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Thanks very much, Doc.

Interesting reading Tigerfan, I can relate to your story.
I’m also very athletic
I’ve been involved in sports all my life and extreme sport most of it. My BP has also been controlled by meds. My kidneys have had lithotripsy twice. I don’t drink any alcohol at all. I drank the occasional wine or bubbly when young. Nothing at all for so long the smell makes me sick. I’m also a healthy eater, having lived the farming life for over 20 years it’s easy to grow your own food. So imagine my shock at two kidney ‘blobs’. A 4cm in one, a 1-2 cm on the other. Then every time I surfed omgosh my lower back! Agony. At first I blamed interferon damage. Then the frequency of having to go to the bathroom started.

Cut to scans and that stuff and yes I was making kidney stones!!!!
Meanwhile my old school chums are guzzling a bottle of Chardonnay every night and not active, and of course have nothing wrong with them except their hangovers which I don’t think they even know exist!

I guess it was HCV that was behind my similar issues you mention. The weird BP and yep the Kidneys as the Dr mentions they weren’t happy.

So here’s the good news.....
I was having colonoscopy every twelve months because I had a ton of nasties post interferon.
My most recent was my first clear one since hooray!

But that’s not my point.
I’m two years post clearing HCV with these miracle DAAs. As they were popping the machines onto me in theatre the anaesthetist says, are you an elite athlete? Your BP is 120/65 your heart rate is 56. I say no but I look after myself and have done sport all my life, I went for a surf yesterday.

Cue: laughter from Medicos
Me: You’re all giggling at the thought of me taking picosolax after a few hours surfing aren’t you?
Yup!!!

The cup of tea and biscuits were most welcome ha!

Sooooo...... maybe when you also are clear from HCV like myself you will start to find things really sort themselves out, things we learned to just deal with and live anyway.
I’m so relieved not to be making bad cells not to be worried about my BP and of course especially not to have HCV messing with my life
Wishes for the best for you too
Happy Splashes
Ariel

Here is an in-depth analysis of the extrahepatic manifestations:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4735500/

Thank you Dr J, that is well worth reading.. I am slightly cross eyed now ( an extra-long-reading-of-medicalspeak manifestation) Seriously this is good stuff to know for any of us!

Hi, I have cryoglobulinemia vasculitis and have been on immunosuppressants for 4 years (initially high dose steroids). I am on azathioprine 75 mg a day and obviously concerned about Covid-19. I have written my consultant to see if I can change medication.
Thank you for the information about high BP. I am on lercandipine 10 mg and Candesartan 16 mg daily so am anxious to get off the latter.
Any advice about cryo vasc and medication would be very welcome.
thank you
Clare

Hello Curl77,

While this is speculative, your azathioprine is quite possibly protective.

There is little doubt that both chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine help and the thing that kills people is a cytokine storm that causes the pneumonia.

It would be wise to stop the Candesartan while questions remain about its safety.

Hello Dr James
Thank you so much for replying with encouraging information, even if it is speculative. I have stopped the Candesartan and am watching my blood pressure. I even talked to the GP about Candesartan and he said the European Medicines Agency recommended continuing use and that was what he recommended too. However, I prefer to be safe and listen to the facts.
Thanks again. It's amazing to have someone like you out there.
Warm wishes
Clare