New Fibroscan

[mhudnall]

I just got back from LA where I had my second fibroscan. Both were done by HR. The first scan, done six months ago, showed an average of 11.5 kpascal for a high F3 fibrosis staging. A week later I started doing HepTech products. Six months later, today's fibroscan showed an average of 8.7 kpascal for a F2-F3 staging. Pretty decent drop in six months.

I am geno 1a, infected 35 years ago. Six years ago a biopsy also showed high F3, followed by a failed course of SOC. After failed tx I had a VL of 7 million, high enzymes, chronic fatigue and a destroyed immune system. Now I have great energy, low VL and normal enzymes and decreasing fibrosis. I am very happy that my way is clear: keep doing the same things and look for more reduction of fibrosis.

My protocol is 4.5 mg low dose naltrexone, Zhang herbs and HepTech products. Based on my readings, I will not change my protocol and will re-scan in another six months. At that time I hope to see another drop in fibrosis

Next week I will also do labs to check enzymes and viral load. My last labs showed a VL of 58 thousand and normal enzymes. I am hoping for close to the same results this time. I will post the lab results when I get them.

Not a cure, but I believe I am turning back the clock on my liver's lifeline. Severe side effects derailed my first tx attempts after 12 weeks. Accordingly I believe that another course of tx would have the same results. So I, like many hep c patients, needed an alternative strategy to forestall what looked like the inevitable. I'm happy to be making progress and, at the same time, to have great quality of life.

[fretboard]

Good to hear that you've found a program that is helping you whether it's drugs or supplements it doesn't really matter if it works for you then that's great and definitely worth talking about.  That said I have a question for you.  How do you know that it's not just the low dose naltrexone that's helping you and the supplements you're taking are not doing anything at all?  I'm curious because I had taken naltrexone years ago and I know it helps with other health issues as well and is considered a cure-all type drug by some ppl for various reasons.  Mainly b/c it's used for a large spectrum of health issues which have no relation to each other.  I was also part of this forum when HR used to visit and share his wealth of information in the supplement world and it was much appreciated and part of what made this forum what it is today.  I appreciate any and all responses.      

[Bali05]

Hi Stefano,
that`s good to know. I am actually a resident of Italy which allows me to access
the healthcare system.

Ciao Bello !

[stef2011]

in italian forum i read about many people that tried telaprevir+peg+riba who got hcv und...but i am no expert on this, i just read it while searching for lambda interferon here

[stef2011]

sorry trinity, you must know other healthcare systems to judge, in europe everything is totally free from drugs to blood checks whenever you like to ultrasound and fibroscans at least italy/france/spain
as concerns hbv us, canada and uk are a century older than china not europe, even blood test for hbv quantification are old and useless, at least for those with hbv is same level as africa
i wish you can get protease inibitors, in italy both lambda and protease inibitors are available free at the research centers.
the only bad thing is US is very advanced with selling drugs and studying new drugs for business but the rest is a disaster

i ended in your community because looking for interferon lambda sources, producer has made it available for hcv only so even in italy it is available for hcv only and not on market for off label use.

[Trinity4]

" you should push your helthcare for updated labs/machines"

I'd much rather push our healthcare and the FDA to release the protease inhibitors that help cure hepatitis C than to install fibroscan machines on every corner.  You know stefano, I'm glad you have fibroscan machines over there in Italy and you find them more useful and accurate than biopsy.  However, I'm very happy with the way our healthcare system takes care of me and there are millions of other people over here in the good old USA that feel the same way.  

I'm a late stage 3 and having my second biopsy in November.  I also have PCT so I'm one of those that needs biopsy.  I choose biopsy and so does my hepatologist.  
You choose fibroscan and we're both comfortable with our decison.  That's the way it works.

Trinity

[stef2011]

of coruse ultrasound confirmed fibroscan 100% with micornodular cirrhosis with nodules <3mm and one focal liver lesion 6mm
in july fibroscan 13.9kpa, cirrhosis from micronodular to macronodular, liver lesion 6mm disappered
october fibroscan 9kpa, very fast ultrasound no regenerating nodules anymore but full accurate ultrasound will be done in december (they use ultrasound that detects 1mm nodules) to see if also liver structure and all regenerating nodules are back to normal

i am followed by an international research center (brunetto pisa), they study hbv not hcv, they use biopsy to measure hbv virus antigens not for fibrosis

antiviral entecavir can only do 3,4kpa by 12months and cirrhosis regression by 3 years according to trials, every liver can have different regeneration capability but antioxidants helped for sure in my case, regenration was too fast