pegasys versus peg-intron, side effects?

[orphanedhawk]

Hi,
   Any opinions on which treatment has less horrible side effects, pegasys or peg-intron?
   Thanks

[Willy50]

LOL; that's an old one.

So far as the poll.....I have always heard pegintron to be worse.  

I would also add; every time it is a whole new deal, and that can also extend to results as well.

willy

[orphanedhawk]

This thread is ancient but somehow I'm still here so let me say~ CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!!!!!!!

[linzynj]

not sure this a current thread or not, but i finally got cured using INCIVEK and interferon/ribavirin combo for 24 weeks !!!!

this was after relapsing 2 times previously using just interferon/ribavirin - both times for 48 weeks

so its worth it - get some INCIVEK today

lindsay

[linzynj]

coming to the end of my 3rd week of PEGASYS injections - i have to amend what i said above (about PEGASYS vs PEGINTRON).

The side effects are just as bad - the only drastic difference to me - and I am pissed that my doctors didnt know this - is that the PEGINTRON used to be the worst 24 hours after the injection - the PEGASYS starts making me feel sick 72 hours after. So the 3rd 4th 5th days are the worst.

Lindsay

[moahunter]

I used both. First time Pegasys without Riba (just 3 months, acute treatment), second time Pegitron with Riba. Maybe it was just the Riba, but I found Pegintron to be much harder.

My nurse said their experience was pegintron hits people harder at first with the first few shots, after that, they are similar. That matched my experienced, I went to over 42c on Pegintron - never went over 38 on Pegasys. Pegintron worked though, so while it was a rough journey, it was worth it as I have perfect health today thanks to it.

[alagirl]

I had very little time to research and decide which interferon I wanted to use when I treated acutely.  What I had found online in that limited time suggested to me that pegasys might be the better choice for me, so I went with that.

There is kind of an interesting article that summarizes the relevant studies found on the topic:

http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_c/news/2008/071808_a.html

[Marte313]

Pegasys is peginterferon alfa 2a, while pegintron is peginterferon alfa 2b. My doctor tried to put me on pegintron, but I had read that alfa 2a had showed better results for geno 1b, which I have. I am trying to find that magazine. I am sure my father has saved it some place. You should choose from what geno you are, will let you know as soon as I find it if not anyone else here know the answer...(What geno are you btw??)

[linzynj]

Having relapsed after PegIntron 4 years ago I am now on my second week of Pegasys - biding my time until they come out with something better.

Telapriver is supposedly due out in about 2011 - they say. The 3 drug cocktail has better SVR rates than the existing 2 (and of course even more side effects).

Anyway, back to whats worse on the sides. I would say that the PegIntron was worse for me (at least so far - after only 2 Pegasys injections). I remember how awful I used to feel 24 hours after my PegIntron injection - and the headaches were unbearable.  It appears that the time release mechanism of the Pegasys is more even and so far I havent had the feared headache. Of course I dont know if it will work any better. My Dr says we can do a viral load after 1 month to assess. Of course, the Pegasys is not pleasant and makes me feel like a more even tempered flue instead of severe flue.

Lindsay

[newleaf09]

I know that non-IFN treatment and shorter TX are the major goals of current research.  I had a talk with my doctor, an infectious disease researcher and, though I think he is a bit on the conservative side, he does not believe hep c can be defeated without goosing up the overall immune response with interferon.  I love the concept of targeting specific parts of the reproduction of the specific virus, but I just can't decide if I agree with him or not.  I found one paper that said that one of the things that IFN did was to turn back on a gene for the destruction (apoptosis) of infected cells, that HEP C had turned off.  It makes infected cells more recognizeable by killer T-cells.  Interferance in reproduction can't do that.  Time will tell.

[susan400]

I've been on both on more than one occasion, at different times.  Pegasys is easier for me to tolerate as far as sides, but I don't get as good of a response as far as my viral load with it.  For me, Peg-Intron = more sides, better response..... Infergen = more sides, better response...., Pegasys = less sides, less response.  That's for MY body and I don't expect that it is the same for every patient.  Susan400

[Andiamo1]

"They all make you feel lousy and ignore anyone who says not to use interferon.  It will be many, many years (probably never) before non-INF TX"

Most of the top HCV docs  believe that the future will bring cocktails containing combinations of polymerase and protease inhibitors and no interferon.  This is still years away, but highly likely not probably never.

We periodically get posters that try and scare people about the sx of interferon.  I am not trying to make light of the side effects, but for almost all of us, they are tolerable.

[newleaf09]

One is alpha 2a and the other alpha 2b.  Research the differences between the uses of the 2 forms of interferon.  The pegylation is great in any case.  In early TX there were daily shots, 3 times a week shots, etc.  Pegylation makes it last at full dose for a week. I can tell you that the pegintron comes in a ready-to-go form and you just dial the pen to your proper dose, and can easily dial in a dose reduction if necessary and still use the same pen.  Very easy to use and they'll usually see that you have an extra if the pen jams or anything (only happened to me once).

They all make you feel lousy and ignore anyone who says not to use interferon.  It will be many, many years (probably never) before non-INF TX.  Clearing the virus, even if you feel bad is an awful lot better than the alternative.  The vast majority of patients get out with no long-term damage and if SVR, will have a normal life and lifespan.

[thegypsy9164]

I didn't even read any of these responses.  I just came straight to reply.  In my unmedical opinion, both have many and varied undersireable sides.  I've done both and there were not really any sides on one that weren't there with the other.
Joey

[Bill1954]

Hi Debb,

So sorry to hear of your relapse; it happened to me too. Unfortunately, people of African American heritage respond poorly to this therapy; Asians seem to be the most responsive, followed be Caucasians, then African Americans. What genotype are you? Did you treat with weight-based ribavirin?

Welcome to the discussion group; hang around and get to know this disease if you like.
A good place for further information is the site:

http://janis7hepc.com/

Also take a look at this page from hivandhepatitis .com, which explores treatment response in the African American population:

http://tinyurl.com/lnzp7s

Again, welcome and good luck—

Bill

[debb2009]

I was on intron and now my load is back up I was told that I had little chance because I'm black ,did anyone hear this?
debb2009

[Bill1954]

Wow! A hearty welcome back to you; how are you feeling post-transplant? I think what happens with these posts is that they’re regenerated when someone clicks on the archives; this kicks them back out into circulation automatically. Glad to see you back posting again; take good care,

Bill

[orphanedhawk]

Its spooky seeing a post of mine from out of the past pop up. I wish medhelp would stop doing that!

[bd91160]

DON'T use ANY!  There has to be a better way.  I have had serious health problems 5 years off the drug!  No Hep!
But I have fagiue to the point I can't get out of bed
lost my eye sight!
still have hallutionations
Hearing loss, memory loss,
There are days I feel like I have had treatment!
My hands and feet swell with tingling and numbness
The worst is.............. the jiont pain!
Go figure, they made me well!

[LLflowlee]

  hello i have a daughter that has taken pegintron starting aug 07 she is suffer bad depression and mind promblems how long does this last after stopping the med? i don't want to put her away for ever she is really a good person. now she is nuts as abug. any help? email me at ***@**** with an answer please.

[Kalio1]

PegIntron comes in prefilled vials like Pegasys does and it also comes in mix yourself vials. Pick your poison.

[FlGuy]

The study desrt referred to was sponsored by PegIntron (Shering) in the same issue:

[friole]

I'll just weigh in for Pegasys.  It was easy to administer and I cleared after 56 weeks of treatment.


FL -- thanks for the whole story

frijole

[NYgirl]

LOL yeah like Schering would finance a study to say PegASYS was better?

hahahahahahahhahahaa  It's all in the $$$ and nada much otherwise and if that don't prove it...nothing will.

[FlGuy]

The lead sentence/paragraph in the article:  "A combination of pegylated interferon plus ribavirin is standard therapy for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C, but there is little research comparing the two approved brands of pegylated interferon"

From my own observation, if you inserted the word 'independent' between the words 'little' and 'research' it might be a more accurate statement.  Maybe something like the safety impact tests for autos.  After all, there are a lot of us 'test crash dummies' out here.