TOPIC: Diabetes and Hep C

Hi, my mum has Diabetes and Hep C. In the past few years she’s found it difficult to manage her sugar levels, and has quite a few lows despite very meticulously managing her diet and medication. Regular check ups show that her liver is ok. A trial treatment of interferon she took part in some time ago resulted in her left eye bleeding, so they stopped treatment immediately. Unfortunately, her left eye needs Botox injections to help with the spasms. She is hesitant to try any new treatments as she doesn’t want to make her eyes worse. Does anyone have any insight on treatments for people with Hep C & Diabetes & bleeding eyes (please note the eye description is just how she describes it). Thank you! Also a quick acknowledgement to Hazel Heal who has referred me to this forum

Hello Elly,

There is a known association between Diabetes and Hep C. Diabetes is much more common in patients with Hep C. This is a good article on all the so called "extra-hepatic manifestations" of Hep C.

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

While blood sugar control might be better after treating (and I have seen this) it might also not change much (I have seen this too). A patient's general state of health is typically much better.

Interferon was nasty stuff. While all drugs have side effects, and DAAs do have some mild side effects in some people, they are remarkably clean and effective when ribavirin does not have to be used. Eye issues are not commonly reported and we have analysed the entire FDA FAEARS database (48,000+ side effect reports covering well over 1 million treatments).

So it's unlikely treatment would cause eye issues. Do you have a sympathetic doctor to talk to and are the medications available to you (if so what?).

Hi,
I recently had my yearly Dr. visit with lab work completed. Finished 12 weeks Panovir (Epclusa) and cured over a year ago. (Thank you, Doc. Freeman!!!) All labs have been normal. However, my labs last month showed a blood glucose level of 107. I never had diabetes nor does it run in my family. I will be retested in Jan. 2019. I eat a healthy diet and am slim. I will exercise more. I bought Berberine and thought I'd give it a try. I was surprised. My Dr. did not make a big deal about it, but was so happy she gave me a big hug saying you don't have HepC anymore.
Lily

Hello Lily,

Your blood sugar of 107 converts into 6.0 mmol in International standard units.

I would not be too worried, but an oral glucose tolerance test would be a typical next step.

Will do.
Thank you!!

I am 68 yrs old and my glucose level had been hovering around 98 for years. I started walking for an hour a day after breakfast. My recent glucose level test was 83. It hasn't been that low in over a decade. I am surprised that moderate exercise worked so well.

Hi beahavan,

When we medicalise everything we tend to forget that the solution to life problems is rarely found in the bottom of a bottle.

Good friends and relationships, a good diet, enough sleep, not too much alcohol, not smoking, keeping your body weight in check, and some regular exercise all combine as the major contributors to good health.

Occasionally, like with DAAs, pills can make a massive difference, but that's the exception, not the rule.