STARTTING TREATMENT

[HUNTER657]

STARTTING TREATMENT MONDAY AT NIH 2 SHOT A WEEK FOR 4 WEEKS PEGASYS AND RIBAVIRIN THEN TO 1 SHOT AND RIBAVIRIN FOR UNTIL 48 WEEK. WHAT CAN I EXPECT AT START?

[ladybug52]

Congratulations! Hope your sides are nonexistent and soon, so is the virus!
Bug

[illo]

Elaine's reply:

Okay, thank you I have it written down. I did not know one could take
these during tx. And the Milk thistle helps repair a damaged liver?

Milk thistle seed, not the pills right? (I purchased the pills after he tx last time)
illo, so if one was to stop tx, he could take this everyday 2 times a day
and it will repair liver damage?

Thank you and good luck to you! Sound as though you have had a hard time.

__________________
Hi Elaine,  

Why do you want to stop tx?  Bad sides, not working?

I do both the teas and the pills.
400mg 3 x's a day on an empty stomach for the Milk Thistle.
Again, take it with Phosphatidylcholine.  I hear people do better with the teas in addition to the pills.  There is also Oxymatrine.  It's showing good results with liver repair in China.  They do IV's there, but you can get the pills here.  I wouldn't take it with tx, as no one knows what the combintation would do.
http://www.hepcsolutions.com/Matrine_Oxymatrine.htm
Buy oxymatrine: https://www.hepatitiscfree.com/appieshop/index.cgi?mhhepatiSTORE:CKIE:prodOxymatrine+DW9KWC6EYD
Milk Thistle SEed:  https://www.hepatitiscfree.com/appieshop/index.cgi?mhhepatiSTORE:CKIE:prodMilk2+DW9KWC6EYD

Reishi boosts your own interferon and Licorice is antiviral.  Take these ONLY if you aren't doing the tx, since one is injecting interferon and taking Riba, which is an antiviral.  And you must monitor yourself, because licorice can cause high blood pressure as well as leech potassium.  And licorice you should only take 5 days a week with 2 days off.  It's a pretty strong herb.  These are easy things to monitor with bloodwork and a sphygmometer.

I've been thru a lot. Now I'm hoping that the tx will take care of the HCV all together.  At least the sides, so far, are minimal.  I pray they stay that way, but one never knows with this tx.

I'm glad there are warriors on this list who have gone before to help.

[illo]

I don't know if you've heard of Dr Zhang.  He is a chinese MD in NYC and has some supplements he prescribes that he says will help with sides during interferon.  They are Circulation P, MVM liver Formula (which is a multi vitamin geared for heppers,  and Hepa F No 2.  I'm also taking a little extra Schizandra even though it's in the Hepa F # 2.    http://www.dr-zhang.com/

I take a glandular that contains Pancreas, Adrenals, Thymus and Spleen.
I take Super Thistle which contains Phosphatidylcholine.  This has shown excellent results for HCV.  If you can't find the Milk thistle with the Phosphatidylcholine, you can always buy it separate and take it.  It's a form of Lecithin and is safe.  They've discoved that Milk Thistle works better with it.

And because my platelets are low, I'm taking herbs to raise them.  I took them before interferon, and my stats went from 80 to 129.  When I stopped they went back to 80.  So I'm taking them again.  I checked and they won't do harm in combo with the tx.  I hope my platelets will get back up there.  I don't know with the tx, it's so very strong.

I'm having all of my hormones closely monitored by my naturopath.

I'm taking as much vitamin C as I can tolerate, about 6 grams a day now.  

I am also watching my ph by making sure my water is around 6.5 or 7.0 and eating
alkalizing foods and drinks as much as possible.

I am rebounding to keep my lymph glands from gettig backed up.  I've found that because they have 'one way valves', the only way to clean them is to bounce.  This also helps with acities, which I have a little of.  So far, so good, even though it's an effort.

I have no idea what will happen.  The doc seems to think it will take longer for me because I am already cirrhotic and my viral load is a bit high. I also showed 'eqivocal' for Auto immune hep, meaning that I might have it. If I have this,  I'd have to stop tx if the blood work doesn't show all around improvement with the liver enzymes.  If I'm successful with the tx, I may have to go the full 48 weeks even though I'm a 2b.  I sure hope it works for me, and everyone else on this list.

True warriors, all!

[illo]

Sorry, I didn't notice your signature, so I sent the post to Hunter.
I wanted to include that I am also making milk thistle & dandelion infusions.
Teas I make with the natural herbs.  I take 1/2 cup of milk thistle seed and 1/2 cup of dandelion root and boil each in 2 qts of water.  Then I drink 2 cups of each a day, if I can.  The dandelion root is a liver & blood purifier and the milk thistle helps repair the liver.  They won't affect the tx.  They will help, if anything.

I sometimes wonder if the extreme reactions are the Herxheimer effect.  So many toxins in the body that there is an extreme die-off and the body can't handle the toxicity.  The flu-like sypmtoms are the same for the Herxheimer effect.  When people do natural detox protocols, this is closely monitored to keep the sides low.

Thinking out loud.  Just a theory.

[illo]

Good going!  It's a scary thing to take that first step and put that stuff into your body.  Takes a lot of courage.

[HUNTER657]

i thought id have a tough time with it since i dont like needles but in i went with it and im on my way
a little headeach but i arrived with it and i think its from a restless night
thanks for the support and info

[madbrad]

You can expect sx to get worse as your loading progresses until you go anemic.IE; sleeplessness,anxiety,rage,short tempered...Then when your fully loaded then everything tastes like watery metal..And you have a constant smell of chemical in your nostrils.

[illo]

Hi Hunter,

I just started Fri PM.  I was up most of the night (tylenol didn't help), but took 6 Ornithine capsules (a simple, safe, liver loving amino acid) and I went right to sleep.  Started the Riba Sat AM.  That one made me extremely tired.  Today, too.  A little headachy, but not horrible.  I can still do my walk and bouncing.  I was very worried I'd be laid out on my back, but I'm OK.  Not great, but OK.  I can deal with what I've got, thank God.  I don't know what the future will bring, but I hope I'll be OK.  I've got a low thyroid, which I am nervous about.

One never knows with this drug, you just have to try it.  My PA told me she had one patient that couldn't get out of bed for 2 weeks, and was undetectable right after that.

I just want you to know that I'm taking a lot of natural stuff while doing this, which I cleared with my doc beforehand. I don't know if it is helping, but my head thinks so, so that's good enough for me.

I hope you reach SVR!!!!!!!
Go get 'em!