Aplastic Anemia

[charm27]

My hep/gastro man that referred me to the Univ. of Miami called me last evening to see if I got into a trial. I advised him that I wasnt accepted beacuse I had hepB years ago..which he was aware of. He thought that issue was absurd but understood they wouldnt accept me. I told him I have the Pegasys in the fridge and ready for takoff on Friday. I also told him about my 75mil VL. He was not concerned about that. What he was concerned about was that 6 of  his HepC patients came down with Aplastic anemia in the past 12 months.That usually is fatal..but sometimes can be treated.
Now Im terrified to take the Pegasys. He still wants Dr. Jeffers to try to get me in a trial I told him I just went thru this and its not goig to happen. He feels a P.I. is the only way to go...and with all the sx of Pegasys he'd rather see me not go that route. Im betwitched bothered and bewildered. Im going to crawl under a rock now and Im not coming back out. Ive had enough.

[FlGuy]

Think you should call the doc and specifically ask him what he said, to put your mind at ease.  When you read here that people are getting Procrit, it's to battle the anemia that can come from treatment. 6 out of 20 seems like a fairly high rate, but not exorbitant.  I had it myself, or more accurately avoided it with a procrit-like drug.  It's more the riba that causes anemia.  My understanding is (anyone jump in and set me straight) is that red blood cells have a life of a couple-few months in which they do their thing.  Riba cause the RBC's to 'pop' into oblivion - and die off at a younger age.  Bone marrow cannot keep up with the production of RBC's to replace those which die at a young age.  The result - anemia.  The remedy - Procrit like stuff which encourages the production fo RBC's to keep up with the death rate.
Call ht the gastro doc and re-ask him about the anemia.  There are several types of anemia and maybe he just mis-spoke.

[charm27]

I know I have never heard of Aplastic before on this forum either or anywhere else pertaining to HCV.
ALot of things happen that we are not made aware of. I was just told this at the wrong time. WIsh he didint tell me. I want to start now. I guess I just have to pull myslef together a little more. Ive been thrown alot of crappola the past few weeks and nothing has gone accordingly.
Im really not overconcerned with my VL.
Just everything ya know??

[charm27]

Thanks for your reply.  My doc said was due to the Peg and Riba this can happen. Its just ironic that 6 patients of his got  this from tx unfortunately. Three out of the 6 did 72 weeks he said.

[FlGuy]

There isn't anyone who has any sense who does not go into treatment frightened.  The emotional ingredient that needs to accompany fright is committment.  If you are not committed, don't start. If you don't start, you need to keep an eye on the med's expiration date.  And, if you don't start are you putting at risk the free meds that are being given to you?
By the way, I have nver read here (over a few years now) anyone who has incurred Aplastic Anemia for tx, Hemolytic anemia - lots.  But, that just my observation.  If you did start tx this week, you would not have 75 million next week.  Besides, it's not a matter of how many you have, it's a matter of how few (like zero) you have.

[charm27]

My virlal load is international units...which would turn out to be a 1 log higher than 8 million. Thats what I was told by my gastro/hepdoc.

Thanks for replying Im really stressed badly.Going into this with a high VL and being a 1a..and now had to be told about docs patients who have APLASTIC Im besides myself. SIgh.......................

Thank you

[Trish77]

I did a little bit of reading and it seems that Aplastic anemia requires blood products and it's more likely that Aplastic Anemia brought on the presence of HCV rather than the other way around, due to tainted blood products.  I really wanted to read up on it more before posting to you but that's my initial impression of it.  I wouldn't quote me on it ... just saying find out more before you crawl under that rock.

Trish