Aa
decision to tx
Am I making the right to decision to treat? If I don't treat what happens? I am really scared.
My GT is 1A...and I am stage 2 grade 2 . I have to hepatologists one with the University of Miami the other locally here in SOuth FLorida.
The U of M doctor advised me NOT to tx and to wait for new drugs.
My local hep doc advised me to tx.
I treated 55 weeks and I felt this was the healthiest I would ever be is now. I am 54
and have no ailments or conditions at this time. Except tx has left me with SEVERE
knee and hand pain.
Im glad I treated..you really need to weigh things out and go with your gut feeling.
Wishing you health !!
Txing is NO picnic and was a long hard struggle being out of breath for almost a year wasnt fun.
I wanted to help my liver and if I had to do this again I would.
Charm
The U of M doctor advised me NOT to tx and to wait for new drugs.
My local hep doc advised me to tx.
I treated 55 weeks and I felt this was the healthiest I would ever be is now. I am 54
and have no ailments or conditions at this time. Except tx has left me with SEVERE
knee and hand pain.
Im glad I treated..you really need to weigh things out and go with your gut feeling.
Wishing you health !!
Txing is NO picnic and was a long hard struggle being out of breath for almost a year wasnt fun.
I wanted to help my liver and if I had to do this again I would.
Charm
Viral loads can fluctuate up and down over time and although there's a case to be made for treating when the load is low, you currently do not have a 'low' viral load. (Don't worry, viral load only seems significant for treating purposes and can be in the millions.)
It's a tough call whether to treat if you're a stage 2, G-1A. Put ten different patients and doctors in a room and it would be quite a party. You don't know if you'll progress rapidly to stage three. Some do, some don't.
Before I started treatment in May 2008, my doctor didn't want me to treat and I did. Now that I finished treating and did relatively well on it, I'm glad it's behind me.
If I had to decide now, though, knowing what I know today and given the changes on the ground concerning probable emerging protocols by 2011, I'd keep a close eye on things and wait.
It's a tough call whether to treat if you're a stage 2, G-1A. Put ten different patients and doctors in a room and it would be quite a party. You don't know if you'll progress rapidly to stage three. Some do, some don't.
Before I started treatment in May 2008, my doctor didn't want me to treat and I did. Now that I finished treating and did relatively well on it, I'm glad it's behind me.
If I had to decide now, though, knowing what I know today and given the changes on the ground concerning probable emerging protocols by 2011, I'd keep a close eye on things and wait.
What is your genotype? This would be an important factor in your decision.
If you have already set in motion a treatment plan with an experienced liver specialist, it's very common to second-guess your decision at the last moment and get a case of last minute nerves. Breathe deep and know that most of us have feared the first injection before taking it.
If you have not yet set a plan in motion, there are different viewpoints about starting now or waiting. As a stage two who decides to postpone and monitor, you can expect that the new study drugs will be approved within two years. Added to the current cocktail, the new drugs would shorten treatment time and increase your chance of success, although genotype threes may not benefit.
It's unpredictable how your liver will progress. I had HCV for over forty years and it didn't move on the map of fibrosis in all those years. It can speed up as we age but you are still very young, at fifty.
If you have migraines and achy joints, as well as a family history of lupus, you need to weigh your decision carefully, since treatment can exacerbate underlying conditions temporarily and sometimes permanently.
If I were a fifty year old woman with stage two, working full time, I would gamble on waiting for the new drugs. I'd especially want the shortest treatment time with the highest odds possible, if I had autoimmune disorders.
My own hepatologist would advise you to wait, given how promising the new drugs look.
What does your liver specialist recommend?
If you have already set in motion a treatment plan with an experienced liver specialist, it's very common to second-guess your decision at the last moment and get a case of last minute nerves. Breathe deep and know that most of us have feared the first injection before taking it.
If you have not yet set a plan in motion, there are different viewpoints about starting now or waiting. As a stage two who decides to postpone and monitor, you can expect that the new study drugs will be approved within two years. Added to the current cocktail, the new drugs would shorten treatment time and increase your chance of success, although genotype threes may not benefit.
It's unpredictable how your liver will progress. I had HCV for over forty years and it didn't move on the map of fibrosis in all those years. It can speed up as we age but you are still very young, at fifty.
If you have migraines and achy joints, as well as a family history of lupus, you need to weigh your decision carefully, since treatment can exacerbate underlying conditions temporarily and sometimes permanently.
If I were a fifty year old woman with stage two, working full time, I would gamble on waiting for the new drugs. I'd especially want the shortest treatment time with the highest odds possible, if I had autoimmune disorders.
My own hepatologist would advise you to wait, given how promising the new drugs look.
What does your liver specialist recommend?
I forgot to say that you have liver damage now and if you don't treat it's likely that the damage will progress.
The diagnosis doctor dance and beginning TX are absolutely terrifying. I swear it gets better. The side effect that scares everyone the most is the flu-like response to interferon. I NEVER had that and a number of others on the forum didn't either. I'd never call the whole business fun but it's interesting and it is bearable.
Right now you are at stage 2. You really don't want to get to stage 3, that increases the chances that you won't be as responsive to interferon (won't work as well on you as it should). Your VL was under a million at the last check. That's not low but it's on the lowish side. Low VL is another good indicator of response. If you don't clear by 12 weeks, you can stop and pick it up again when the newer drugs are released.
You see how supportive the forum folks can be. That won't stop. As long as you are on TX, you'll have someone to talk to, vent to. In my opinion you are in a good position to get started.
Right now you are at stage 2. You really don't want to get to stage 3, that increases the chances that you won't be as responsive to interferon (won't work as well on you as it should). Your VL was under a million at the last check. That's not low but it's on the lowish side. Low VL is another good indicator of response. If you don't clear by 12 weeks, you can stop and pick it up again when the newer drugs are released.
You see how supportive the forum folks can be. That won't stop. As long as you are on TX, you'll have someone to talk to, vent to. In my opinion you are in a good position to get started.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Hepatitis C Community
Learn about this treatable virus.
Getting tested for this viral infection.
3 key steps to getting on treatment.
4 steps to getting on therapy.
What you need to know about Hep C drugs.
How the drugs might affect you.
These tips may up your chances of a cure.
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
