Type2

[Doofus_jones]

Hi People

I have just been diagnosed with HepC type 2b today. I have stage 3 fribrosis and a viral load of 1.3 mill. Problem is I'm 63 years old. I think this has been hanging around from a very brief period of fooling with drugs in the early 70s. Anyone here know anyone my age who has come through a 24 week interferon and ribavirin course OK.? I thought I read somewhere Drs wouldn't give interferon to anyone over 60?

Best wishes to you all

Doofus

[coraggio]

Good Luck with treatment Pete.  I think you made the right decision to treat now and hope your doctor will prescribe the ribavirin dosage according to your weight instead of a standard 800 mg.

[Doofus_jones]

Pooh

I don't think I thanked you for your very thorough reply. It was very helpful. I have since had the IL28B test and I am awaiting the results.

best wishes

Pete

[Doofus_jones]

Did you have symptoms before you embarked on treatment - that is to say were you feeling ill?  I'm not, in fact people keep telling me how well I look!

The only way I can liken this is sort of hairline fractures on an airplane that superficially looks fine. I can't imagine myself saying I feel much better after 24 weeks of treatment coz I feel fine anyway. I suppose if I hit myself on the head with a hammer it will feel nice when I stop.

Anyway will start treatment next friday.

best wishes to you. I glad you are well and I hope this works for me too.

Pete

[mykids247]

I am 60 years old and finished 24 weeks of peg and riba in march.....6 months end of treatment CURED. I am g 2. It wasnt easy but worth every bit............  

[Doofus_jones]

Thanks so much for this explanation. I'm off this morning for my IL28B.

Pete

[desrt]

Glad you found a lab.

The gene combo which seems to be the best to carry on this particular test is CC. CT is next most receptive and TT the least. There are other spots on the IL28B gene that seem to have some bearing on response, but this is the only test commercially available at the time.
But the most important thing in response guided therapy is getting those early viral load tests, especially the one at 4 weeks. Even someone with the TT gene combo has a better than 70% chance of a sustained response if they show undetected at 4 weeks - RVR (rapid virological response).
You are very kind to say that I "seem to be very well informed". I'm just a little obsessive on this particular topic ;-).
For years, one of HCV patients primary complaints was that doctors were giving us 'one-size-fits-all', 'cookie cutter' style treatments. Now that we are starting to get the tools to do response guided tx, I think we should use them.

Best,
d