HGB 9.8 Riba Reduction

[Tippyclubb]

They reduced me from 1000 to 600.  I am still on the Telaprevir for 10 more days so maybe I will be okay.  Hopefully, it will go back up in a week, so I can get back to normal dosage when I come off the Tela.  Nurse said Tela causes hgb to drop also.  I started at 15.8 and dropped quickly.

My concern is if I get put into the 6 months group what my chances of SVR  would be with the reduction.  I asked the nurse and she said they don't know because there are no studies yet on this.  Oh boy its always something !  Lol !  Have to laugh to keep my spirits up.

I'm half tempted to take 800 a day and wonder would that make a difference?  Any thoughts.  They count my pills every visit, but I could come up with some excuse as to what happen to them.

I knew something was wrong last few days as my face color changed from milky pale white to gray with black eyes.  Anyone else have the black eye thing going on?  The odd thing is I feel okay though and have had more energy since last week. Weird.

Well all I can do is try not to worry about it and see what happens.

[justme53]

Wow, 7.1 ?? I'm in awe that you could make it to work at all!

Glad to hear you're back at 10.4 and hope you're feeling better soon.

Pam

[HCA]

Generally speaking telaprevir reduces hgb by about two points during it's twelve week cycle,
At 9.8 you are probably ok for 800mg as you are nearly at the end of the telaprevir.
Don't know why you are anti-transfusion.
You should get a gentle upward curve in your hgb post telaprevir.
As a general rule one should maintain riba dosing as reducing and then raising it again is no good.
Good luck in any event!

[thegypsy9164]

Well, I guess from these responses you can clearly see that you are not alone.
Last week I had to have a transfusion (2-bags of red blood cells) as my RBC went to 7.1.  I started at 17.?.  I was almost colorless and my coworkers would call me "the green man."  Not gray or black but green.  I have some energy and color back and am at 10.4.  I think and have heard from friends that they somehow hit a spot at times where nothing significant changes in their status but they suddenly feel as if their body is adjusting and compensating as they begin to feel better.  Not me, not yet.

[Tippyclubb]

Hgb is 9.8 but I'm thinking its not the wisest decision to take 800 of riba seeing as Tela also reduces hgb levels.  The last thing I need is a transfusion.  

Only 10 days more days of Tela and now this reduction.  They going to do a vl in 10 days so we will see what happens.

[Trinity4]

Mine hangs around 12. The only time it was very low was when I first started treatment and also when I was taking phlebotomy treatments.  Otherwise, its been mid 11 and now 12 for quite a long time.  Wbc is my problem.

[meakea]

Tippyclubb:  Good luck with all of this...you're right...it's always something.

I have circles around my eyes but mine are red and puffy.  Looks like I've been punched.  Luckily, I wear glasses and I have some of the newer chunky frames so they hide it a bit.  I have to take my glasses off to read my computer at work so, when people walk in my office, I'm always grabbing for my glasses so I can quickly put them back on to try to hide...lol.

Trinity4:  

"Not a fair skinned person but for the last 48 wks I've had the grey "death mask" eyes are sunken in with black circles, hair sticks up like a rooster, not a pretty picture and I've never been anemic..."

Am I wrong in my thinking that we all  "anemic" when our HGB falls anything below the normal level?