Aa
Just diagnosed, seeking treatment
I just stumbled across this board and have spent hours reading but it just seems to add to the confusion. My husband was diagnosed with Hep C, Type 3. We are in the process of trying to get treatment but now so many questions have come up that I am beginning to be completely overwhelmed. Originally we were prescribed Pegasys and 800mg ribavirin daily but our copay was like 600.00 per month. After discussing this with the nurse today I was told that he could probalbly take Peg-Intron instead. I kind of feel as if I am settling for less? Is one better than the other? Does one have less side effects? Can anyone shed any light on any of this in laymens terms for me? I am wondering if perhaps we are not seeing the right dr. or one who has enough information because so much of what seems to have been discussed on theboards has never been revealed to us? We were just kind f told to start treatment come back in two weeks for tests and Dr. followup and we would go from there. I am sorry I am sounding like such an idiot but I am just beyone confused and overwhelmed. Also... should I be paying this $600.00 co-pay or should I continue to search for a better price or a program that might help? If you have any questions or need any info to be able to help, please ask away.... somehow I just need to get to the bottom of this and start the road to healing and recovery! Thank You so much for any input!
Can anyone tell me what a weight based dosage of ribavirin for a 195lb. person would be? I am slowly but surely following the links I have been given and it seems as if what he has been prescribed is way off. The prescription states Pegasys and the second prescription states Ribavirin 200MG Capsules twice daily. But from what I am reading it should be Copegus which only seems to come in 1,000mg or 1,200mgs? So setting the brand name aside this treatment would not follow the Ribavirin guidelines that Pegasys has established? Or am I just confusing myself even more?
treat it as aggressively as if he was a geno1.
ps I didn't mean insist he do 48 weeks or get carried away..............I just meant don't skimp and gt the extra riba for sure! I don't want to start getting hate mail that I'm telling people to double dose all their meds or do 72 weeks - I'm sure you understand what I meant but I thought I'd better clarify it!
ps I didn't mean insist he do 48 weeks or get carried away..............I just meant don't skimp and gt the extra riba for sure! I don't want to start getting hate mail that I'm telling people to double dose all their meds or do 72 weeks - I'm sure you understand what I meant but I thought I'd better clarify it!
You aren't "bothering' anybody here my new friend this is WHY we are still here! We were just as confused as you are in the very beginning. My God I drove these poor people CRAZY with my millions of questions. Seriously...just ask a lot of them remember when I came on :)
I treated for 72 weeks. I've been SVR for 17 months. In the beginning there was no real data out there about the fact that riba was of crucial importance, especially it is during the first 12 weeks. But believe me it's CRUCIAL to get the right amount.
A lot of doctors will say that geno 3 is one of the "lucky" genos. BS! There is NO lucky geno...just ask the person who has the disease how lucky they think they are? Lately as well we've seen that CERTAIN strains of geno3 are ESPECIALLY hard to kill and people have relapsed...more than the numbers would suggest should be possible.
Watching them retreat it seems that when they are more aggressive with the amount of ribavirin they just seem to succeed.
I'll see if I can get a message to a woman named Kalio. She is a geno 3 who can explain your hubs specific type to you better than me (who just got "lucky" enough to get two kinds of geno1 LOL). Just kidding.
If you go to google and type in "weight based ribavirin vs. manufacturer based" you should get a lot of information about geno1s (that is because mostly they ONLY run tests using geno 1 because it's the hardest to kill - they have to date totally been ignoring the other genos which sure isn't fair).
But take our advice - treat it as aggressively as if he was a geno1. Don't take any shortcuts even though it might be "easier" and with "less side effects" I mean you don't want to OD on the stuff but - just ask all the relapsers in here and they will tell you...if you only have to do this treatment ONCE just do it ONCE.
Now remember - ask away. 99% of the people in here are just the gold of the earth. They helped to save my life. Seriously.
Debby
I treated for 72 weeks. I've been SVR for 17 months. In the beginning there was no real data out there about the fact that riba was of crucial importance, especially it is during the first 12 weeks. But believe me it's CRUCIAL to get the right amount.
A lot of doctors will say that geno 3 is one of the "lucky" genos. BS! There is NO lucky geno...just ask the person who has the disease how lucky they think they are? Lately as well we've seen that CERTAIN strains of geno3 are ESPECIALLY hard to kill and people have relapsed...more than the numbers would suggest should be possible.
Watching them retreat it seems that when they are more aggressive with the amount of ribavirin they just seem to succeed.
I'll see if I can get a message to a woman named Kalio. She is a geno 3 who can explain your hubs specific type to you better than me (who just got "lucky" enough to get two kinds of geno1 LOL). Just kidding.
If you go to google and type in "weight based ribavirin vs. manufacturer based" you should get a lot of information about geno1s (that is because mostly they ONLY run tests using geno 1 because it's the hardest to kill - they have to date totally been ignoring the other genos which sure isn't fair).
But take our advice - treat it as aggressively as if he was a geno1. Don't take any shortcuts even though it might be "easier" and with "less side effects" I mean you don't want to OD on the stuff but - just ask all the relapsers in here and they will tell you...if you only have to do this treatment ONCE just do it ONCE.
Now remember - ask away. 99% of the people in here are just the gold of the earth. They helped to save my life. Seriously.
Debby
Speaking of absorption, by my guess you will have absorbed about 6,700 riba when you complete this tx. Unreal!
Agreed; we have them totally confused! (Sigh), I wish there was an easy way to explain all this... it's easy to forget we've had years to absorb this info :o).
Take care--
Bill
Take care--
Bill
Everyone has been so very helpful and I really do appreciate every last comment on here! This is all new to me and I know it will take time, but I suspect it will all eventually come together! Keep the comments coming you have been amazing!
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