EOT

[ceanothus]

I'm so glad its finally ending! Last Sunday was my final injection and dinner time will be my final ribavirin. I can't wait to start clearing these toxic drugs from my system. The last few weeks have been horrible for sx, with my HGB dropping to its lowest levels yet (10.3 as measured a week ago, but by how I'm feeling I think it kept dropping after that test), the RLS got worse again (the dopamine enhancing drug had to be stopped due to other sx), the cracks at the corners of my mouth came back (I'm using the anti-fungal cream, thanks to you guys (my doctor didn't have a clue) and getting relief, the sores on the tongue came back (the biotin helps, but not enough), the coughing and wheezing have been pretty severe, the intestinal sx from the ribavirin has been awful, even my osteoarthritis in my hands is flared up worse (the Voltaren gel also had to be stopped, as it was causing a rash. I hope my body will tolerate it better once the ribavirin is out of my system, as it has been causing constant minor rashes all by itself). I've been feeling so crummy that I haven't been on the forum as much, and now I see I've missed all kinds of good news - so many dear people here who have achieved a well-deserved SVR just in the last week or two! Congrats to all! Is there any good advice for warding off the anxiety between EOT and getting the next significant HCV PCR results? My hepatologist says 12 weeks will be significant, but I know the standard is 24 weeks. Those of you with brains that retain every HCV fact: do you know of statistics showing reliability of 12 weeks versus 24 weeks? Also, I personally think I'd feel better if I was also tested at 6 weeks. I know it won't reliably show SVR, but it seems like it (assuming the results were UND) would give me more reason to hope and less reason to fear the worst. Any opinions? I love you guys!

[MeWithC]

I'm so happy for you!!

[rk2761]

Glad you posted. I'm three weeks to the end of treatment and my experience sounds a lot like yours. My HGB level has really dropped and I expect it to continue - because that's been the pattern throughout the seven months. Lately, the intestinal sx have flared up. I didn't know that was due to treatment, which is why I'm glad you posted. I wasn't sure it was a sx - but since it often happens after the riba I suspected it was.

Good luck with your recovery and post-tx results.

[ceanothus]

I only saw my doctor once during tx! He was readily available via email and phone though, so it was okay.The definitive PCR test to determine if you are cured or not is usually done at 24 weeks (just a little under 6 months), but many people get a preliminary test done at 12 weeks after EOT. The 12 week test is 99.7% accurate, but I guess the doctors like an even higher rate of accuracy before they make any pronouncements. If you are impatient for the news (like I am) you should be able to ask your doctor to order an additional test at the 12 week point, although there is a possibility that he's not ordering because your insurance might not pay for it - but maybe they will too, maybe he's just being really conservative. I guess you'll have to ask to find out. Good luck (to both of us)!

[kittyluvr420]

Congratulations on finishing tx!  
I have scars on the corners of my mouth from thrush. It came back right when my tx ended. I looked like the Joker. I used an anti fungal cream & it cleared up.
My Dr. told me to do a lab in 6 months post tx. He wasn't very informative during tx. I think I saw him twice during tx. Am I suppose to do a 3 month lab? I just started shaking thinking about it.

[Dee1956]

I am very happy you are done.  I know my last week was so hard I did not think I could do it.  In fact I might not have taken the last few Riba, I was delirious
I am here to say Congratulations!  You did it!
I realized after EOt that I was stronger than I ever thought I could be

WOO HOO!!

[Revalation]

I'm so very happy for you.
Hopefully, you'll get your life back now.
Enjoy every minute of relishing no more meds.

Congratulations,

Reva