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Avatar universal

i think i have had viral breakthough due to huge interferon reduction at week 5

I think I have had a viral breakthough when I was reduced at week 5 to 90mg interferon, as I had night sweats etc.
Does anyone think this is the virus out in the open. Is it worth me carrying on with treatment.
Thanks
Alico.
Best Answer
1477908 tn?1349567710
I'm just curious.....was your INF decreased to 90 mcg based only on the night sweats? What were the etc.'s? Have you had a 4 week PCR run yet? I would push for a PCR as soon as possible - that's a huge cut in meds so early in the game. If there wasn't a life threatening reason for the decrease, I would run, not walk to a new Dr. These early weeks are SO important in reaching UND and ultimately SVR.
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Avatar universal

  I'd say you have night sweats simply because of the effects of the drugs on your body. ......"
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Odd then for me that as soon as I started the drugs my night sweats disappeared and as soon as I stopped taking the drugs and viral load increased the night sweats started.again immediately...

  Again...not being a doc ...don"t know ...just my experience.
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Avatar universal
I wasn't addressing the poster's question.
I was providing some information related to the proclamation made by you:

".....Night sweats are no indication of viral breakthrough.  The indication of viral breakthrough is a viral load test that says so. I'd say you have night sweats simply because of the effects of the drugs on your body. ......"

Occasionally there might be more to it than you're aware of. I don't really know all about this issue - unlike you apparently. Your certainty could lead someone to believe you actually know what you're talking about and that could be dangerous. For instance, when you start advising patients regarding treatment dosing. That's scary - for me anyway.

Mike
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Avatar universal
I have consisitently had pretty severe night sweats/ cold sweats since the very start of treatment and was UND at week 2 and week 12.
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Avatar universal
This is the poster's question:

"Does anyone think this is the virus out in the open. Is it worth me carrying on with treatment. "

We are certainly not doctors here so this is an opinion only.  I accept that some people with HCV have night sweats that are HCV-related (new one on me, admittedly).  

However.  I cannot imagine anyone deciding that there has been a viral breakthrough and stopping treatment based ONLY on the fact they are getting night sweats with seemingly no other information than that to go on and no PCR to determine whether a breakthrough has actually occurred.  I can't even imagine a doctor telling anyone to stop treatment based on the evidence of night sweats alone.  

alico - you can keep asking the question hoping for a different answer perhaps? but the only responsible answer would be based on the results of a viral load test, not whether you have night sweats or not. Not much else to say without any other information than that.

Good luck with your treatment.

Trish


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Avatar universal
by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.

"...Chronic Hepatitis C presents many different symptoms in its patients, such as fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, jaundice, muscle aches, and night sweats. Individuals who suffer from night sweats may awaken in the middle of the night either feeling too cold or too hot, their palms clammy and their bed sheets wet with perspiration. Night sweats can disrupt sleep, causing stress and insomnia. For an illness without a cure, the only resolution of night sweats for people with Hepatitis C is the eradication of the virus..."

http://www.hepatitis-central.com/mt/archives/2007/03/night_sweats_an.html

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Avatar universal

   You keep mentioning that you believe you have had a viral breakthrough...just based on the fact you have night sweats,and as copyman says...the only way to know about a breakthrough is to have a PCR done to check viral load.. Also,you have been asked a few times why you were dose reduced and when you have had PCR"s done.

Without answered to these questions...it would be impossible for us here to know  if you have indeed had a breakthrough.

Will
Helpful - 0

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