My doctor had me wait 11 months after my transplant to start me on Harvoni to eradicate the Hep C. It worked and it is gone FOREVER!!
I had Hep C after my transplant in 2013. I had a 6 month course of Harvoni... Hep C gone forever...
One thing you should beware when it comes to the anti-rejection medicine (Prograf) that your husband is talking. The caution is that you have to ask his doctor frequently when the dosage can be lowered. Prograf is toxic and in the long run it can cause kidney failure. Right after my transplant, I was put on 10 mg. Prograf daily. Gradually, the doctor lowered it to 5, then 4, and so on. Last month, the doctor lowered it to 1.5 mg. daily. That is low and I had to give blood one month after the dosage was lowered so the doctor could see if it was too low. I'm happy now with 1.5 mg. In a few months, I will again as the doctor to lower it. My doctor in Las Vegas has one patient post transplant on .05 mg. daily. The genetics of your body will eventually infuse your genes into the new liver so that the body will eventually stop trying to destroy it since it doesn't belong to you. There are some patients post transplant on no Prograf...
That's really wonderful news! I wish you and your Husband continued good health and joy. Be well, Mike
hi mike! thanks for always being there anytime i needed an answer and help for our situation. So far so good, transplant was really a blessings we dont expect, my hubby now were very healthy, strong and active. we're enjoying a quality life than ever before thanks God of coarse for the chance given to us. His last laboratory result and ultrasound was all fine, that was maybe the reason why his dr. didnt prescribe yet treatment like riba or interferon. We do hope and praying to God that this good news will remain, as well as to all transplant patients like you and. God bless you and your family, i'll keep you update, thanks
I assume that you're referring to Hepatitis C treatment.
My understanding is that different centers have different protocols for treatment post transplant. Some centers seem to advise treatment significantly sooner than other centers. And some patients have a more virulent or damaging recurrence than do others. I have known patients whose biopsies revealed very little damage several years post transplant while others do not do nearly as well. My recurrence was apparently rather virulent because I started on treatment within 2 months post transplant. But, my center also appears to treat more aggressively and sooner than other centers I know of. The prospect of the new protease inhibitors (Vertex) might incline centers to wait until newer drugs are available to the transplant community because 1) it appears that Vertex will be much more effective and 2) the treatment duration may be significantly shorter. The most problematic aspect of treatment in the post transplant community is tolerability and as a consequence inadequate dosing with interferon and ribavirin is frequent which leads to poor overall response. I think the statistics are in the neighborhood of 26% to 30% achieving SVR.
If you are concerned you could have your Husband biopsied so as to get an idea of the current state of his liver.
I wish you both good luck.
Mike