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Success for Hep C & Cirrhosis?
I've read alot of success stories about overcoming hep c, but not many who also have cirrhosis? I'm just curious my boyfriend has both so I was just wondering if anyone who had both still was successful? Please reply, I'm just a concerned girlfriend.
You might want to begin a new post. I'd encourage you to do so. You could also post on the new cirrhosis forum.
What I can tell you is that if your boyfriend already has ascites and edema, he is probably beyond the stage where hep C treatment will do much good.
He needs to see a hepatologist experienced with transplants.
He has decompensated cirrhosis. It's hard to do hep C treatment once cirrhosis is this far advanced.
Is he on the transplant list ?
He needs to see a qualified hepatolgosit at a hospital with a liver transplant clinic.
What I can tell you is that if your boyfriend already has ascites and edema, he is probably beyond the stage where hep C treatment will do much good.
He needs to see a hepatologist experienced with transplants.
He has decompensated cirrhosis. It's hard to do hep C treatment once cirrhosis is this far advanced.
Is he on the transplant list ?
He needs to see a qualified hepatolgosit at a hospital with a liver transplant clinic.
my heart goes out to you. i believe that end stage liver disease can be much harder on the caregiver than the patient.
if you have read many of the posts by HectorSF, who knows more about this disease than most of the docs treating it, he tells everyone with advanced liver disease to be evaluated at a liver transplant hospital. i would urge you to make an appointment with a hepatologist at hospital that performs liver transplants.
i am a pre-transplant patient experiencing cirrhosis, with esophageal varices. i also have edema but do not have ascites. i am currently at week 45 of triple therapy and the virus has been undetected since week 4. there are others here that have cirrhosis and have successfully treated. most if not all were treated by hepatologists that specialize in treating this disease.
eric
if you have read many of the posts by HectorSF, who knows more about this disease than most of the docs treating it, he tells everyone with advanced liver disease to be evaluated at a liver transplant hospital. i would urge you to make an appointment with a hepatologist at hospital that performs liver transplants.
i am a pre-transplant patient experiencing cirrhosis, with esophageal varices. i also have edema but do not have ascites. i am currently at week 45 of triple therapy and the virus has been undetected since week 4. there are others here that have cirrhosis and have successfully treated. most if not all were treated by hepatologists that specialize in treating this disease.
eric
Hi can-do-man,
I'm so happy for you... My boyfriend is suffering right now. He has Hep C and Cirrhosis. He has ascites and edema. He can barely walk because he is so weak. He also seems to be confused in the past 2 days. We just found out about all this around April. He has been in the hosp twice since. They want to start treatment for the hep c but I'm scared he doesn't have the energy for it. He has lost all muscle mass and he is only 52. I need some hope and encouragement. He means the world to me and I don't want to lose him. It's so hard to see him like this and I can't imagine what he's feeling.
I'm so happy for you... My boyfriend is suffering right now. He has Hep C and Cirrhosis. He has ascites and edema. He can barely walk because he is so weak. He also seems to be confused in the past 2 days. We just found out about all this around April. He has been in the hosp twice since. They want to start treatment for the hep c but I'm scared he doesn't have the energy for it. He has lost all muscle mass and he is only 52. I need some hope and encouragement. He means the world to me and I don't want to lose him. It's so hard to see him like this and I can't imagine what he's feeling.
Hector thanks you are one most knowagable posters on here lots others too. I pray for your treatment and My God heal your body
Was this from a Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) FibroSURE?
That was all that was on the report?
Interpretations:
Quantitative results of 6 biochemical tests are analyzed using a computational algorithm to provide a quantitative surrogate marker (0.0-1.0) for liver fibrosis (METAVIR F0-F4) and for necroinflammatory activity (METAVIR A0-A3).
Fibrosis Scoring:
0.48 – 0.58 = Stage F2 – Bridging fibrosis with few septa
Macroinflamm Activity Scoring:
77 >0.62 = Grade A3 – Severe activity
You are genotype 3 with a low viral load. So changes are about 81% for achieving SVR.
Good luck!
Hector
That was all that was on the report?
Interpretations:
Quantitative results of 6 biochemical tests are analyzed using a computational algorithm to provide a quantitative surrogate marker (0.0-1.0) for liver fibrosis (METAVIR F0-F4) and for necroinflammatory activity (METAVIR A0-A3).
Fibrosis Scoring:
0.48 – 0.58 = Stage F2 – Bridging fibrosis with few septa
Macroinflamm Activity Scoring:
77 >0.62 = Grade A3 – Severe activity
You are genotype 3 with a low viral load. So changes are about 81% for achieving SVR.
Good luck!
Hector
The best thing I've found for help with sleeping at night (versus in the morning, when I can hardly force myself to stay awake) is to take a very small amount of melatonin about 10 minutes before trying to sleep. It's sold as a dietary supplement, and the cheapest is probably at Trader Joe's. The only problem is that the optimum dose for sleep is quite small. The Trader Joe's pills are 500 mcg, and the optimal dose is 100-200 mcg, so I have to cut them twice and take just 1/4 tablet to get the best dose. It actually does not work as well if you take a larger dose. Even with the optimal dose, it is still not a perfectly reliable way of getting to sleep. Most nights I do notice the sudden wave of sleepiness and fall asleep if I'm already in bed and settled down, but if I take it a little too early and am not quite ready to sleep when that wave comes over me, then I usually can't fall asleep a little bit later. I'm a cirrhotic and have been on triple tx with Incivek and my hepatologist approved of me using melatonin while on tx. I only used the melatonin a few times while I was still on the Incivek, but that was due to my own paranoia about wanting my absolute best chances and not my doctor's concern. I use it most nights now that I've finished the Incivek phase of treatment. Regardless of my own experience with melatonin, I would strongly urge you to check with your own hepatologist before taking it. I'm not sure my doctor is totally infallible, and your own situation may be different too. Best wishes!
what does this meanfibrosis score 52 stage few spepts
necroninflammat score 77
alpha 2 macroglobulins 377 9 range (stage 0.48 --0.58 110----276)
0.48 to 0.58 stage f2bridging fibrosis with few spec
this geno 3 with viral load of 52,000 . Some of this lab work is so hard to read you cant understand the words. these quotes were so intresting from u all
necroninflammat score 77
alpha 2 macroglobulins 377 9 range (stage 0.48 --0.58 110----276)
0.48 to 0.58 stage f2bridging fibrosis with few spec
this geno 3 with viral load of 52,000 . Some of this lab work is so hard to read you cant understand the words. these quotes were so intresting from u all
Any remedies to help him sleep at night?
Unfortunately I haven't found anything that works for me. All the ones I have tried make me feel worse than when I don't sleep. I feel very drowsy and out of it with any of the meds I have tried.
Unlike your boyfriend who has less liver damage than myself, I have decompensated cirrhosis, so I have chronic hepatic encephalopathy HE (brain poisoning by toxins) which causes disruption of sleep patterns. I can only sleep 3-4 hours per night.
Others are probably your best resource for a sleep aides.
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Dietary restrictions generally are not needed in uncomplicated compensated cirrhosis, although patients with edema should avoid sodium. Since your boyfriend hasn't suffered with complications of cirrhosis he doesn't need to be on a every limited diet that more advance liver disease patients need to be. So it is recommended that he eat a well-balanced diet with an emphasis on healthy non-processed foods.
For your boyfriend it is more of a matter of avoiding things that can be toxic to the liver so as to not aid in the progression of his liver disease.
Lifestyle Changes:
Lifestyle changes cannot cure cirrhosis, but they can help to delay or stop progression of the disease, reduce the severity of symptoms, and help prevent complications.
General Guidelines for Managing Cirrhosis
• Avoid drinking alcohol.
• Eat a balanced diet.
• Avoid raw seafood
• High calorie, high protein diets are used to help the liver regenerate in the early stages of cirrhosis.
• A low-sodium diet may be needed to reduce any fluid retention.
• Get your doctor’s approval for all medications.
• Get vaccines for flu, pneumonia, and hepatitis.
Avoid Alcohol
Abstaining from alcohol helps to stop liver damage. In some cases, the liver may repair some of the damage, which can help to reduce your symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Eat a Balanced Diet
An appropriate diet can help your liver tissues regenerate and can reduce the severity of symptoms in more advanced disease. A diet diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is best. As opposed to highly processed foods that contain huge amounts of sodium and are highly processed.
In order to reduce the chances of infection, you may be advised to avoid raw seafood and dishes that contain raw seafood, such as sushi. Raw fish can be contaminated with hepatitis A, as well as other viruses, bacteria, and parasites, which could further stress liver function.
In the early stages of recovery, you may be advised to eat more calories and protein than you are used to. Adequate amounts of amino acids (from proteins) and other nutrients are necessary to regenerate liver tissue.
In some cases, a sodium-restricted diet may be necessary. Salt (sodium) contributes to fluid retention, and restricting salt can help alleviate fluid-related swelling in the abdomen and legs.
Get Approval for All Medications
Do not take any medication, including over-the-counter drugs, without your doctor’s approval. The liver is responsible for metabolizing medications, and when your liver is damaged because of cirrhosis, drug metabolism may be altered. Dangerously high levels of medicines can remain in your blood and interfere with drugs you may be taking to treat cirrhosis. Always get your doctor’s approval before taking any medication. Even drugs that seem relatively harmless, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be dangerous in some circumstances. NSAIDs should be avoided in patients with cirrhosis.
Get Vaccinated
Ask your doctor about getting important vaccines, like hepatitis A vaccine, hepatitis B vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine (to help prevent pneumonia) and influenza vaccine (to help prevent the flu). Hepatitis A infection is very dangerous for people with liver damage.
Sources: American Liver Foundation
Here is link to a basic manual called "Living with Cirrhosis" which talks about hepatitis C caused cirrhosis.
http://www.hepatitisaustralia.com/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/1352/Living_with_Cirrhosis_2008.pdf
Hector
Unfortunately I haven't found anything that works for me. All the ones I have tried make me feel worse than when I don't sleep. I feel very drowsy and out of it with any of the meds I have tried.
Unlike your boyfriend who has less liver damage than myself, I have decompensated cirrhosis, so I have chronic hepatic encephalopathy HE (brain poisoning by toxins) which causes disruption of sleep patterns. I can only sleep 3-4 hours per night.
Others are probably your best resource for a sleep aides.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dietary restrictions generally are not needed in uncomplicated compensated cirrhosis, although patients with edema should avoid sodium. Since your boyfriend hasn't suffered with complications of cirrhosis he doesn't need to be on a every limited diet that more advance liver disease patients need to be. So it is recommended that he eat a well-balanced diet with an emphasis on healthy non-processed foods.
For your boyfriend it is more of a matter of avoiding things that can be toxic to the liver so as to not aid in the progression of his liver disease.
Lifestyle Changes:
Lifestyle changes cannot cure cirrhosis, but they can help to delay or stop progression of the disease, reduce the severity of symptoms, and help prevent complications.
General Guidelines for Managing Cirrhosis
• Avoid drinking alcohol.
• Eat a balanced diet.
• Avoid raw seafood
• High calorie, high protein diets are used to help the liver regenerate in the early stages of cirrhosis.
• A low-sodium diet may be needed to reduce any fluid retention.
• Get your doctor’s approval for all medications.
• Get vaccines for flu, pneumonia, and hepatitis.
Avoid Alcohol
Abstaining from alcohol helps to stop liver damage. In some cases, the liver may repair some of the damage, which can help to reduce your symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Eat a Balanced Diet
An appropriate diet can help your liver tissues regenerate and can reduce the severity of symptoms in more advanced disease. A diet diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is best. As opposed to highly processed foods that contain huge amounts of sodium and are highly processed.
In order to reduce the chances of infection, you may be advised to avoid raw seafood and dishes that contain raw seafood, such as sushi. Raw fish can be contaminated with hepatitis A, as well as other viruses, bacteria, and parasites, which could further stress liver function.
In the early stages of recovery, you may be advised to eat more calories and protein than you are used to. Adequate amounts of amino acids (from proteins) and other nutrients are necessary to regenerate liver tissue.
In some cases, a sodium-restricted diet may be necessary. Salt (sodium) contributes to fluid retention, and restricting salt can help alleviate fluid-related swelling in the abdomen and legs.
Get Approval for All Medications
Do not take any medication, including over-the-counter drugs, without your doctor’s approval. The liver is responsible for metabolizing medications, and when your liver is damaged because of cirrhosis, drug metabolism may be altered. Dangerously high levels of medicines can remain in your blood and interfere with drugs you may be taking to treat cirrhosis. Always get your doctor’s approval before taking any medication. Even drugs that seem relatively harmless, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be dangerous in some circumstances. NSAIDs should be avoided in patients with cirrhosis.
Get Vaccinated
Ask your doctor about getting important vaccines, like hepatitis A vaccine, hepatitis B vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine (to help prevent pneumonia) and influenza vaccine (to help prevent the flu). Hepatitis A infection is very dangerous for people with liver damage.
Sources: American Liver Foundation
Here is link to a basic manual called "Living with Cirrhosis" which talks about hepatitis C caused cirrhosis.
http://www.hepatitisaustralia.com/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/1352/Living_with_Cirrhosis_2008.pdf
Hector
That's great to hear! Were hoping to pull thru this and beat this terrible virus. Do you have any suggestions to help sleep at night? Right now he's having trouble staying asleep so he's having to take a sleeping aide but the down side is he's staying drowsy the next day which is making him irritable. I learned some information above as to the reason why he's staying drowsy so long, I guess this treatment he is taking makes meds stay in your system longer than the average person. Were going to try taking sleeping aide earlier than he has been but do you have any home remedy suggestions?
Thanks:)
Thanks:)
Hi there information above is really good. I just wanted to say that I have cirrhosis, I am over 3 months post tx with Incivek and I have been UND. The tx was pretty difficult but I am happy that I did it. I now feel better than I have in many years
Good luck
Dee
Good luck
Dee
He should check with his doctor about any meds he takes while doing treatment, due to drug reactions as well as whether they're healthy for his liver.
Ribavirin, one of the meds with his treatment, can keep people awake at night. He should change his second dosage to earlier in the day, for example first dose with breakfast, the second with lunch rather than dinner.
When I was diagnosed with cirrhosis, l had few symptoms too.
Sometimes, people with cirrhosis have odd sleeping patterns.
The healthiest way food for him would be as organic and fresh as possible. Stay away from processed foods. Limit his salt intake and avoid red meat.
No alcohol goes without saying.
Be sure during tx that he drinks lots and lots of water.
I'd encourage you to look at the pegasys web site and read the side effects, particularly the mental ones.
His drowsiness and moodiness could be related to interferon. Try to encourage him to get some exercise daily, take walks with him.
Good luck.
Ribavirin, one of the meds with his treatment, can keep people awake at night. He should change his second dosage to earlier in the day, for example first dose with breakfast, the second with lunch rather than dinner.
When I was diagnosed with cirrhosis, l had few symptoms too.
Sometimes, people with cirrhosis have odd sleeping patterns.
The healthiest way food for him would be as organic and fresh as possible. Stay away from processed foods. Limit his salt intake and avoid red meat.
No alcohol goes without saying.
Be sure during tx that he drinks lots and lots of water.
I'd encourage you to look at the pegasys web site and read the side effects, particularly the mental ones.
His drowsiness and moodiness could be related to interferon. Try to encourage him to get some exercise daily, take walks with him.
Good luck.
Thanks so much for your support. Do you have any tips on healthy recipes and also have any remedies to help him sleep at night? Right now he's taking a sleeping aide but i'm not so sure its that good on his liver and it also makes him drowsy all day which then makes him moody.
Hi.
I am glad he is getting good care from a transplant center.Good news that the lesion is not cancerous so he can move forward with treating his hepatitis C. Treating his hepatitis C now, will give him the best chance of treatment success and stop the progression of his liver disease.
You didn't offend anyone. We were just trying to get more inform in order to give you advice that is appropriate to your boyfriend's situation. The more information we have the better we are able to answer a poster's questions.
The best source of information is always the treating doctor. Unfortunately is is not always easy to communicate with the doctor about all the questions we have so this forum allow folks to share there experience and knowledge with others so we can all learn from each other more about hepatitis C and liver disease.
Best of luck to you and your boyfriend.
Glad he's is getting the medical care he needs.
Hector
I am glad he is getting good care from a transplant center.Good news that the lesion is not cancerous so he can move forward with treating his hepatitis C. Treating his hepatitis C now, will give him the best chance of treatment success and stop the progression of his liver disease.
You didn't offend anyone. We were just trying to get more inform in order to give you advice that is appropriate to your boyfriend's situation. The more information we have the better we are able to answer a poster's questions.
The best source of information is always the treating doctor. Unfortunately is is not always easy to communicate with the doctor about all the questions we have so this forum allow folks to share there experience and knowledge with others so we can all learn from each other more about hepatitis C and liver disease.
Best of luck to you and your boyfriend.
Glad he's is getting the medical care he needs.
Hector
They said he would be considered a stage 4 for cirrhosis. He's already started the pegasys/ribervin combo treatment, just started last saturday. He goes to a good doctor, on the liver transport team. His doctor said he doesn't go by stages of liver disease most of time, just goes by how well the patient looks and is doing.
My boyfriend is in good shape, actually didn't even know he had hep c or cirrhosis until a year ago when he went in for umbelical hernia surgery. The doctor found alot of flood on his abdomen so he suspected he may have cirrhosis. He then referred him to a liver transplant specialist out of town and thats when we found out that he also had hep c.
Were just now getting to start the treatment due to a small nodule on his liver that the doctor was watching to make sure wasn't cancerous, we just got the news last week that it was ok to go ahead and start treatment. I didn't mean to offend anyone, I'm just nervous/scared about all of this.
Thank you all,
God Bless
My boyfriend is in good shape, actually didn't even know he had hep c or cirrhosis until a year ago when he went in for umbelical hernia surgery. The doctor found alot of flood on his abdomen so he suspected he may have cirrhosis. He then referred him to a liver transplant specialist out of town and thats when we found out that he also had hep c.
Were just now getting to start the treatment due to a small nodule on his liver that the doctor was watching to make sure wasn't cancerous, we just got the news last week that it was ok to go ahead and start treatment. I didn't mean to offend anyone, I'm just nervous/scared about all of this.
Thank you all,
God Bless
Your question, 'has anyone with cirrhosis been successfully treated for hepatitis C?' is a very general question. Yes, people with cirrhosis have been cured of hepatitis C. But because some people have been cured doesn't mean that your boyfriend will or will not be cured by treatment. Patients without cirrhosis are also cured, but not everyone is cured. a percentage of patients can be cured but there are no guarantees for anyone. There are many factors that effect the chances of a person being cured. HCV genotype, previous response to treatment, degree of fibrosis or cirrhosis, etc. But in the end the only way for each person to find out if they can be cured, is to try treatment and see how they respond.
Cirrhosis is not one thing. There are 3 separate degrees of cirrhosis. Even within these 3 degrees there are variations. So the chances of treatment success depends on how damaged the liver is. The less damaged, the greater the chance of success.
For patients with cirrhosis, it will be important to determine if they are compensated (Child class A) or decompensated (Child class B or C). Patients with compensated cirrhosis can be treated with interferon-based therapy if they show no evidence of hepatic decompensation (hepatic encephalopathy or ascites), but will require close monitoring. Hepatitis C therapy carries greater risk of severe adverse effects in those patients who have cirrhosis.
In the end, each person responds to hepatitis treatment differently. No one can say how each person will respond. There are too many known and unknown factors involved.
As someone else mentioned, your boyfriend should treat sooner than later as his disease will only get worse with time.
In order for your boyfriend to have the best chance of successfully treating his hepatitis C while he has cirrhosis, he should seek the best medical care possible. He should get a referral from his primary doctor to see a hepatologist at the nearest liver transplant center. Only a hepatologist is experienced in working on a daily basis with patients with cirrhosis and can do a full assessment of your boyfriend's condition and can recommend the best treatment for his particular condition. A hepatologist can also provide solutions to medical issues that could arise during treatment that other doctors are not knowledgeable and experienced in providing.
Good luck to both of you!
Hector
Cirrhosis is not one thing. There are 3 separate degrees of cirrhosis. Even within these 3 degrees there are variations. So the chances of treatment success depends on how damaged the liver is. The less damaged, the greater the chance of success.
For patients with cirrhosis, it will be important to determine if they are compensated (Child class A) or decompensated (Child class B or C). Patients with compensated cirrhosis can be treated with interferon-based therapy if they show no evidence of hepatic decompensation (hepatic encephalopathy or ascites), but will require close monitoring. Hepatitis C therapy carries greater risk of severe adverse effects in those patients who have cirrhosis.
In the end, each person responds to hepatitis treatment differently. No one can say how each person will respond. There are too many known and unknown factors involved.
As someone else mentioned, your boyfriend should treat sooner than later as his disease will only get worse with time.
In order for your boyfriend to have the best chance of successfully treating his hepatitis C while he has cirrhosis, he should seek the best medical care possible. He should get a referral from his primary doctor to see a hepatologist at the nearest liver transplant center. Only a hepatologist is experienced in working on a daily basis with patients with cirrhosis and can do a full assessment of your boyfriend's condition and can recommend the best treatment for his particular condition. A hepatologist can also provide solutions to medical issues that could arise during treatment that other doctors are not knowledgeable and experienced in providing.
Good luck to both of you!
Hector
I want to second frijole's comment.
Anyone with compensated cirrhosis should not wait to do treatment.
With decompensated cirrhosis, treatment is much more difficult and even if successful, the patient may still need a transplant.
Anyone with compensated cirrhosis should not wait to do treatment.
With decompensated cirrhosis, treatment is much more difficult and even if successful, the patient may still need a transplant.
FYI, my very recent biospy showed a 3/4 stage fibirosis . I started thriple 6-1-12. In my meeting with my docs they assured me if I was to complete treatment and become SUV, that my damaged liver would last me the rest of my life.
I have compensated cirrhosis too. What you are asking is a valid question -- with successful treatment is cirrhosis reversable. You will get varied answers from doctors. I think mosly it pertains to the severity of the cirrhosis. Decompensated cirrhosis is a lot harder to come back from. The liver is able to regenerate itself but not once it gets beyond a certain stage. Do you know much about your boyfriend's cirrhosis?
frijole
frijole
I think there will be more of us that complete triple therapy within the next 6 months and have more answers to this mega critical question you pose. I myself failed Interferon, and Interferon/Ribo, i.e., I had just below a 2 log decrease in HCV over the previous decades and now have cirrhosis. I had an early decrease in viral load and complete undetectability within 3 weeks of beginning Incivek/Interferon/Ribo though. I continued to be undetectable through my last (24 weeks PCR) and will complete my 48 weeks the 3rd week of July. For today it is looking good and I'm glad I made the bet. I'd be lying if I didn't admit I'm mighty nervous though: SVR is in my cosmology for the first time many anxious years......Good luck to us all! d
Thank you for the reply. That's WONDERFUL to hear...congrats!
There have been several of us here that have cleared, I'm a geno1 with cirrhosis that is now cured......... Best to you both.
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