TOPIC:

Hi Jill,

Yep definitely the disease progression can be unpredictable - main reason in my decision to jump on tx just in case, despite being F0

if you haven't had a fibroscan, i understand.

Yeah I agree zhuk, even if fibrosis is low, it's still in there doing damage.

In fact, it's doing harm all over your body ,
so get into battle mode & get the b@stards!!
x

You said it Cindi - it affects numerous body systems. Be interesting to sift out which symptoms are the hep & which are other stuff...gotta say I'm curious to find out

I'm thinking of tx like machine gunning the virus...for personal preference an M60 lol. Let the battle be joined!

James-Freeman-facebook wrote:
2) The advice re prolongation of treatment based on HCV viral load monitoring is incorrect. There is no relationship between on-treatment monitoring and treatment outcome (assuming high level adherence, as in clinical trials). In fact, many patients in clinical trials have had "detectable" HCV RNA at end-of-treatment and still achieve sustained viral clearance. There is clearly no relationship between week 4 (or other timepoints) and sustained viral clearance, so extending treatment duration (as we did with interferon-based treatment) does not make sense in the interferon-free era..

Thank you Dr. James.
This is one of my major concerns. If 12 weeks is enough to cure hep C in my case. You pointed out very clear that there's no need to the prolongation of the treatment based only on viral load during treatment.
By the way mine VL was big at the beginning. That's why I decided to get rid of the viruses.
But being on generics is important at psychological level to check if treatment is going in the right direction.

By the way mine VL was big at the beginning.

In the ION-3 trial (Harvoni GT1, naive, non cirrhotics)

www.hepatitisc.uw.edu/page/treatment/clinical-trials/61

It was observed that SVR rates were nearly identical for 8 weeks vs 12 weeks treatment where the initial viral load was < 6 million.

My gastro said that the few viruses I had left would be killed off by my immune system. Extended treatment wasn't necessary. So far my immune system ain't done right by me so I decided to extend treatment for a few more months. Maybe that's why I am having some health problems but I will deal with them as they arise. No more virus for me after 42 years.