hcv is cure or not?

[haseeb_123]

Today I received a medical report from hospital in which  I am  infected with hcv and my hcv score is 2.89.i am very worried.
My question is that hcv is curable or not?

[pooh55811]

Interferon has many side effects. Some people get a lot of side effects and some people do not get as many of them. Most people feel tired and sick, like they have the flu. Interferon can also affect the thinking and the brain and the memory, but that usually goes away after treatment ends.

When you take the injection, many people get fever and chills for a few hours or a day and some aches, especially headache, but that usually goes away within a few hours or a day.

The fatigue and no energy, the flu like symptoms, can last for the entire treatment.

In addition, many of us had muscle weakness and heaviness, some nausea, many aches and pains, depression, and many other symptoms.

Here is a list of symptoms ..... scroll towards the bottom for the list:

http://www.rxlist.com/rebif-side-effects-drug-center.htm

In addition, you should be having your blood checked for blood count abnormalities. Ribavirin can cause severe anemia so your hemoglobin needs to be monitored. Anemia will make you very tired and, if it is severe, the doctor may need to monitor it closely and give you Procrit or lower the Ribavirin dose.

The drugs can also cause a low Neutrophil count so you need to be monitored for that too. Also, platelets can be affected so they need to monitor the platelets too.

Here is a list of side effects from Ribavirin:

http://www.drugs.com/sfx/ribavirin-side-effects.html

Keep in mind, you won't get all of the side effects, but you will get some of them.
The side effects may change from day to day, or week to week. I know my side effects kept changing. I was always tired and had no energy, and some place always ached, but some side effects came and then went away and then came back and then went away again.  

I rested a lot. I was not working. I know I could not have worked even if I wanted to. The thing to keep in mind is that the treatment is limited. It will be over in 24 weeks total time. A person has to keep that in mind, that the treatment will end, and that you will hopefully be cured at the end of treatment. That is what kept me going and kept me on treatment. I knew it would end and I hopefully would be cured. Treatment did end and I was cured.

Wishing you the best.

[haseeb_123]

hi pooh,
doctor is giving me ribavirin with interferon.i am feeling ill and tired with interferon.my temperature is going to increase and my legs and hands are so hard that I amnot walking perfectly.
what is side effect of interferon course?

[pooh55811]

It is very important to ask your doctor about taking weight based Ribavirin along with the Interferon. You will have a much better chance for cure with the Ribavirin.

I am sorry you are feeling so ill with the Interferon. I did Interferon so i know it is not pleasant.

Here's wishing you cure.

[haseeb_123]

yesterday I took my second injection of interferon.i am feeling very badly.i am waiting for those time when I shall be cured.

[patra_]

pooh, sorry I misunderstood you.  Of course, that your statement about cure is correct.  Hope you were not offended.

haseeb, Good luck on your treatment.  You have received good advice here.

Let us know how you are doing.  

Blessings,

Pat

[pooh55811]

As I stated in my first post above:

"If you cannot get Sovaldi in Pakistan, then your only option for treating is to take the Interferon for 24 weeks. If you take the Interferon for 24 weeks, you should also take Ribavirin tablets with it for 24 weeks. That will give you the best chance for cure. The Ribavirin needs to be weight based, so the dose depends on how much you weigh. "

And, as I stated in my second post above:

"Be sure to ask your doctor about taking Ribavirin with your treatment. Your treatment should be Interferon injections once a week and weight based oral Ribavirin twice a day, both for 24 weeks. That will give you the best chance for cure. "

[pacman1372]

HI Haseeb , as mentioned above , Ribavirin is a must along with Inf injections .

IMHO , interferon alone is not going to do the job . .

If you are going to put yourself out and are heading for 24 weeks of Inf injections only , i would highly suggest that ribavirin is added to your treatment ..

I personally would not do the treatment without adding riba to it ..

I would also consider an ONLY inf tx useless ...

More members on the group will surely chime in and give you their advise too ..
best wishes and warm regards .  

[hrsepwrguy]

Yes, absolutely you should be taking ribavirin, good catch daroga, here is the recommended blood test schedule for the treatment you are on

Laboratory Tests

Before beginning Pegasys or Pegasys combination therapy, standard hematological and biochemical laboratory tests are recommended for all patients. Pregnancy screening for women of childbearing potential must be performed. Patients who have pre-existing cardiac abnormalities should have electrocardiograms administered before treatment with Pegasys/ribavirin.

After initiation of therapy, hematological tests should be performed at 2 weeks and 4 weeks and biochemical tests should be performed at 4 weeks. Additional testing should be performed periodically during therapy. In adult clinical studies, the CBC (including hemoglobin level and white blood cell and platelet counts) and chemistries (including liver function tests and uric acid) were measured at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks, and then every 4 to 6 weeks or more frequently if abnormalities were found. In a pediatric clinical trial, hematological and chemistry assessments were at 1, 3, 5, and 8 weeks, then every 4 weeks. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was measured every 12 weeks

http://www.drugs.com/pro/pegasys.html

[daroga]

I hope your doctor has also prescribed Ribavarin tablets for you?
I think with a combination of Interferon/Ribavarin you have up to 80% chance    of getting cured being a genotype 3.

[haseeb_123]

hi paceman,
sovaldi is not available in the pakistan.and I cannot go to india or china due to politics problem.
you think that interferon is not good choice.but doctor was saying to me that I will be getting well soon.

[jules2551]

I was on interferon for 36 weeks and I really didn't feel anything for the first 3 months.  Except the first shot I felt high as a kite.  Don't worry you will be hugging the porcelain god soon enough so enjoy it while you are not.

Best of luck!

Jules

[pacman1372]

Hi Haseeb .
If you can fly down to India and get some sofosbuvir / sovaldi and add it to your current tx with riba and inf .

I can understand the politics between our countries , but there will be no problem i can assure you .
the cost of a 28 tab bottle i think !! is about $250- $300 ( i think ) .
your chances of a full cure will certainly increase by adding sovaldi .

Incase you do not want to travel to India or may face visa problems then you can also go to China ( hong kong )

Also there is generic ( no licence ) Daklinza . daclasavir being made in china and the guys making it are very close to Hong kong , and will deliver the meds to your hotel .

I was thinking of going and getting some of it for myself but held back as harvoni will be available in the Indian market soon and i am a geno 1 so my preference would be harvoni .

Best wishes to you and i hope that you can add either sovaldi or daklinza to your current treatment .

Warm regards and take care .....

[hrsepwrguy]

You should also have a complete blood count done after 14 days of treatment just to see what kind of effect the medication is having on your HGB, ANC, RBC, WBC and PLT's

Post those results as well

[hrsepwrguy]

"My dr told me if I don't get sick the meds are not working."

That is not true, everyone is different and the medications effect everyone differently, I was on interferon for 48 weeks and every week was different, some weeks I had no effects, and some weeks it made me really sick, it's just one of those things that you have to just wait and see, hope for the best and expect the worst.

Your future blood work will determine whether or not the treatment is working, you need to have another PCR after 28 days of treatment, let us know the results and you can be advised about the success of treatment from there.

Have a great day

[haseeb_123]

Last week I took my first injection of interferon and got really sick.  This week I took my second shot and felt nothing.  My dr told me if I don't get sick the meds are not working.  I was hoping not to get quite so sick this injection but to feel nothing I am worried it is not working.  Has anyone else been through treatment without getting sick and the treatment worked?  Please let me know I am worried.  Thanks

[pooh55811]

"Pooh is right about the treatment ON INTERFERON, being the same treatment for both genotype 1 and 3, "
-----------------------------------------------

That is NOT what I said.

The Interferon TREATMENT regimen was NOT the same for Genotype 1 and Genotype 3, and I never said that it was.

What I did say was this: "CURE of Genotype 3 is the same as CURE for Genotype 1. If you are CURED of Genotype 3, you will NOT be able to infect anyone with Hepatitis C and you will stop having liver damage from the virus."

In other words, if you are cured of Genotype 3 it is the same as if you are cured of Genotype 1, you will NOT be able to infect anyone with Hepatitis C and you will stop having liver damage from the virus.

That statement is about cure and the consequences of cure, not about treatment. They are two completely separate things.

[haseeb_123]

Special Thanks to pooh an patra.
I have one question that  I have some kind of pain in right abdominal.is it due to hcv? What is symptoms of hcv?

[patra_]

Hi, again.  Sorry I have not been on line for a while.  

I agree with all.  Your English is fine, we can understand you very well.  Also, if you have a problem understanding us, please do ask so we can clarify what we said.

YES, I had Hep C, Gt 3 for more than 40 years, and am NOW Hep C Free.

First, - and show this to your wife - I was married when I got the Hep C from a blood transfusion after I lost a baby and had to have emergency surgery to save my live and - this is the part she will appreciate - MY HUSBAND STILL DOES NOT HAVE THE VIRUS.  We are still in the same marriage.  We did not take any 'special precautions' in our marital behavior (sex life), and, as pooh told you, Hep C is not a sexually transmitted disease.  It is a blood to blood virus, so u less you all practice rough sex, with tearing, bleeding, etc, there is no problem.  I can say this firmly because, after ai was declared SVR, when we had our annual physicals, I asked our family doctor to include an antibody test for my husband, as he had not had one since I was diagnosed 21 years ago.  He did the test and my husband still does not even have the antibodies.  Please tell you wife, from us, that she is safe, and also, that Hep C is NOT sexually transmitted.  It is not an STD,  so she should not concern herself that you got it from someone and brought it home to her.

Second, I WAS Hep C Genotypre 3, as I said above.  I treated with I terferon in 1994/95 - 3 injections a week for seven months.  I was a non responder.  There are so,e things that make the difference on Interferon on who clears and who does not.  One of the big things is the Allele - part of the genes.  There are 3 types:  CC, Ct, and TT.  Those with CC have the best chance of clearing the Virus .  Those (I am one) with Tt have the hardest, least likely chance.  In addition, another part of the gene (or maybe a part of the allelt) is a thing that I don't really understand and certainly can't explain is another gene or part of a gene call the IL28B.That also makes it harder to clear the virus.  I had that, too

With the newer medications, the direct acting antivirals, those things don't matter, but with interferon, they do.

Pooh is right about the treatment ON INTERFERON, being the same treatment for both genotype 1 and 3, but that is not so true of the newer medications. On the generation of meds I was on, Sovaldi and Ribavirin for 24 weeks is the treatment for Genotype 3.  But many Gt 1s and 2s treated with Sovaldi and Olysio for 12 weeks.  On the new Harvoni and Viekira Pak, again the Gt1s and 2s do the Harvoni or Viekira Pak for 12 weeks, UNLESS they have treated and failed before.  I cannot give you too much info about that though.  Some Gt3s have been treated with the Harvoni plus Ribavirin for 24 weeks, but we have not yet had enough time for them to be 24 weeks post treatment to make sure it is SVR?

That is why I suggested waiting for the Daklinza or the Merck med.

I am so sorry that you wife and others are giving you ahard time about having Hep C.  Next time someone says anything, tell them that:

    1.  It is NOT a sexually transmitted disease.
    2.  Yes, people who share needles for IV drug use, can get hep c,
    3.  But SO CAN PEOPLE FROM transfusions, needle sticks in a hosplital, or Lab, or Dr's office, or from dental tools that have not been properly sterilized - the older methods were not so sure as the newer ones - from tattoos amd body piercings, from sharing a razor or toothbrush, etc., etc., etc.

THEN suggest to them that they would be wise to have a Hep  C Antibody test. In our Country doctors are highly encouraged to do a Hep C Antibody test on all what we call 'baby boom' patients, to make sure.  That was the age group that had the most likelihood of sharing risky behaviors.  I do not limit it to that when I encourage the tests as I am older than that and any age, babies to very old people, can have a transfusion, etc.  They didn't even have a test for Hep C until the early 90s.

I was blessed, either I was too naive to know that people treated me differently, or because I took it on myself to tell people all about the above th help educate them, I never had any bad experiences with how I was treated because of Hep C, but, as Pooh said, there are so many who have had your kind of experience.  I am so sorry,, for you, that you hae to experience it, and for them, that they are so informed.

Didn't mean to write a book, here, but wanted to be clear.

If you have any questions about what I have said, please feel free to tell me what and ask me to explain.  Then I will try to - or others will chime in and make it clearer.

Do you ever travel to Europe or Japan, or even India (although I understand that is difficult because of the politics.  They all ave Sovaldi.  India has Ribavirin, so Sol/Riba (what I took)is available there.  And Europe and Japan have the Daklinza which is also taken with Sovaldi.

Blessing to you and your wife, and hang in there.

[pooh55811]

Your treatment should be for 24 weeks. The studies show that people with Genotype 3 are cured more often if they do 24 weeks of treatment.

Be sure to ask your doctor about taking Ribavirin with your treatment. Your treatment should be Interferon injections once a week and weight based oral Ribavirin twice a day, both for 24 weeks. That will give you the best chance for cure.

Best of luck.

[haseeb_123]

My viral load count is very small (734iu/ml).my treatment will be 24 weeks or less than 24 week?

[pooh55811]

Your English is fine. We understand you.

I had Hepatitis  C for 37 years (Genotype 1) and treated for 48 weeks in 2011-2012 with Interferon, Ribavirin, and Incivek. I am now considered cured. I cannot infect anyone and my liver is not being damaged from it. I am NOT infected any longer.

I know you have Genotype 3, but cure of Genotype 3 is the same as cure for Genotype 1. If you are cured of Genotype 3, you will NOT be able to infect anyone with Hepatitis C and you will stop having liver damage from the virus.

You will always have the antibody in your blood, but the antibody only means that you had an exposure to Hepatitis C. In order to be infectious, you have to have a viral count. If you are cured, you will not have a viral count.

Hepatitis C is NOT easily transmitted by sex. Many people on this forum have been married for many years and their spouses never got the disease from them.

There is also a stigma attached to Hepatitis C here in the US. We sometimes get treated badly too just because we have had or have Hepatitis C. I am sorry you are being treated badly.

If you cannot get Sovaldi in Pakistan, then your only option for treating is to take the Interferon for 24 weeks. If you take the Interferon for 24 weeks, you should also take Ribavirin tablets with it for 24 weeks. That will give you the best chance for cure. The Ribavirin needs to be weight based, so the dose depends on how much you weigh.

We do not know how long you have been infected (not the same as how long you have been diagnosed). (I was infected for 37 years before I was diagnosed.) The longer you have been infected the more likely you have liver damage. Also, Genotype 3 seems to have a faster progression of liver damage (fibrosis). If you have no liver damage, you may be able to wait for Sovaldi. If you have liver damage, then you may want to treat with the Interferon and Ribavirin before you get more damage.

You do not know how long it will take to get Sovaldi in Pakistan. So it would be best to discuss treating with Interferon and Ribavirin with you doctor. If he thinks you should treat now, then you probably should treat now.

If you treat and are cured, you will no longer have Hepatitis C. However, being cured does not give you immunity from ever catching it again. If you have another exposure to Hepatitis C (with a blood transfusion, contaminated medical equipment, contaminated dental equipment, and so forth) then you can get re-infected. So be very careful after you are cured so that you do not get re-infected from a new exposure to Hepatitis C.

Best of luck.

[dontworry_behappy1]

I didn't have Genotype 3 but I did treat my Hepatitis C and now I'm cured.

The majority of your country has genotype 2 and 3.  Yes there are many people in your country that have been treated and cured.

http://www.jpmsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/JPMS-VOL2-ISSUE2-PAGES68-72-RA.pdf

Sovaldi appears to not be readily available in your country but will make it
to your country in the future.  

http://www.sovaldi.com

Here is a current interesting article concerning treatment in your country.

http://www.rferl.org/content/pakistani_region_tackling_hepatitis_c_with_free_treatment/24290630.html

Take the time to read these about reference websites links.   The more you educate yourself the more you can educated others and most important your family.   Hepatitis C can be cured.

[haseeb_123]

First of all,My english is not good therefore i am saying sorry to all. 
You had hep c before 40 years ago and you had hcv genotype 3? Now are you free from hcv after treatment? Here people are not good behave with me due to hcv.i am married and my wife is also worried.she behave me as such that I am thief.there are not sovaldi available in pakistan.doctor was saying to me that treatment of hcv is only injection (interferon) and it is 6 month course.doctor was also saying to me that after treatment I am free and save from hcv.some people are saying that once anyone infected with hcv then after treatment hcv is activated. 
therefore there is no treatment of hcv. 
please advice me and give me good suggestion that what do I do? 

[haseeb_123]

First of all,My english is not good therefore i am saying to all.
You had hep c before 40 years ago and you had hcv genotype 3? Now are you free from hcv after treatment? Here people are not good behave with me due to hcv.i am married and my wife is also worried.she behave me as such that I am thief.there are not sovaldi available in pakistan.doctor was saying to me that treatment of hcv is only injection (interferon) and it is 6 month course.doctor was also saying to me that after treatment I am free and save from hcv.some people are saying that once anyone infected with hcv then after treatment hcv is activated.
therefore there is no treatment of hcv.
please advice me and give me good suggestion that what do I do?