Also trying to find post for SVR.

[Mmorgan856]

Hi everyone, saw G.I. doctor yesterday an he said according to all labs, I'm cured.. I was under the impression blood work needed to be done at 12 wks.  He said nope, I'm done an he will draw labs in March an hep A-b vaccine.  So, I guess he has different parameters, maybe?  By the way, feeling pretty good.  Hoping SVR for everyone out there

[mac790]

Mary, I'm a little late to the party here, Kim, Dee, Pat, et al have all given you a very full description of the lay of the land. I can only tell you what the hepatologists at the second/third largest, most respected hospital on the East Coast (behind Johns Hopkins and perhaps Mass General) told me: I am in Week 12 of a possible 16 week clinical trial of a new med by Merck, one pill containing 2 meds. These are highly advanced protease inhibitors, and according to Merck, if I am still @ ND 6 months >EOT, they consider that a SVR. They will continue to track me for another 18 months, w/ labs, and liver imaging on the new fab FibroScan 502 machines, to track the status of my cirrhosis.So, you are pronounced "cured", according to Merck if you meet that criteria. Hoping you stay @ SVR,    Mac

[AWorriedMom]

Every all oral treatment has the 12 week EOT as the surrogate marker for SVR. Anything using interferon is still 24 weeks.

[FlGuy]

I've never read that SVR is considered after 12 weeks, even for the new meds.  All i can find (NIH) is "A sustained virologic response (SVR) to therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is defined as the inability to detect HCV RNA 24 weeks after completion of treatment."

[Livelife777]

My mistake.  You are correct.
...Kim

[katethecatlady]

I just met my doc today too, and cleared at 5 weeks...now undetectable! On riba/sovaldi/peginterferon. Congrats to you Mary!

[AWorriedMom]

Ok, that makes more sense now. Very few people relapse after the 4 week post treatment mark. However, some do and it is important that you have another PCR (viral load) test done at the 12 week mark. If he won't do it, ask your primary care physician to do it for you. There was a person in my trial who relapsed at her 8 week PCR, so it can happen, but only rarely. Also, someone mentioned that if you don't have varices your liver is not considered damaged. That is absolutely incorrect. I have had cirrhosis since 1991 and I have never had varices. Also, just because you are finished with treatment and have an SVR, you still have liver damage. That will correct itself over time, but it doesn't happen instantly. Even those with cirrhosis have a good chance of improving liver histology over the following years.

[Livelife777]

Mary
Hi there.   Perhaps I can help you with this confusion.
We are considered cured when 12 weeks have passed from taking these meds and our bloodwork shows UND.
You were only 4 weeks past treatment and although your bloodwork said
UND you need to be 12 weeks post treatment not 4.
You need to recheck your bloodwork in about 8 weeks from now to know
for sure if you are indeed cured.

Now, onto the good news.
When you show UND at 4 weeks post treatment there is only a 1-2% chance
that you will be detected at 12 weeks.  So relatively speaking you are most
likely cured but are not 100%.  You need to get 1 more viral load test in about 8 weeks from now to be positive without any doubt.
The tests that you had done looking for varicies had nothing to do with having
Hep C.  Your Dr was checking to make sure you don't have Cirrhosis.  Since you didn't have varicies your liver is not considered damaged so that's wonderful news.  He may have been congratulating you for that.

You may want to go ahead and do the retest just for piece of mind.  Sounds as tho your cured but the test will tell you for sure.
Take Care
.....Kim

[Mmorgan856]

Just went back an I was not clear on dates,  I finished treatment on sept 10th an blood was drawn oct 10th.  So 4 wk.  post EOT.   from all I've learned in the last 4 mths, I was expecting labs also at 12 wks.  My doctor walked in with results in hand, said hi an your cured pretty much.  He's the medical doctor an I just thought he knows more than I do certainly.  I can't imagine why he would tell me that if he wasn't certain.   I just don't know.   Mary

[Mmorgan856]

Hi Lynn, thanks for all the info about the varicies.  I was just thinking that's why he said I'm cured before 12 wks.  I finished treatment sept, an had VL done October 10th. I saw doctor on the 23rd an that's when he said I'm cured.  They made appt. for last series of hep A an B vaccine for March.   He doesn't have any other plans with me as far as I know.  I thought he would want to know what damage liver has, having the virus since the 80s.  Guess nothing could be done anyway.  A little confused I guess.  Well, take care. Mary

[flyinlynn]

Hi Mary

Congratulations on the news!

As a couple of others have asked how many weeks off treatment were you when you had your last viral load done?

At 4 weeks after taking your last dose on meds and having an undetectable viral load is a good indication you are probably cured I understand there is less than 1% chance of that happening at that point. From everything I have seen 12 weeks after treatment with the virus undetectable is considered cured.

It is all about viral load either you have the virus or you don't. Not having varicies only means if you have cirrhosis it has not progressed to the point of portal hypertension. But that has nothing to do with whether you have the virus or not. Not having cirrhosis and eridicating hep c does mean your liver is in good shape so you should be able recover from any damage the virus has done to your liver.

If it was me I would like to have a viral load done at 12 weeks post treatment to be sure the virus is gone and then cross all the bridges in the world confident in the knowledge that hep c is in my rear view mirror.

Anyway how many weeks after you completed treatment was your viral load drawn?

Hope you have a long and hep c free life
Lynn

[Mmorgan856]

Hi,,thanks for all the advice.. He's a G.I. Doctor and my instinct is this forum is absolutely right.  I looked up Solvaldi criteria.  I'm thinking with all my blood work continuing to stay within the normal range an no VL , an he's a doctor, that he knows for sure I'm cured.  I just don't know but I'm putting it behind me an if he's wrong, then I'll cross that bridge if I have to.  He did do an endoscopy before treatment an all he found was an ulcer, no varicies,  u think that might have  had something  to do with him saying I'm cured?  Thanks in advance,, take care.  Mary

[Dee1956]

Congratulations, I am really happy for you.  This is great news, thank you for sharing.
Dee

[AugustineMama]

Congrats. My transplant hep told me it us 12 also.

[AWorriedMom]

Again, your doc is wrong. I hate tellingpeople that their doctor is incorrect. BUT, you are not considered cured unless you are undetected 12 weeks after you stop treatment. That is when you are considered to have a sustained viral response (SVR/cure) for all of the all oral treatments. What is your doctor's specialty? Is he a GI, infectious disease or hepatologist?

[Livelife777]

Mary that's wonderful news!
Congragulations as I know you've had this burden for a very long time.
You def deserve freedom from the beast.
XOXO
....Kim

[nan535]

Hi Mary
Happy you are feeling well.
How many weeks has it been since EOT?   If it hasn't been 12 weeks since EOT, I'm confused why your doctor has said no more labs.  You may very well be cured but only SVR12 is considered a cure.

http://www.sovaldi.com/faq

After I have finished treatment, how long will it take for me to find out if I am cured?
    You’ll know if you’re cured just 3 months after treatment is completed when your healthcare provider tests your Hep C viral load. Cure means the Hep C virus is not detected in the blood when measured 3 months after treatment is completed. Use the treatment timeline to find the first date you can schedule a blood test to determine your results.

I hope its been 12 weeks EOT for you and you are indeed cured.
Best wishes,
Nan

[Mmorgan856]

Oops forgot,, GT2  Solvaldi/RIBA 12 wk. treatment. Some fibrosis I believe from liver bx. In early 1990s. Previously treated w/ interferon.   I think I'll clarify with doctor, but he said I'm cured. I did ask about Dec. viral load an he said, you don't need it, you're cured.  I feel back to normal.  If anyone is starting treatment with these meds.  Totally doable.. Thanks Nan, Patra, Lynn, Mona, Kim, keeping on, Solvaldi 13, an others, too many to count, for getting me through treatment, I really don't think I would have made it the last month without everyone.  I pray that everyone gets to SVR soon.  Mary

[Sovaldi13Newbie]

Really nice feeling, eh? So happy for you...And it's so great to see so many of us finding SVR! I hope it inspires those treating and about to treat! Good for you!!!

[keepingOnkeepingOn]

Ditto. 12 week EOT, Ins requires blood work along with a quantative and qualatative test. SVR for what combo? Congrats.

[AWorriedMom]

The criteria for the new all oral treatments is 12 weeks post treatment for the "cure". Unfortunately your doc is misinformed.

[patra_]

Wow!   Mary,  Congratulations!!  

That is really interesting.  How many weeks are you Post Treatment?

Like you, I haven't seen anything less than 12 weeks EOT for SVR, even Sovaldi insert.  Wonder what criteria he is using?

Pat