one?

I think he should do it just to make me feel better.  I will go insane if I have to wait until 6 months post for a clue.

Take your time.  I still have 12 weeks of tx and am just planning ahead :)

Thanks,
Jelise

[Rockerforlife]

WO...i guess this proves ya cant go by the LFT to predict SVR.

[Trinity4]

I must be the odd duck out because my LFT's were normal 4, 8 and 12 wks post tx and I relapsed.  I thought for sure I nailed SVR by the 4 and 8 wk enzymes but it wasn't the case.

[jelise]

FlGuy:  That is a good idea.  They are going to order an eot pcr.  They do it through the computer, but they very well may not notice if the results do not come in right away.  I could at least wait until they call to remind me.  "Oh sorry - been very busy at work and haven't been able to get over there before 5!"

nygirl7:  I had no idea you had a false positive!  I'm so sorry to hear you had to go through that - especially knowing how hard you treated :(  
I am going to make an appt with the GI to plead my case.  If I bring the study showing the 98% correlation copyman mentioned, I think he will give in and let me have the 3 month test - especially if I offer to pay for it.  I asked at Quest when I went Monday, and they said the <50 test was $450.  If he won't order it, the lab tech said I could go to an Urgent Care or something and get a doctor there to order one.  But I'd rather the insurance pay for it if at all possible...

GreatBird:  I never even thought about them running other tests post tx.  That is a good point and I am going to ask the nurse about that the next time we speak.

Rockerforlife:  Oh believe me, I have been watching my liver enzymes like a hawk ever since I found out I have HepC, and I'm sure I won't stop any time soon :)

The nurse overseeing my tx is the one that said they only do 6 month and 1 year post tests.  I've only spoken to the GI once since starting tx, so I have hopes that he will listen if I make an appt to go speak directly to him.

Thank you everyone,
Jelise

[Rockerforlife]

Opps,soory bout that,well in that case ,yes,id have to go with the 6 month post test,i guess the LFT aint 100% sure ,but lt will give you some guidance as to whether or not yu relapsed

[GreatBird]

Rocker--the question was about 4 weeks AFTER treatment, not during.

Jelise--I hope you're having other tests run at 4 weeks. It's very important to make sure that you're rebounding and that your thyroid is doing well, your hemoglobin is recovering, etc. etc. etc. Even though you're done taking meds, they are still in your system and it can take a while for the body to normalize.

[Rockerforlife]

The 4 week test will tell if you are a RVR``er....no other way to find out.me,im rather a 4 week PCR if i had a choice..if you clear by wk 4 and you know this,your TX will be much easier on the soul..knowing yr odds will be 0ver 95% you are cured

[Marcia2202]

Good idea from FlGuy. I would definitely do that if you can't get your doctor to do a 12 week PCR.

[nygirl7]

Usually if you offer to pay for it they will write the script and it goes straight through insurance - it will show them you really are dedicated to the process and need to know!  I've never seen anyones be denied before and I've been around here a long time.

In a month most likely your liver enzymes wouldn't skyrocket that high that you would have a clue that anything was going on.  The virus would be trying to restablish itself so you wouldn't most likely be doing that much liver damage that it would show up huge. And they do go up and down and up and down all of the time. If they came back in the 200s of course I'd say that would be an indicator but not just a minimal amount so you really couldn't tell.

Ask for the test - it's your body and you did the work at least they can do is give you the answers!

I had one at 4 weeks (which was a false neg) then I had to have one at 8 weeks and 12 weeks and six months and one year (actually everything was pushed back a little bit because of my false pos. but you get the picture).  So obviously if I got that many they can certainly write one for you!

[FlGuy]

There are some things that you can do to a one month post-tx pcr.

Your doc may write an rx for an end of treatment pcr to be drawn just before you take the last of your meds.  This is usually to confirm that you ended treatment without a breakthrough.  Just hang on to the rx for 30 days after your last riba and go in in for the test.

Ask your doc for a 30 post treatment PCR RX, even if you have to pay for it yourself.  If so, get the least sensitive if the least sensitive is the cheapest.

There really is no clinical need to get one before 6 months post treatment, but there is the curiosity factor.  I would not rely on liver enzymes alone, they can be misleading.

[jelise]

Yeah.  It is more for peace of mind.  I don't think I would start treating again if I showed a relapse at one month or anything.  I would wait for the new meds.

Thanks,
Jelise

[jelise]

Ooh - thanks copyman!  I will push for that one then.  I hope I can find the study.

3 months sounds a lot better than 6 to know something.

Jelise

[Trish77]

I'd agree that if you CAN get one before the deciding 6 month post PCR, I'd take the 12 week post if it's peace of mind you're after.  That'll get you most of the way to peace of mind.  

I also wouldn't put too much emphasis on liver enzymes increasing after end of treatment as that can be caused by a variety of things and doesn't necessarily equate with relapse.  Mine went up after EOT as well and were more a result of the heavy antibiotics I was on than a relapse, as I went on to SVR.  

If there is some reason you can't get anything other than the post 6 month one, you haven't endangered your health in any way.There's no real medical reason for having the earlier PCR's.  You see that more often in a clinical trial setting.  Either you cleared or you didn't and that six month one is the definitive to tell you that.  Regardless of how close the 12 week one can be to what you can expect from the 6 month PCR results, it's the 6 month one that nails it.  

Trish

[Rockerforlife]

With my first trial,they did the same to me,no PCR until the 6 month post,BUT,my nurse   gave my LFT results at 1 month post and they were back up where they were before i started,all tru TX my LFT was ar 20....she knew i had relapesd 1 month post