Update & whine.&abcessed tooth

[katerika]

Update, I am still tinkering around with Heme in the 10.5, it rallied for a couple weeks 10.7 then a wopping 11. 15 week PCR is 5000, at 12 weeks I was 19000. Insurance company okayed another 8 months of tx. I see the Dr. on Tuesday we are going to talk about adding a drug to work on the NASH. I am not working now and hope to level off soon. I miss my job.. Spent last week chasing around for an oral surgeon. Started on Amoxioillin, it didn't touch the swelling. Oral surgeon won't even look at me without a medical clearance. So I spent Saturday in the ER,went because I had a temp od 101.8, my face swollen, sinus causing eye pain, sharp ear pain, plus it was Saturday ( my worst day of the week.) So they did a CT scan, lanced my gums, changed antibiotics, Tuesday I finally got the medical clearance. Suppose to see the oral surgeon on Monday.

[katerika]

Yes I have read it and the other articleyou mentioned. As unbelievable as it may sound, my husband took the Dr. message. When I saw her I had thoughts of switching pharmacies.. I brought him with me as another set of ears. We talked about adding metformin or upping Interferon. When we got home I was wiped and our answering machine is 2 flights down in his office. I sai8 I;m taking a nap, he said the message from the Dr. was the new med wasn't a good idea. 2 days later after much ado, I listen to the Dr.s message which was "She had many complaints regarding the new drug company!"
I am now trying to back paddle.
Life is CRAZY
ter

[mikesimon]

In case you haven't seen it yet there is a very recent Clinical Care Options article titled:
Insulin Resistance and Hepatic Steatosis in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C

See: http://tinyurl.com/2cczhy

You might want to take a look at it.

Mike

[katerika]

Thanks

[zazza]

If you went from a baseline viral load of 2'000'000 IU/ml to 19'900 IU/ml at week 12 that would be exactly a 2-log drop which is what is required to continue tx. Sounds like a good idea to up the interferon. I think you stated earlier that it would be more appropriate for your weight? I upped my interferon 4 weeks ago because of weight gain, the first week was rough, but now I am back to normal sx. Hope you reach UND by week 24!

[katerika]

Talked to Dr today said my original viral load according to the tests were in the 10 million copies or the newer measurment is in IU and that was 2 million. that was before treatment. It looks like I am going to increase the Interferon to 150, see how that goes. We did talk about my insulin resistance and adding a drug, (Metformin) but I am not up to more side effects right now. I am asking about just adding some Vitamin C & E.
Teri

[zazza]

Thanks for getting back to me with your numbers. I am curious though: Did you not get your baseline viral load tested before tx? Or do you just not have the numbers handy?

Your log drop between week 4 PCR and week 12 was 1.3 log. (What one normally looks at is so that there is at least a 2-log drop between start of tx and week 12.)

MD Thomas Berg, a German hepatitis researcher, suggests going for 72 weeks if your 12 week result is 30'000 IU/ml or lower and you are UND by week 24. Be sure to use a viral load test as sensitive as possible, a sensitivity of 50 IU/ml is not enough.

Good luck with your tooth extraction and your doctor's appointment.

[katerika]

Starting viral load   -Don't know


6/25 4 week PCR = 397888*
8 week  = Don't know

8/15 Quanative Hep O RNA  [ref range <1.9]        4.3 HF@
12 week  = 19900
15 weeks   5000

Will see Liver Dr. Tuesday and ask more questions. She seems to think NASH is interfering with treatment. We are to go over  adding a drug for NASH .
Any questions you think I should ask?
I did ask my prognosis the last time and she said she couldn't give me an answer. I drive 1/12 hours to a major medical center. I do have confidence that they are up to date on stuff. I did switch from the Dept. head because I felt he was to busy and was more suited to critical care. Or he just triaged me,
I will post when I get more info.
Thanks. Math is not my forte, unless I put $ in front.
Monday - set up for tooth extraction

[zazza]

You know I am kind of one of those math nerds :). Would you mind telling me your baseline viral load and your results at each test (i e 4, 8, 12 and 15)? In IU/ml that is. I have been trying to get a grip on your situation before, but not succeeded. If I remember correctly, you waited with treatment a couple of years, but then your liver damage had progressed? Your situation just touches my heart.

What week are you in now? I am in week 44/72. Today I only have 199 days left out of 504. Yeah! And I am doing fine! Zazza

[meki]

How are you doin' today?

[debnevada]

i was supposed to have a wisdom out because it's in my sinus and was causing infections early in tx but the idea was vetoed by my liver nurse and my internist due to just the stuff you are talking about....jeez, i'm worried about you.

[katerika]

Thanks, trying to sleep through the discomfort, apparently with the low WBC we are not only susceptible to outside infections, but any bacteria in our bodies can take off.
ZAZZA\ I had PCR at 4 8 12 & 15. I am considered a slow responder, but at least There has been a response. How about you, where are you on the long road?

[debnevada]

Sorry about my weirdo post on friday. I was just putting myself in your shoes and going....DAMN......

can i make you a milkshake?

deb

[zazza]

Sorry to hear you are having a tough time.

Can you refresh my memory? What was your baseline viral load (before taking any shots or pills)? How many viral load tests have you taken, in what tx week and with what result? Zazza

[debnevada]

oh sh!t.

how are you doing right this minute?

oh damn.