Tx drugs

[rivll]

I felt unsure about wasting the forums time with my questions until I read the one asking us how to remove "Hep.C blood" from clothes and the one asking if one can get Hep.C from trying on clothes. If those questions are for real, I must be getting really mean and intolerant...
Okay, I am in the process of applying for Charity care in order to get a DR. and tx in S.F. In the meantime I am still using the county clinic for diagnostics like blood tests and ultrasound.
My more recent results show a minimal decrease in AST and ALT, slight improvement with Bilirubin and Albumin as well. I was encouraged till I got a call about a liver panel test that shows my alphafetoprotein is moderately high (thus, the ultrasound).
It is not yet definite that I have cirrhosis, though quite likely. Most importantly, I don't know if it is comp/ or decompensated cirrhosis, but I cannot help but obsess over various scenarios until I do know.
The main question is this, after reading so many posts of what folks are suffering from the tx drugs, it seems clear to me that the drugs are a definite stress on the liver. So if I have compensated cirrhosis w/o cancer (best case scenario) how likely are the tx drugs going to kill whatever s left of my liver before it kills the virus?
Thanks to you all and I want you to know that you inspire me with your brave fight.

[crossroadsec]

I'm also end stage cirrhosis. Drank a dozen glasses of wine in my life. Hep C silently destroyed my liver. This is an oxymoron: If there is a time for gen 1a to discover hep c, it's this year. I was declined tx initially. My internist sent me to the transplant hospital in Feb, MELD down to 6. Yep. I'm taking my 3rd shot of Interferon Friday. I'm so grateful to get the tx.
More good news: Dopplar sonography showed portal vein was moving that blood in the RIGHT direction. Big diff from last fall. The liver is amazing. And so is this site. I found it 2 days ago and have read almost nonstop. So many knowledgable and optimistic people on board here. Good luck! Hang in there. Karen

[screaming48]

So very glad to have this forum! Scared to death to treat but going to do it! I do appreciate  the wealth of knowledge here.

[Dee1956]

Thanks so much for all of your information.  Some days this site is the only thing that gives me hope and keeps me going.
I am going to the doc tomorrow to ask to start tx.  

[rivll]

Thank you so much for your gold mines of info. and positive support. It sometimes feels like the only thing that keeps me going.

[willing]

interferon is definitely a loose cannon and can have serious and unpredictable effects (eg trigger autoimmune hepatitis in addition to what one is already dealing with). However, though documented, extreme ifn sx are rare. Neither rbv nor the recently-approved PIs are associated with liver toxicity as far as I know.

Most pts on tx (but not all) tend to see a  drop in their enzymes, and even for those that fail tx a  common  post-tx assessment is an improvement in fibrosis. On tx, your liver will likely  get at least a temporary break from  HCV-triggered inflammation.

If cirrhosis is confirmed the hard choice is going to be to decide whether to risk triple or save the NS3/4A PI for quad. A 4w lead-in with soc will measure your ifn response before starting  the PI and give you a good estimate of your svr  odds with triple. Good luck!

[nygirl7]

R-

You can look to someone like an old time member Andiamo who treated 9 or 10 times - finally hit the jackpot with telapravir (I think he was stage 3/early 4).  He succeeded and just was retested a few years later and now he is only stage TWO.  Isn't that amazing and marvelous?

Try to look to the positive and ingore the questions that are either OCD or kids playing around with us.  it's not easy (I am hardly able to ever do it it makes me mad too and I've been off treatment for five years or so).

It's just a part of the internet..........you gotta take the good with the fruity ;)

deb

[coeric]

I am also experiencing compensated cirrhosis and am going to try to treat in the near future. There is a small risk that we will decompensate during treatment. I do not know the percentages that decompensate.  During the recent trials for telaprevir about 200 cirrhotics  were treated with triple therapy and none of cirrhotics died during treatment. Hopefully we will be followed closely so if it appears we are going south the docs will stop treatment.  I wonder what the signs will be? Perhaps alt and bilirubin will increase. Hopefully someone knowledgeable will chime in. Great question.

[rivll]

As far as I know, we don't have a history of autoimmune problems, I am not sure how it presents itself though. My mother died at a rather young age of cancer, and apart from diabetes,that is the only hx familial health history I am aware of. Except for Hep.C, I have been fairly healthy.
Thanks

[desrt]

Do you or anyone in your family have a history of autoimmune problems?

[researchmonkey326]

Looks like one of those days when bathroom hep and money hep and wire hep are getting the attention. Heres a bump to the top again

[sandysf]

Rivil,

I am sure the pros in this forum will be able to give you a wealth of knowledge.  We wish you the best and sympathize with your fears.  Get all the info you can and go from there.   We are thinking of you.

Sandra

[screaming48]

Thanks for asking that question, I am also wondering how much more damage the drugs do to the liver, seems like I dont want to make it worse but know I do want to be well. Think its a catch 22. Hope someone else pipes in with their thoughts on this.
Oh yeah, I also wonder about the posts that want to know if they get hep c from clothes and the like...:) anne

[researchmonkey326]

There are very well informed members of the forum that can help answer your questions.  I can offer some encouragement and also say that you are not wasting anyone's time with your questions.  This will move your question up to the top again and ahead of some the older comments.  Good luck.