Ladybug...16 week short course

[Myown]

hey bug!
I saw in the hep forum that ya mentioned to Jim about the 16 week course. I am struggling with the thoughts of what to do also.

You're doc wants you to consider? I think thats what I read. too lazy to go back and look to see exactly what you said. I'm on my way out to do some errands, but just wondering what you feel about it.

anybody else that has opinions or has done the short course, I'd apprecaite your input.

thanks

[GoofyDad]

Not to say you can't successful SVR on a short course with low riba, but the protocols call wor weight basd dosing like geno 1. I didn't do the short course but I attribute my SVR at least in part to choking down the riba. I did 1,200 mg for 160 lbs of body weight and took every pill with fat.

There's a theory that hgb levels are an inverse guage of serum riba. With procrit I was under 9 grams hgb for nearly the whole trip - so that suggests I had a good saturation of riba going on.

I also wonder if my low hgb fried some brain cells as I have yet to recover good short term memory. I think this underscores Jim's point quite nicely - I probably could have cut back on a riba pill and still SVR'd - in fact my doc encouraged me to do exactly that. Maybe that would have been a better choice in the long run.  

BTW - not to alarm anyone, but isn't riba listed as a carcinogen?

[Myown]

yes Goofy riba is a carcinogen. I think i just mentioned that in another post too. That has been one of the things on my mind too. But a majority of people have had Epstein Barr(i had it too) and that is also carcinogenic, which surprised me when I read that. If we add everything up thats in our bodies between life time meds (for those who take them) virus's, some of which are carcingenic, our polluted air we breathe etc, its no wonder the cancer rate is so high.

This is why I cannot go to a MD that just says,,"oh if you eat balanced you are getting all your nutrients. Okay maybe, but it goes beyond 'getting nutrients and a balanced diet.'

We need to take antioxidants 'big time' to FIGHT all the free radicals in our body. Good eating alone does not do this.

I appreciate everyones input on short term, but knowing me I will probably do the 24 only cuz if the virus came back after 24, at least I know I did all I could have. I am not strong enough to 'let it go,' if it came back after 16 week short course. I probably would dwell on my decision from now to kingdom come.

I'm not a gambler. My father was.  They probably have errected a statue of him at Aqueduct Race Track.

[ladybug52]

Filled the prescription, back on a/d's going to take it one day one week one shot at a time. Congratulations on turning out the song.
I WILL SURVIVE!
Bug

[ladybug52]

Goof: Are you trying to say that 800 mg's is not enough riba to do the shorter course? You know I have a paranoid personality, and it's all about me! Didn't get my honey dew today, cause I'm taking that personal:) I weight 126 at the Dr's scale, with clothes and shoes. I don't care what you guys think, us women KNOW clothes weight at least 10 lbs. But even based on the 126 figure, is 800 mg enough?
JmJm: Last night I had definitely decided on 24 weeks. Now after your sermon, I'm definitely swinging to the more conservative side and shortening my tx.
MyOwn:O.K. I need some help from you. What are considered antioxidants? Do I have to drink powdered ruby red and all that stuff? All my money goes to my bills and my kids in college. Is there a cheaper way to get healthy than the Vitamin Shoppe route? Remember, what's cheap to you is gas money to my kids!

[Cindy10]

Its a cr.p shoot no matter what you do. Both my doc and Dr. A said if UND at 4 go 24 weeks, unless it is untolerable. I was <615 but still detected at 4 weeks, so they both said do more. Dr. A said if can handle it, add the 12 weeks and be done with it. I could have been UND at week 5 for all I know, but I will never know, so I will extend but not the whole 48 weeks. Dr. A said there would be no additional advantage between 36 and 48 weeks.

Ok enough about my senerio, my point is at this point if I were you, just do the 24 weeks, so you don't doubt yourself later, esp. since you are doing well.
Get it done girl and get done right!

You too Ladybug, you dont ever want to have to do this over again and end up with more time (like jail) ;-)

[jmjm530]

At least one of the shorter course studies was done with weight-based ribavirin as opposed to an 800 mg flat does. Don't remember, however, if they tested the shorter course with flat dose to see if any difference. Maybe Goofy would know. That said, if you cleared early and your hemoglobin had a dramatic drop, it's possible you may not have needed the weight base. Also, how much did you weigh going into treatment and how much do you weigh now? It's quite possible that 800 mg is weight-based for you.

Here's one weight-based scheme:

RBV based on weight:

< 65 kg