To all Peg-Intron Users....

[booocooo]

hello :)

I met with another doctor today for a "second" opinion on tx.  He uses Pegasys and my GI doctor (whom I love) uses peg-intron.  My question for all peg-intron users is how bad have your sx been?  The doctor I saw today said pegasys seems to have less sx, but of course not all people react the same way.  I love my GI doctor and want to treat with him, but am I making a mistake by going Peg-Intron?  Thanks for your input.

My stats:  26 years old, really healthy, active female, geno 3a, VL 949,000.  No biopsy done

Thanks!

[booocooo]

Thank you to all who posted....I really appreciate the info.  It looks like I might have to go pegasys anyway.  I just got a letter from insurance saying they won't approve peg-intron because I haven't tried pegasys???  UGGHHHH!!!

[FloridaMouse]

I did 48 weeks worth of PegIntron from May 19, 2006 until April 13, 2007.  I relapsed 5 months post.

I am now 16 weeks into a 72 week course of tx with Pegasys.

For me, the sides on the Pegasys have been a little less brutal... or at least seem to take a little longer ot surface.  

The one thing that has been worse for me with the Pegasys is the beating on my blood counts.  I didn't go through that the first time around.  However, I am also on Methotrexate and Humira which I was not on the first time around.

Mouse

[Forseegood]

from what i've read being on here, I agree with Flguy...most people say that pegysus is a little less rude...If I had your stats I'd go with the little less rude, but that's just me and what do I know....

[cruelworld]

the weight based peg intron might be better if youre heavy and the single dosage
pegasys might be better if you are little.
the numbers say they work about the same.

i think docs fall into two categories on this. docs who give pegasys do it because its easier on the patient. the other docs including mine think that the pegintron
is stronger and possibly better, even though there are no numbers to prove it.

[FlGuy]

What Terry says is correct, people are affected differently.  However, it's been my observation over time that more people believe that Pegasys is slightly less rude than PegIntron. But, nothing statistical.  Nothing like '4 out of 5 dentists agree that...' I've used both and found that Pegasys was quite a bit 'milder', even considering that I double dosed for a few weeks too. In the end, they both suck. I just think that ones sucks less.

[Terrylee8]

The people on the board who have done both are of mixed opinions, some say thet're the same and others say one is worse than the other.  I'm on week 47 of peg-intron and it's been a wild ride but doable.

[desrt]

Peg-Intron worked for me, geno3e starting vl 625,000. I did less than my 24 weeks and still got a sustained response. Worked 40 hour weeks and blood counts rarely got more than a point or so outside of normal range.