My hepatologist told me I could take ibuprofen... 400mg every 6 hours, which works very well on the pain and doesn't add to the brain fog at all. I know most write that their docs said to take Tylenol, but I was very glad that mine didn't because Tylenol doesn't even touch regular headaches for me, and it is a proven fact that pain really increases the effects of stress on the body, which lowers the immune response. Totally counterproductive considering the battle we are in here.
Hi I was told I had hep c a couple years ago ,but not in treatment. I was wondering if anyone had heard about the treatment below..>
Texas scientists have discovered how the hepatitis C virus can disarm the body's defenses, allowing it to become a permanent occupant inside cells.
Laboratory experiments published online Thursday in the journal ScienceExpress also suggested that drugs already being tested in patients could restore the crippled immune response, allowing a cell to rid itself of the virus within days.
The discovery offers a blueprint for new treatments of the deadly infection.
Hepatitis C, most commonly spread through contaminated blood or IV drug use, often
leadsLead poisoning to a persistent, chronic infection. It is the leading cause of liver transplants in the United States. Current drugs, which must be taken for months and come with sometimes brutal side effects, under the best circumstances cure only about half the people who try them. An estimated 3.9 million Americans have been infected.
"There's a desperate need for new, more effectiveEffective strength cough syrup drugs to fight hepatitis C," said Michael Gale, a researcher with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Gale and colleagues from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston conducted the new experiments.
The research team
discovered that the hepatitis C virus drops a kind of precision bomb once it invades a cell, releasing an enzyme that disables a molecule called interferonInterferon alfa-2a
Interferon alfa-2b
Interferon alfa-2b-ribavirin
Interferon alfa-n3
Interferon alfacon-1
Interferon beta-1a
Interferon beta-1b
Interferon gamma-1b regulatory factorFactor ix complex 3, or IRF-3. Without IRF-3, the cell's immune response stalls. With the immune system no longer around to restrain it, hepatitis C gains free reign of the cell, making copies of itself and moving on to infect other cells.
But the UT Southwestern scientists were able to restore IRF-3 by exposing the cells to drugs called protease inhibitorsAlpha-glucosidase inhibitors. Once the cell was awash in protease inhibitorsAlpha-glucosidase inhibitors, the hepatitis C virus was unable to take over. The cell's immune system resurrected, and the virus vanished.
"This is, I think, the weak link in the virus's ability to persist," Gale said.
A second paper published with Gale's study explain more about how IRF-3 and it team of molecules protect cells. "This is a mechanism that is actually used by many viruses," said John Hiscott of McGill University in Montreal. The fact that protease inhibitors restored IRF-3, he said, has implications for many viral infections beyond hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C experts, meanwhile, were pleased to have a new avenue to pursue.
"We found something else that may give us a handle on getting rid of this virus," said Leslye Johnson, who heads research into liver infections at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
..........I use loritab for pain. its bad i know .
I'm just going into my tenth week. Things are getting a little easier,thanks!
The link for Dr Cecil is below. What week of tx are you in to Tosser? I ached ALOT at first but it has pretty much gone by the 7 -8th week. The sides you had Hollismom sounded horrific! Hope Dr Cecil can help you, he does answer his email Ive been told so maybe you should give him a quick note & see.
http://www.hepatitisdoctor.com/
My drs have told me Advil, Ibuprofen, Tylenol/acetaminophen, Aleve are all okay in moderation...but not Aspirin. It can cause bleeding to be harder to control, more likey to bruise easily, etc and we already tend to have lower platelets, more bruising, and take longer to heal while on tx.
Hope ya all are doin okay this fine Holiday Weekend. Im laying low AS USUAL!! To me everyday's a holiday hahahhaha! (((Hugs))) OHC67 aka Auggie/Augs
Tosser, I see a Hematologist/Oncologist for my Procrit and Neupogen as my Ins Co won't let any other type of doc prescribe them. He warned me, and I have read in many other places, that aspirin can interfere with platelet production, esp combined with interferon and ribavirin. Please make sure your platelets are good and that your Hep specialist is aware you are taking it. Tyelenol does nothing for me, so with my doc's advise I take ibuprofen, not to exceed 1200 mg in a day (I weigh 120#)
Hollismom, It certainly sounds like tx threw everything it had at you in short order. Dr Ben Cecil has a protocol where he starts the meds more slowly in some patients, gradually increasing dosing to full levels. Perhaps that is something you might want to look into as the first 8 weeks of tx is usually the worst. I don't have the address, but several folks here are in touch with him. Take care.
Oops...Sorry... it didn't let me enclose the link. I must have broken some rule, but I'll try again. If it doesn't post again and anyone is still interested...E-mail me at ***@****
www.healthtalk.com/hepc/toc/treating/
When I first got on tx a couple of years ago acourse I'm off now but, the pain is still here. I have several health problem.So My Doctor and myself did some checking. Some of what we come up with was for really bad pain methadone works good. Alot of people think methadone is for people coming off drugs. It's really good to use for pain. Also
vicoprofen is also good ,7.5 of H-codone and Ibuprofen 200 mg.We don't like to take any thing but at times we have to.
Thanks Mike, I really appreciate the input, and I hope you and others are doing well today.
I want to post a link to help new patients make decisions about treatment and questions they need to ask their GI.
Tim in Tenn., you might want to grab some info from this site, if you haven't already, since you are getting ready to go to your meeting to discuss treatment. Hope this will help. Good luck and stay strong.
Tosser
<http://www.healthtalk.com/hepc/toc/treating/>
Im hoping you get through the treatment..It is miserable at best,but when your on top can feel wonderful My Ace In the Hole for pain seems to be ACTIQ, a narcotic, rasberry cream sucker that you disolve in the mouth. (Tastes good, too!) This saved me from a lot of pain. It takes away that damnfounded liver pain, allows me to lie down and rest. Galen asked me yesterday what my symptoms were that the Dr. denied treatment for me as long as it includes anything with ribaviren-rebetrol,Pegesys-rebetrol,. My symptoms for quitting treatment were botn pulmonary function difficulty,coronary insuffiency,
migraine headaches at least six days a week, Neurontin made my feet get enormous and really hurt, I had cracks at the corners of my mouth, and inside on my mouth was covered with craters both
on the inside of my cheeks and on top and bottom of my tongue was covered with craters. My mouth got stuck shut once (closed position)I was scared to death. I recovered several hours later
not much worse for wear. I had brain fog, would sleep about 18
hours a day. I was quite depressed, because I was mad at myself for my haaving to drop treatment. I don't have that outlook anylonger. I also had extremely large patches of rash on my back,lower legs. I scratched with a dry, clean loofa, and used Benedryl Gel for itch. I'd have my daugher or husband smear it on, and I was good. My treatment only lasted 5 weeks both of the last times I tried it.
I am a transplant recipient - June 2000. I was instructed to take tylenol but not to exceed 2 grams per day. That's 4 500 mg. tablets. I take the 375 mg. tablets just to be on the safe side. That's all I can tell you. Mike