Aa
Newbie Julia here
Hello everyone! I just found your site - My husband was diagnosed with HCV in 1996- he's a FDNY paramedic and highly symptomatic, gone to Chronic and refuses any medication. He's been doing pretty well but his bone loss is getting worse, he's losing his teeth and he's only 48! Any suggestions on how to prevent that would be greatly appreciated! He eats well, of course no alcohol but periodic cigars (I know, I know!) I just wanted to say hey and thanks, I need the support!! Best
Julia
Julia
i really do not think you are getting acurate information AT ALL.....please try and locate another doctor near you, sorry, i've spent an hour and ahalf searching for stuff for you and my brain is just NOT CO-operating at all today....
i have been reshearching this extensively for a year and a half and i have NEVER EVER come across anything you are suggesting..(with the exception of rhumetoid arthritis effecting about 2%-5% i believe of those of us with hep c, meaning R factor in blood work is highly elevated ).i can only sumise the study you are looking at AND putting far too much stock in....is for very very very rare cases, if at all....THERE IS FAR TOO MUCH MIS-INFORMATION OUT THERE....DO NOT CAVE INTO THIS ****!!!!IT IS FEAR MONGLING!! initially from some B.S. i read i thought there was no hope and that i was going to die...i made funeral arrangements, updated my will for my daughter etc etc.....ALL ****!!!..i am now 1/3 of the way through treatment and have amazing odds at totsally completely clearing this....SO DOES YOUR HUSBAND....is this not important enough to you to further investigate? it sounds like you too are giving in and getting totally discouraged thinking that there is no hope...WHEN THAT IS JUST NOT THE CASE....so my recommendations to you are as follows...
1...get out the phone book, or search out a SPECIALIST...i STRESS that specialist part....most GPs know little or nothing about hep!
2..make an appointment and YOU GO even if your husband won't and YOU ask the questions....
3....keep checking in here and reading and asking questions also, hook your husband up with this site, after all..this is about him...
4...scroll down and read all the sucess stories...THERE ARE LOTS..ODDLES....far more people clear this than don't.....
good luck, and please find him a NEW DOCTOR CAUSE ANY DOCTOR THAT HAS THE TOTAL LACK OF INSIGHT AS TO SUGGEST THERE IS NO POINT TO TREAT THIS IS FULL OF IT...AND NEEDS TO RETIRE!!!
i have been reshearching this extensively for a year and a half and i have NEVER EVER come across anything you are suggesting..(with the exception of rhumetoid arthritis effecting about 2%-5% i believe of those of us with hep c, meaning R factor in blood work is highly elevated ).i can only sumise the study you are looking at AND putting far too much stock in....is for very very very rare cases, if at all....THERE IS FAR TOO MUCH MIS-INFORMATION OUT THERE....DO NOT CAVE INTO THIS ****!!!!IT IS FEAR MONGLING!! initially from some B.S. i read i thought there was no hope and that i was going to die...i made funeral arrangements, updated my will for my daughter etc etc.....ALL ****!!!..i am now 1/3 of the way through treatment and have amazing odds at totsally completely clearing this....SO DOES YOUR HUSBAND....is this not important enough to you to further investigate? it sounds like you too are giving in and getting totally discouraged thinking that there is no hope...WHEN THAT IS JUST NOT THE CASE....so my recommendations to you are as follows...
1...get out the phone book, or search out a SPECIALIST...i STRESS that specialist part....most GPs know little or nothing about hep!
2..make an appointment and YOU GO even if your husband won't and YOU ask the questions....
3....keep checking in here and reading and asking questions also, hook your husband up with this site, after all..this is about him...
4...scroll down and read all the sucess stories...THERE ARE LOTS..ODDLES....far more people clear this than don't.....
good luck, and please find him a NEW DOCTOR CAUSE ANY DOCTOR THAT HAS THE TOTAL LACK OF INSIGHT AS TO SUGGEST THERE IS NO POINT TO TREAT THIS IS FULL OF IT...AND NEEDS TO RETIRE!!!
Julia,
I briefly looked over the website that you mentioned. There is a lot of information there but I didn't see anything specifically connecting HCV and bone loss. Can you be more specific as to where I could find a study done on this subject?
Thanks,
TS
I briefly looked over the website that you mentioned. There is a lot of information there but I didn't see anything specifically connecting HCV and bone loss. Can you be more specific as to where I could find a study done on this subject?
Thanks,
TS
Oh man, the first thing I thoght of when I read this was: "And I thought the teeth were the only part of the body that was left unaffected by this thing!". Eeesh, it's always something!
It would appear that the study is talking about patients with ESLD, not just persons infected with hepC.
It MUST not be terribly prevalent amongst the hepC population in general, or there would be more attention and monitoring given to it.
Perhaps Erin (GI. PA) will offer an opinion.
My husband has had the virus 20+ years, far as I know has no bone loss and has great teeth.
Again, to me it sounds like the study is talking about terribly ill patients.
Good luck with the hubby---my husband was successfully treated and the virus eradicated.
It MUST not be terribly prevalent amongst the hepC population in general, or there would be more attention and monitoring given to it.
Perhaps Erin (GI. PA) will offer an opinion.
My husband has had the virus 20+ years, far as I know has no bone loss and has great teeth.
Again, to me it sounds like the study is talking about terribly ill patients.
Good luck with the hubby---my husband was successfully treated and the virus eradicated.
Sorry gang but:
Persons with HCV also have bone loss. And several comprehensive articles on this can be found by using the NATAP website search engine or trying the Lipodystrophy section on the site. At DDW researchers from the Mayo Clinic presented an oral talk about the prevalence of bone loss in HCV. Below is a description of their study. HCV therapy that cleared HCV viral load may reverse the bone loss issue because the problem may be due to the presence of virus. Persons coinfected with HIV and HCV face a potential double hit on bone loss. It is particularly important to consider improving diet, calcium supplementation, weight bearing exercise, and reducing cofactors that may increase risk for bone loss. The articles on the NATAP website discuss extensively all the potential cofactors which include smoking cigarettes, coritcosteroids (from PCP prophylaxis) and a number of others.
This study looked at 207 patients transplanted at the Mayo Clinic. Follow-up was for as long as 12 months. There were 68 patients with HCV; they were on average 54 years of age, 49% male. 11% were using calcium and 5% Vitamin D. A percentage of them were smokers. Before transplant 37% had osteopenia and 28% osteoporosis. After 12 months follow-up about the same percentage had osteoporosis. The fracture rate was 8.8% before transplant and 16% 12 months after transplant. 80% of the fractures were spinal. The authors concluded 66% of patients with End Stage Liver Disease related to HCV have osteopenic bone disease prior to liver transplant.
I know I checked this out a few years ago and it appears to be well documented.
Persons with HCV also have bone loss. And several comprehensive articles on this can be found by using the NATAP website search engine or trying the Lipodystrophy section on the site. At DDW researchers from the Mayo Clinic presented an oral talk about the prevalence of bone loss in HCV. Below is a description of their study. HCV therapy that cleared HCV viral load may reverse the bone loss issue because the problem may be due to the presence of virus. Persons coinfected with HIV and HCV face a potential double hit on bone loss. It is particularly important to consider improving diet, calcium supplementation, weight bearing exercise, and reducing cofactors that may increase risk for bone loss. The articles on the NATAP website discuss extensively all the potential cofactors which include smoking cigarettes, coritcosteroids (from PCP prophylaxis) and a number of others.
This study looked at 207 patients transplanted at the Mayo Clinic. Follow-up was for as long as 12 months. There were 68 patients with HCV; they were on average 54 years of age, 49% male. 11% were using calcium and 5% Vitamin D. A percentage of them were smokers. Before transplant 37% had osteopenia and 28% osteoporosis. After 12 months follow-up about the same percentage had osteoporosis. The fracture rate was 8.8% before transplant and 16% 12 months after transplant. 80% of the fractures were spinal. The authors concluded 66% of patients with End Stage Liver Disease related to HCV have osteopenic bone disease prior to liver transplant.
I know I checked this out a few years ago and it appears to be well documented.
I had and I repeat had Hep C. Finished treatment in May and passed my 6 month blood test just before X-Mas. I don't have any problems with my teeth. I will ask my Hep Doctor on my next visit about that but that is not until March. I was never told Hep c effects your teath.
It is very scary to look at all of the side effects of these drugs and decide to do it anyway but I for one am glad I did. You have to at least try!!!! One year of your life is worth the many years of wonder and possible liver damage if you don't. I was a 1b. I worked everyday through treatment. I had to cut my hours back somewhat but really, I still worked a lot. I was run down towards the end of the treatment but managed to get through most of it OK.
Hang in there. Try to get cured!!! It certainly can't hurt your liver to try.
Best
Andrea
It is very scary to look at all of the side effects of these drugs and decide to do it anyway but I for one am glad I did. You have to at least try!!!! One year of your life is worth the many years of wonder and possible liver damage if you don't. I was a 1b. I worked everyday through treatment. I had to cut my hours back somewhat but really, I still worked a lot. I was run down towards the end of the treatment but managed to get through most of it OK.
Hang in there. Try to get cured!!! It certainly can't hurt your liver to try.
Best
Andrea
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