Welcome to the forum. You will be able to find a lot of information on treatment and treatment management here. Stick around, read and ask questions. :-)
I used natural products while on tx. There is a product called sanotint, which is really good and covers even gray hair very well. I think it is Italian, I used it here in Denmark. I just found a Canadian site for you who sells it. www.aviva.ca
As to treatment, the duration corresponds to the genotype one has.
Generally genotype 1 and 4 treat for 48 weeks and genotypes 2 and 3 for 24 weeks.
thankyou for that web site i'm going to look into it they tell me when you buy products make sure theres no alchol in it i've noticed that they have cetearyl alcohol i wonder if that matters ,when they say no alcohol they really mean it d o you mind me asking you did you lose hair that could be noticed.your the 2nd person i've spoken too on this forum i just learning how helpful it is.its getting use to the terms like what does svr mean have a good nite or maybe day i think your 7 hours ahead we'll i guess i'll go dust my wine rack since i can't drink it
Here's a list of some of the abbreviations used in here; they're also available in a box called 'most viewed health pages', located in the right hand side of this page. Welcome to the discussion group, by the way. I didn't answer your question about hair for obvious reasons :o).
Take care--
Bill
AHC: Acute Hepatitis C
BMI: Body Mass IndeX
BOC:Boceprevir
Bx: Biopsy
CHC: Chronic Hepatitis C
DNA: DeoxyriboNucleic Acid
Dx: Diagnosis
EOT: End of Treatment
EVC: Early Virological Clearance (Aviremic - HCV RNA Negative at Week 12)
EVR: Early Virological Response (12 Week PCR - UND or >2 Log Drop)
G or GT: Genotype
GI: Gastroenterologist
HBsAb Hepatitis B surface antibodies
HBsAg Hepatitis B surface antigen
HCV or Hep C: Hepatitis C Virus
HVL: High Viral Load (≥400,000 IU) (≥600,000 IU) (≥800,000 IU)
Hx: History
IgG:
IgM: Core Antibody (Immunoglobulin type M)
ITT: Intent to Treat
IU: International Unit (1 IU = 2.5 VL Copies apx )
LVL: Low Viral Load (<400,000 IU)
PCR: Polymerase Chain Reaction
RNA: RiboNucleic Acid
RT-PCR quantitative: using Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction to count how many virus are in blood
RT-PCR qualitative: a "positive" or "negative" using Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction to see if there are at least 50 IU/ml viruses detected in blood
RVR: Rapid Virological Response (4 Week PCR – UND )
Rx: Prescription
SOC: Standard of Care
SVR: Sustained Virological Response (UND 6 Months post TX end)
Sx: Symptoms/Side Effects
TMA: Transcription Mediated Amplification
Tx: Treatment, Therapy (can also mean Transplant)
UND: Undetectable Viral Load
VL: Viral Load
VR: Virological Response
WHR: Waist to Hip Ratio
More Acronyms
AFP: Alpha-FetoProtein
ALP: Alkaline Phosphatase (Alk Phos)
ALT: Alanine Aminotransferase
AST: Aspartate Aminotransferase
BID: Twice Daily Dosage (from Latin "bis in die"
CBC: Complete Blood Count (almost the same as FBC)
CIFN: Consensus Interferon (Infergen/Alphacon)
EIA: Enzyme ImmunoAssay
ELISA: Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay
EPO: Erythropoietin Epoetin alfa (Epogen/Procrit), Darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp)
ESA:: Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agent
ESLD: End-Stage Liver Disease
FBC: Full Blood Count
FDR: Fixed Dose Ribavirin
GCSF: Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor (Neupogen)
GGT:: Gamma Glutamyl Transpeptidase
HCC: HepatoCellular Carcinoma (Liver Cancer)
HDL: High Density Lipoproteins (Good Cholesterol)
HGB: Hemoglobin
IFN: Interferon (Alpha 2a/2b)
IU: International Unit 1 IU (2.5 VL Copies apx)
lakh: (100,000 from Indian English)
LDH: Lactate Dehydrogenase
LDL: Low Density Lipoproteins (Bad Cholesterol)
LDR: Low Dose Ribavirin (Same as FDR)
LFT: Liver Function Test
LLN: Lower Limit of Normal
MCV: Mean Corpuscular Volume
NAFLD: Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (Steatosis)
NASH: Non Alcoholic SteatoHepatitis
Neup: Neupogen
NPIA: Non-Pegylated Interferon Alpha
PEG: PolyEthylene Glycol
PegIFN: Pegylated Interferon Alpha (2a/2b)
P.I- Protease Inhibitor
QW: Once a Week (from Latin quaque)
RBV/RVN: Ribavirin
RCC: Red Cell Count
RIBA: Recombinant ImmunoBlot Assay
Riba: Ribavirin
SC: Subcutaneous (Beneath or Under the skin)
SGOT: AST was called Serum Glutamic Oxaloacetic Transaminase
SGPT: ALT was called Serum Glutamic Pyruvic Transaminase
S-IFN: Standard Interferon (same as NPIA)
TG: Triglycerides (type of fat found in blood)
TIW: Three Injections Weekly (Tri Weekly, Three Times a Week, Thrice Weekly)
TMA: Transcription Mediated Amplification
TSH: Thyroid stimulating hormone (Also called: Thyrotropin)
ULN: Upper Limit of Normal
VLDL: Very Low Density Lipoproteins (Bad Cholesterol)
WBD: Weight Based Dose
WBR: Weight Based Ribavirin
WCC: White Cell Count
WHR: Waist to Hip Ratio
Bill - Did that result from coloring your hair on treatement? Now I wish I had colored my back :)
Feel free to file that under "too much information".
No alcohol means no drinking alcohol.
I lost about 70% of my hair on treatment and it went straight. Now it has grown back healthy, nice and curly again. Some people don't lose much hair and others lose a lot. I think that the longer you treat the more you lose. But everyone is different-
If I had lost more, I would have shaved it off. I've always loved my hair, but I thought what the heck, the important thing was how I was getting through this treatment and not what I looked like. I looked like sh!t anyway and I was in my bed most of the time. ;-)