Hep. C treatment

[genk]

Hello, I was diagnosed in type 1 hepatitis C, with a count of 1.7 million units in the blood and a little high ALT - 50 , I passed biopsy and the change of liver is minimal to moderate without signs of fibrosis, probably I have the virus over 20 years is USSR . All other tests labs was OK. Should I start considering drug therapy in spite that I had a history of Trombocitopenya very low to like 20 thousand platelets in the blood 20 years ago and since then I treated them they are almost within a norm , or maybe it is better case tracking and see how the virus level and liver enzymes?

[genk]

Thanks

[FlGuy]

For most people platelets will go back to pre-treatment levels.  It can take a couple of months as your body recovers from treatment and the drugs get flushed out.  My platelets now are a little bit higher than pre-treatment but I've been off for a few years now.

[genk]

And after the treatment of these drugs are platelets usually increase back to start level or it's depends ?

[FlGuy]

There are two new ones; Teleprivir and Boceprivir.  They are competing drugs.  In the U.S. they are expected to be approved for use this year.  When used each will be a third drug added to the existing ribavirin and peg-interferon - you are correct.  There are many. many threads on the subject of these drugs.  Many of the people here have taken these new meds in drug trials.

A decrease of platelets in treatment is not unusual.  When I did treatment platelets were about 110,000.  During treament went down to about 55,000.  Danger area for platelets is about 25,000.  You should be ok if you start treatment at 130,000.  It's also not unusual for patients to start low.

[genk]

Thank you for your response.
I treated the trombocities with Gamaglobulin for two days in Hospital and Pridneson for couple of months 20 years ago, and it's go up to 130000 now.
Which drugs do you mean will be available, here I think will be also available soon some additional "protease" it calls i think drug, but it an addition to current treatment not instead. The problem is that current treatment drugs might decrease platelets...

[FlGuy]

You comment about treating thromboytopenia is interesting.  How did you treat the condition?  Going from 20 thousand to almost normal is significant.

Without fibrosis there might not be a rush to treat the HCV at this time.  Newer drugs will be available soon but I would not know about the availability of these new drugs where you are.