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Avatar universal

skin conditons

Hi everyone,
I had acne when I was young and into my adult years. it finally ended in my late 20's. I have read somewhere or heard, can't remember,that sometimes the treatment triggers things you have, to become worse. Does this seem to include skin problems, even if the skin problem had resolved itself years ago? I understand many people get riba rash, I not referring to that. I am referring to anyone who had acne years back, have you heard, or has anyone experienced this problem comming back during or after treatment, DID the problem came back as bad as it may have been when they were younger? What an added nightmare that will be for me, if so.

I know some have problems with roscea. Does it seem that those people are the people who had current, active skin problems before treatment or did the treatment bring back all that fun stuff that was thought to be dead and gone? I read Jim said he had a little problem before and now has roscea.

If anyone has any info on this, either by experience or knowing someone,please let me know. Scientific data is good, but something you may have heard or what you have experienced is fine too. I will ask the doctor when I go again, but just incase you guys know about this, would appreciate the info.
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Avatar universal
Well, you've hung in there for sure. Glad to hear your enzymes are good. Good to hear you didn't have a hard time with sx through treatment. Maybe you can get into a trial with some of the newer drugs when your ready.  I hate to hear that people are having insurance problems or because of no insurance they haven't treated  yet.. It is ashame. The illegals are comming in and getting free medical, social security etc and yet there are  Americans born and raised here, searching for ways to get treated for hep and other diseases because they don't have insurance. I noticed there were a few on this site in that situation. Hopefully what ever your insurance problem is, it will work out soon. I wish you the best, your a strong person. You've encouraged me to stay strong, or at least ot try my best.
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Avatar universal
Hi, i remember you but its been a while. So you have been on maintenance almost 90 weeks. Have you been clear during that time? and what kind of dose they have you on? If you don't mind.

Wishing you the best.
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Avatar universal
Sorry to hear you relapsed. I didn't quite understand though,(newbie) You said you are on maintainance. What do you mean by that? After relapse,do they put you on just riba or interferon or both, as a light dose or something? Just curious. It must have been hard when you relapsed. I don't even want to think of that, hard stuff to handle for sure, but a few strong people in here that picked themselves back up too. I tip my hat to anyone that keeps a good attitude through that. What geno type are you?

Thanks for the skin info, Petey

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Avatar universal
Yes, let's hope together thyroid comes back. I'm on 30. It's Armor (pig thyroid). I went on Armor because the pig thyroid is close to our thyroid as far as what's in it, so I was told. Armor has t3 and t4 in it. Synthroid has just one of the hormones, but unless your doc leads towards holistic beliefs, he probably wouldn't prescribe it. But I know people on Synthroid and its worked fine for many years that they have  been useing it.Reading about thyroid stuff is even more confusing than all of this. But I do feel that thyroid problems we have are all related to hcv,so hopefully once out of our bodies, things will be fine. I've been reading the post about injections and its kind of scary to think about sticking a needle in my stomach.

Antidepressants,..what one do you take? Any sx from them? Are they to keep you from getting anxiety attacks from treatment? I only met once with the liver doctor. This week I will find out more. He didn't mention anything about antidepressants. I hate to take meds.Being on the tx meds is going to be tough. i don't take anything except vitamins, so this is hard to think about taking interferon, but I must do it. I will see what he says about antidepressants. I really don't want an anxiety induced from interferon or riba, but how are the antidepressants on your liver?        Okay see ya, get back when you can. thanks!
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Avatar universal
I am 1A, male almost 53 years old. Went through Peg/Copeg Tx for 48 weeks, was clear after 12 weeks and stayed clear but relapsed after stopping. Waited about a month and started monotherapy with Peg only at full dose. Became undetectable again after about 4 months or so, not sure now. Went down to 3/4 dose and became slightly detectable again and never got the levels undetectable again, so went down to half dose and the viral load has stayed between 150-500 copies. I will most likely stop after I finish the 9 weeks worth that I have left because of insurance reasons as well as taking a break. Since my liver enzymes have been great for about three years now I guess, we are assuming my liver has improved some. My biopsy showed "possible bridging fibrosis." The maintenace on Peg alone has been a piece of cake and actually I had a fairly easy time on the combo Tx also. Best of luck.
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Avatar universal
I kinda knew I had relapsed after Tx. when the pimples broke out on my face. I had problems with this "middle age acne" right before finding out I had Hep C and it would come and go. Treated it mostly with an antibiotic lotion. One doctor said it could be rosacea. I am most likely going off maintenance in September, after about 90 weeks, so it will be interesting to see if the acne comes back. I have been clear of it since starting TX and all through maintenance therapy.
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Avatar universal
I'm hoping mine comes back too!  We can hope together!

I had my thyroid checked last week and it appears my doc got it right on the first try (for now, he said that it takes a while for your body to actually start absorping the synthroid into it...not just into the blood stream).  I was happy about THAT going right, something for a change!

What dose do they have you on?  I'm on only 75 and it got me up from 0.00 to 2 which I guess is ok (looks like it goes to 4 to be normal so I'll assume?)

It's amazing what we have to learn and to deal with just to get rid of one disease huh!  It makes me glad it's not something more 'serious' (don't anybody yell I know it's a serious disease but it's not you know for the most part immediately life threatening).  I don't know how people can deal with THAT when this has just about made me nuts!

DID YOUR DOCTOR PUT YOU ON A GOOD ANTIDEPRESSANT?  I found that helped me more than anything. I started a month before treatment so that it had time to work.  It's really really been crucial to my success staying with tx - without it I would have cracked up.
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Avatar universal
Thanks,thats good news for sure. getting anxiety now and then about starting. My ears are bothering me now and then. My newly diagnosed thyroid isn't corrected yet with the dosage needed. That supposedly takes time. I feel (IMO) that maybe when the virus is gone, the thyroid will come back, if it doesn't get damaged during tx.

Thanks again
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Avatar universal
The truth is that our skin does dry out so much it really clears up if anything.  I had acne problems too - and they didn't really stop until my 30s but every while I'd get a 'good one' and go why why WHY I'm too old for this!  ;)

But since starting treatment my skin has been absolutely perfect.

The ribarash left me with some bad scars - but once I found out that moisturizing with Gold Bond Triple Threat helped SO MUCH that stopped completely too.  And I had the ribarash BAD oh boy!

This treatment...ain't so good for our looks but for acne it did seem to help me a lot!
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Avatar universal
way
I have had oily skin/acne flare ups my whole life, and little pock marks to prove it.
It hasn't flared up on tx just the normal one zit a week thing.

I think the fact that I have olive complexion/oily skin is helping with NOT GETTING the riba rash bad. No dry skin at all yet.

I think one place on my forhead is starting to get a slight rash and I'm wondering if it could be due to sweating? (when I get hot that's where the beads of sweat appear first)

I feel like when on certain drugs your sweat may be more harsh than usual. Perhaps tx causes us to have more toxic sweat which causes the riba/rash.
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Avatar universal
I had very mild pre-existing psoriasis prior to treating. When I say "very mild" there was no impact on my QOL (quality of life) and I might have used topicals on spots 4-5 times a year for a couple days each. Maybe visited a dermatologist on average once a year. Also, had very mild and sporadic seb derm (1-2 months out of year) behind ears and on scalp. This is known as "dandruff" and was no big deal. I probably also had what was called pre-rosacea, although it was so mild I didn't realize I even had  it until I did some recent research and certainly had no effect on QOL.

About 12 weeks into treatment I started to develop significant skin problems. First was a rash on my chest which was the beginning of sebboreah dermatitis which would later cover my chest, neck, shoulders and part of my face as well as scalp, behind ears, etc.

More problematic was a flare of guttate psoriasis which I never had before. The first picture on the left is about what my back chest and abdomen looked like for much of treatment: http://www.dermnetnz.org/scaly/guttate-psoriasis.html

The guttate covered my trunk, front and back with some leisons on arms. At the same time I developed palmoplantar psoriasis on soles of feet and hands. I had about 50% of the pustules shown in the picture here but my feet were significantly worse and for several months walking was painful. http://www.dermnetnz.org/scaly/palmoplantar-pustulosis.html

I was given uvb narrow band light treatment for the guttate, special x trac laser treatments for the palmplantar psoriasis, and topicals for the other stuff. Fortunately my insurance covered the x trac laser, most policies do not.

Both the palmplantar psoriasis and the guttate psoriasis resloved completely by week 45 of treatment, however, since they both can be cyclical -- especially the palmplantar -- I may have to go through this cycle in the future. I'll also add that the uvb narrow band treatments may have created more skin sensitivity and I would caution anyone on that accord.

I am now 18 weeks post treatment and as stated the conditions pictured above have resolved. However, the rosacea -- and that appears what you have, as it's often called "adult acne -- has flared. The seb derm has also flared. Remember I used to see a derm once a year or so. I've seen 4-6 derms this past year and I can't even count the visits.

Currently, I cannot go out in the sun for more than a few minutes even wearing sunscreen 45 without a major outbreak of the rosacea. I cannot swim because of the skin irritation from the rosacea and seb derm. I cannot participate in any of my previous sports or even exercise vigroursly because the heat and sweat generated by exercise now triggers the rosacea. I cannot do any activity that causes my body to heat up including spending time in a warm room, gym, hot lights, or drinking hot beverages like coffee. It goes on with the triggers but you get the idea. I am not alone in this. Another member, should she decide to chime in might tell you her story which has gone on longer than mine.

My QOL post treatment is *significantly* impaired compared to my QOL before treatment. I repeat that *significantly*.  

Interferon is a know trigger for both new and underlying skin problems such psoriasis and seb derm rosacea. Especially psoriasis.

I urge anyone with any of the above underlying skin problems to weigh them HEAVILY into the risk/reward equation before deciding to take any treatment that involves Interferon, and the longer the exposure to the interferon the more problems you can expect. If they do treat, find the best dermatologist available and cross your fingers. I am hoping that my problems will resolve as time passes from treatment but there are no guarantees. Once some of the skin issues flare, they can have a life of their own.

Just to be clear -- because it's human nature to compare what one is experiencing with something someone else is -- this has nothing to do with riba rash or anything like that and topical emullients like Gold Bond, etc, etc, have absolutely no effect other than to irritate the conditions.

-- Jim
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Avatar universal
4th paragraph should read in part:

I had about 50% of the pustules shown in the picture (of my hands) here but my feet were significantly worse than pictured and for several months walking was painful.
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Avatar universal
You are correct, it does occur more often in out patient settings (like dialysis clinics) in my case it was an out patient clinic that deals with administering epidurals for back/neck injury patients. There was an outbreak in two separate clinics in the same county. It was in the local paper, some of them are suing the hospital but I feel it really is not someone's "fault" it happens in spite of the best efforts of the workers, hospitals are great places to catch things, being infected in a hospital from something you CAUGHT in the hospital is the third most common way to DIE in the US! Strange, but true. Dateline did a show on catching things in hospitals a few months back. Hard to believe it is the third most common way to die in America, but that is what they reported. It can be transferred from medical personnel to patient and visa versa. It is a very durable virus unfortunately and can sneak around the sterilization procedures occasionally.
Here is a link that has a ot of info and cases of clinical transmission. Pretty scary. Makes you wonder why we just aren't hearing about this "silent epedemic" in the news. Instead we hear about two faced cats.

http://www.hcvets.com/data/transmission_methods/transmission.htm

I bet worrying about having the acne reoccur would stress me out too, I have not heard of someone saying they had acne crop up again on tx in this forum in the last year so maybe that's a good sign it won't happen to you. I have heard of lots of other skin disorders but not that one!
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Avatar universal
Thanks way,
That's encouraging to know. A little break out here and there, I can deal with. I hope that's all that happens. Hopefully, your skin won't give you any major problem, let me know if it does, so i prepare myself mentally for a possible problem, though everyone is different. Good point about having oily. Mine is a little on the oily side also. Used to be grease ball at the height of the acne madness. Thanks for your help!
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Avatar universal
I too know what you mean about sweating bad.  I'm right there with ya.  It also makes me feel kinda lousy if I sweat too much even drinking tons of water.

Take care,

Steve
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Avatar universal
Thanks Steve,
I can't wait to be on the other side.Nerve racking before tx as you know. Before, during , after I guess, but something we all just have to do. This whole thing makes you come to realize how short this life is, even if we live to be 99, it's still short.
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Avatar universal
Hi Kalio,
The skin problems you mentioned I have heard some people do get and I probably would be able to mentally handle them,though a pain in the neck, but the problem I used to have was very bad and would hate to see that come to life. It was difficult. Doctors haven't any remedies for most skin problems and that is depressing in and of itself. But I'm glad to hear that yours went away when tx started.

How horrible....you got HCV from a surgery???? What a nightmare!! Did the hospital infect others also? How did it happen do they think? That is ashame. I remember reading, I think it was a few years ago, that people were infected with HCV at a hospital. I can't remember where or details. Were you one of those people in that particular case?Was it in the news about the hospital?  I'm sure it happens quite alot, but since it is a slow progressing disease, many people would not be able to trace it, but I'm sure ther are ways, especially if others were contacted who had surgeries same day as you had yours.

Well, I'm sure everything will work out for you this time around.Thanks for your input.
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Avatar universal
Hopefully because it was many years at this point as far as my skin problem, maybe I'll luck out. The lichen problem I saw several times on the board. I'm glad for you that skin problem is leaving. Getting a skin problem from treatment will be a pain, but as long as it leaves after treatment is over or before that, would be easier to deal with, but we never have that answer, only the wait.

thanks for info
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Avatar universal
I think anything you had a little of before treatment, multiplies after starting.I had these little round darkened scaley spots all over my for arms and thighs before treatment. They got way worse after starting.They are going away after stopping treatment and were called lichen planus. common w/ hcv.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the info. Well, I can relate to what you are going through with the skin problems. No one can even imagine the mental anguish of severe skin problems. But from what you said, I think it may be because of the slight case you had that was still active, even though it wasn't what you considered any type of problem that affected QOL.

My problem wasn't rosea, though. Bad acne, going back through the generations in my family. A friend of mine developed roseca 2 years ago. Doctors can't figure why, but she is menopausal and just as acne, I believe hormones play a big role. Liver disease affects hormones and might be one of the underlying causes of skin problems. Fun,fun,fun. Well, I hope your skin problems go away soon. It would be great if they go completely away to the point that you don't even have the minor problem you had before tx. Hey never know...maybe interferon was pulling it all out of your system and your going to be free of it completely once and for all very soon. That would be great news. Something for us all to agree in prayer for you.

Thanks again Jim, appreciate it!! I thank all of you guys for being here for me at this time in my life. I need you all.
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Avatar universal
No problem.  Don't take everything I said as fact because I'm sure some may say the opposite.  Don't get too down about the treatment.  It will pass and things will be better.  It may be a long road but we will all be on the other side of this treatment one day.  

Take care,

Steve
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Avatar universal
Thanks for your answer. What you said certainly makes alot of sense. Dry skin is not a conducive atmosphere for acne. Well, that's good news,hopefully anyone else who may post will have similiar answer as yours. SRV should be my main concern, but with the depression that seems to come with tx, I was afraid that getting back my old nightmare would kick in the blues more so than the normal? amount of blues that comes with the package.

Thanks alot Steve, appreciate it!
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Avatar universal
I had developed various skin problems since I contracted HCV during a surgery a few years back. Mine resolved when I started tx. The point is it is different for everyone, some it can flare up existing conditions, some it can cause new ones and some it can resolve existing problems, it's all over the map.
My upper body looked like I had polka dots ( spider angioma)
and those all resolved even thought the dermatologist told me they were "permanent", I developed these icky weird raised mole like things the doc said were "benign" but they were really ugly, those went away, and I had purpura tarda ( a mild case) and that too resolved about a month into tx.
You just never know what will occur in each individual it seems to me.

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Avatar universal
My father finished treatment a couple years ago and he had acne as a young adult too.  He didn't get any flare ups or anything like that.  I never had it but I have only noticed dry skin so far.  I am only 3\48 so it is just begining for me.  I'm sure someone will be around that knows more.  I would think that with one of the main symptoms being dry skin that would not cause acne because that is from oily skin(I think).  Good luck and take care.

Steve
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