Stopping TX 2 weeks early??

[romans828]

Does anybody know of any studies that tell about stopping txing 2 weeks early?  My hubs has genotype 3a.  In 5 weeks he had cleared, but doc suggested completing tx to make sure he clears.  (understandable since they can't "see" Hep C under 50mg from my understanding).  In order to celebrate our 10th anniversary and him getting off treatment, we booked a cruise for after treatment.  We miscalculated and now find that he would have 2 weeks to go on tx.  He DOES NOT DO WELL on this medication, so he doesn't want to be on it during the cruise.  Doc said that the studies he's seen people have terminated at 4 mos and it came back (didn't differentiate on genotype, though) so I'm wondering what ya'll think about not taking the last two shots???

[HectorSF]

I have to agree with everyone else.
You say your husband does NOT do well on treatment? So why risk having to redo treatment???

As someone else said "it's a no brainer". To prematurely celebrate the end of treatment and risk having the virus come back sounds frankly, unbelievable to me. This treatment and its impact on our working and personal lives has been a painful experience for many of us. To risk going through all this again because of "a cruise"...

There is a reason we are on treatment for 24 weeks, 48 weeks, and longer. It gives us the best chance of ridding ourselves of the virus for the rest of our lives.

Please do the right thing for the both of you.
There will be plenty of time for cruises when your husband is HCV free.
I wish you both the best.
Hector

[wildflower54]

He's been on it this long.  I would say "stay the course" .  No really this is not a joke.  I stopped a few weeks early.  Since it was in 1999 I'm not sure if it was the same tx.  I was supposed to be on it for 6 mos.  I was 99.9% clear of the vl.  Now many years later...but yet not long enough...it's back to what it was pre treatment.  Re-schedule your trip.   Make as sure as you can that it will be gone becsue the thought of going back on it again is really tough and it looks to me from reading this chat tonight that there aren't any or many tx alternatives.  Live long, love long.
Blessings

[Trish77]

Think about it from this perspective.  If you got a viral infection and you got put on antibiotics, you don't stop taking them as soon as you feel great again .. you have to finish the prescription to make sure the infection doesn't come back.  Feeling better is only the symptom of a cure beginning to take hold.  UND is the same way.  It's only the BEGINNING.   There's a reason why people do the duration of 24 weeks or 48 weeks even after being UND at 2 weeks.  It gives you the very best chance at SVR.  Unless ENOUGH statistical evidence comes out to tell us otherwise.. there's a reason why that's the recommended treatment duration.  That may change soon.. but not yet.

For someone who does not do well on this medication, it seems incredibly reckless to risk having to do it all over again to go on a cruise.  I can see it if it's because his overall medical health is at stake so he has to go off early or he risks even greater health issues.  But why risk having to go through treatment all over again if you don't have to.

Maybe at least being on a cruise while on tx is better than being at home while on tx.  

Best of luck with this and I'm sorry for the disappointment factor here.

Trish

[mar148]

I think you know the answer, any shortcuts, quitting early or changing medication dosage by time or amount is not, not a good idea.  Finish the 24 weeks.  You will then have no regrets.  

[jmjm530]

I think you've gotten good advice already and IMO it applies equally to skipping a Peg injection. At this point you really have to decide what your priorities are.

[romans828]

Thanks everyone for the honesty and the input. I do appreciate the thoughtful answers.  But, he's got another question.  He's wondering if he skips a week, then when we get back, finish the meds.  He has energy and feels great Thursdays after his shot, then he goes down again 5 to 6 hours after tx on Friday, and is feeling bad through Wed afternoon.  He's heard about people being taken off the tx for a while (mostly because of blood issues) and is wondering if he takes that week off, will that decrease his chances of SVR?  He's undetected at 5 weeks, and will get his blood work done again Monday.  Any more input?  Just trying to get as much info as possible to weigh the issue.  To my knowledge, cruise is booked and paid for, so are the plane tix, so it looks like we're going, just trying to figure out the tx. Thanks again.  This site is awesome for information!

[Lady Lauri]

Agree with all above also!! Some of my worst tx weeks were the 3-4 after stopping meds. He won't feel better right away, in fact I felt worse the 1st couple weeks after last dose.
  I am 7 weeks post tx and still not so great, better, happier, getting back to normal, but it takes time. There is a lot of controversy on Geno 3's doing longer tx, % of SVR, etc. I truly wouldn't take that risk. Try to change the date for your cruise, explain that he is on treatment. As he doesn't handle these meds well, it would be awful if he doesn't SVR.

Good luck, LL

[FlGuy]

All things work together for good for those who want to be svr.  A bad day of golf is better than a good day at work. The question is: Is feeling poorly on treatment on a cruise better than the potential of failing treatment and doing it again. From my perspective, a no-brainer.

[nygirl7]

I agree with geterdone.  The meds will still be in his system and if he stops the week before it won't make all that much difference to how hefeels BUT it could submarine all hopes for the permanent "cure".

Geno 3s can be VERY tricky to get SVR...just ask the guys in here who have relapsed.  Then they had to treat all over for much longer to get there.

It's not worth it at all.  Rebook the days of the cruise for at least one month after he stops at the earliest.

Sorry, it's not what you want to hear but...it's the best advice possible.

[jmjm530]

Lots of reasons to cut treatment short, but "cruise" doesn't cut it in my book. Also, as "Copy" suggests, your husband may still significantly feel the effects of the tx drugs two weeks post treatment. Personally, I'd either postpone the cruise, or bring the meds aboard, depending on how he's feeling. Another point is the end of treatment viral load test which can help differentiate a relapse from a viral breakthrough. This is generally taken a week after the last Peg injection, which also may be problematic if at sea.

-- Jim

[geterdone]

I will not matter if he stops 2 weeks early or not the meds will still be in his system even if he does stop because of the concentration levels and half life of the meds he will still be feeling the sx of them. Might want to rethink the cruse and put it off if you can and if not, stay the course but reduce the riba. It is too close to the end to possibly jeopardize the hard work already done. The cruse is easy to change and the 7 wonderful days at sea is only short term fix but the lasting effects of relapse are longer.

geterdone

[mar148]

I am type 3 and just finished treatment, and am not almost 5 weeks off, I am in the worrying if it worked phase.  I would not end 2 weeks early, it may or may not be an issue toward being successful or not.  You really can not tell medically if your husbands body needs a few more weeks undetected or not to be SVR.  I would not end early, either reschedule or go slow on board the ship.  Really.

[desrt]

Speaking as a geno 3 who quit early, the peace of mind is probably worth the extra two weeks of treatment.
There is no guarantee that even 24 weeks will work, and the only studies I've read on g3s quitting early say that, odds are two weeks *probably* won't make a difference.
But is he willing to play the odds if the stakes are having to do the treatment over?

[mikesimon]

I would reschedule the cruise before I would prematurely stop treatment. No one can say with certainty that if he stopped early he would not remain undetectable but I do think that people could say with a high degree of certainty that his chances of success would be better if he completed the treatment. Mike