VX-950 Rash vs Ribo Rash

[macna]

Hi,
Those of yo who have been in the Vertex Trails. How do you tell the difference between the VX-950 Rash and a plain Ribo Rash.  I am on week three of treatment with all three (unblinded). I am some problems with a rash. Can some of you who have been treated and/or have knowledge of the difference between the rash please describe.

[Cfrog78]

I've been suffering with the Ribo rash since March of this year..2008, it went away...but now is back again. I've done a ton of research and for me I've found, that eating only Organic food works tremendously, of course just because it is organic, dosn't mean it's safe. You still need to be as careful as you can and read lables. I've been trying to find other's like me in the US, like some sort of a suport group, but I've had no luck. I have/had the Life-threating strain of the virus....and with each reaccurence, it get's harder and harder. I have an Anaphylaxic reaction, along with the virus attacking my nervious system. After a horrable long battle this winter with the Ribo rash, I was left with a weak liver and little to no white blood cell's. I spent sometime in a wheel-chair, and it was a good two months before i could walk normaly again. At certin points durring it's deteration of my body, I found myself with stroke like systems. I stay possitive, bucause it's the only thing I can do besides eating organic food, to get myself better. And I remain incredibly grateful just to be alive!

[macna]

the first week drop was from 30 million to 87 EACH. I will find out week two tomorrow and will post.

[dointime]

A dermatologist is a good place to start.  Riba and VX950 rashes usually respond to steroid creams and lotions.  This is important - stay completely out of the sun, slather yourself in 50+ sunscreen, wear sun-blocking materials, hats, etc.  The tx makes your skin photosensitive and any strong light can set off a really bad itch.

There's plenty threads on the forum about itching and good advice on general care if you search.

dointime.

[copyman]

I see, i forgot about the rollover group. that is great they did that for all those that got the placebo. how much did your VL drop from 30 million? and please post the results from the other PCR's as you get them. I'm very interested as i want to get into the next VX trial. Thanks and good luck

[macna]

Hi,
I am in the rollover from Prove 3. I was in the control group A which got placebo. Tx was stopped the first time after 5 weeks b/c I did not have a 10 log drop in first 4 weeks. That was back in June. I am on week three of the rollover study. My viral load was 30 million and it dropped after one week. I have not heard my week two results, I will today or tomorrow. They have also added the control groups from Prove 1 & 2 to my study. We are all unblinded.
Thanks macna

[copyman]

hope you feel better with the rash soon. i was wondering how you are in a vertex trial when they have not started yet. are you in another country outside the USA?

[mom213]

The major difference for me was the vertex rash was more of an anaphylactic reaction. I knew very soon I was getting treatment drug. I worked with my dermatologist and the rash, and the swelling went away in about two weeks. It was worth every bit of it. I started with viral load over 8 million and three weeks later UND and 14 weeks post study I remain UND. My liver enzymes are low normal for the first time in about 17 years. My dermatologist was very knowledgable about HEP C. He was extremely helpful. I hope this helps. Good Luck MOM213

[macna]

Thanks,
I have had a rash the doctors say was fungal. It started one week after I started treatment. They treated it as such and it worked, except I am still having some trouble between the cheeks of my you know where. In addition, I a having some red rash which is under the skin, sort of like red dots. It responses to cortisone cream. I am going to make it though tx no matter what. I have had Hep c over 25 years and my liver is grade 3/4. VX-950 is one of my last hopes.
Thanks,

Any suggestions?

[macna]

Thanks,
I have had a rash the doctors say was fungal. It started one week after I started treatment. They treated it as such and it worked, except I am still having some trouble between the cheeks of my you know where. In addition, I a having some red rash which is under the skin, sort of like red dots. It responses to cortisone cream. I am going to make it though tx no matter what. I have had Hep c over 25 years and my liver is grade 3/4. VX-950 is one of my last hopes.
Thanks,

Any suggestions?

[dointime]

There's been many debates on this forum about how to tell the difference and in my opinion none of them have been conclusive.  I had both kinds of rashes myself and I knew what they were because I never took VX950 and riba at the same time.  However, my symptoms did not match up with others who also knew what they had.

For you, all you can say is that the rash comes from a combo of all the drugs plus your particular skin and body type.  A more pertinent question might be how to control it so that you make it to the end of your tx.  Rashes like these tend to continue being troublesome so you need to put effort and research into learning how to cope and just hope that you are not in the minority for whom it gets really bad.

Good luck,
dointime    

  

[susan400]

It's more widespread over a larger skin area than the Riba rash and more blister like.  The Riba rash (for me) was more like having a really bad case of prickly heat, heat rash, although itchy.  The VX rash was more like a hivey, REALLY BAD sunburn like you can get w/blisters, that sort of rash.  It covered large patches of my arms legs and face for part of the time and my abdomen for a another part of the time.   It may be different in different people as far as their individual reaction to the drug and their skin type and things like that.

Susan