Thanks for that info Dr Freeman.

I’m in the UK, and this set of tests are being done at a private lab because my NHS Consultant declined to get involved in this treatment in any way, shape or form. The clinic said up to five days for viral load result, but the Phlebotomist (sp?) said sometimes it’s much quicker.

I stopped drinking alcohol Easter 2014. Would it still be a factor?

My pre-treatment levels were:

ALT 28
AST 26
Biluribin 8
ALP 89

Anxiously waiting for my viral load result now

Never smoked, white ethnicity.

I’m on 500mg Naproxen BD, Paracetamol as required (usually 1000mg in the morning) for non-rheumatoid arthralgia and myalgia. 10mg Ramipril daily for raised BP.

For years I took high doses of curcumin and milk thistle, but stopped these a month before starting my Sof/Dac treatment.

I dab a bit of Dermovate occasionally on bits of psoriasis I get, but mostly use E45 on them.

Ok, thanks for that.

I’m going to update this thread as my treatment progresses if that’s ok.

Hi Emilio,

I had an ultrasound scan a few months ago. Based on that and my bloods, the NHS consultant who has declined to get involved with my generic treatment assessed me as having no liver damage and therefore, not currently suitable for the latest treatments (only cirrhotics are currently being treated on the NHS with them). As an aside, he also showed his ignorance (or worse) in a letter to my GP in which he stated that I, being genotype 3 and intolerant of Interferon, couldn’t have the new meds anyway because my genotype requires interferon in the combination. Ignorant, or economical with the truth? This is a hepatology consultant in a centre of excellence btw!!!

Yeah, as I said, I’ll post updates as I find stuff out.

Yes, ultrasound, Emilio. The Consultant who is overseeing my current treatment privately was astonished when he found out I hadn’t had a fibroscan. We tried, unsuccessfully, betwwen us, to find a local private clinic that ofeers the service.

I’ve attached the letter (with all names and references redacted) that my GP practice and myself received from my NHS Consultant wrt this.

The last letter from said Consultant, which I was informed about by phone call from my GP practice, was his declining their request to monitor my bloods during the current treatment. My GP practice have agreed to do blood tests for liver and kidney function (first drawing on Tuesday). But their viral load tests are done at Dr Helpful’s clinic, so I will continue to have those done privately at £225 a go.

Like you said, I’ll find out where my liver is up to in a few weeks.

Had my first NHS blood-drawing for the current treatment this morning.

Before I went into my GP’s I decided to give my treatment clinic a ring to see if they’d got my 10 day vl result through yet. Yes they had, and they’d email it to me straight away.

So I booked in at the GP’s and got onto the internet on my phone. Email with PDF attachment from the clinic arrived, so I opened the PDF, which was far too big for the phone screen. Scrolled straight down to the result to see ‘Not Detected’. Wow!!! Sheesh!!! After a few seconds I scrolled across and saw ‘Hepatitis B DNA Viral Load’. Huh? Must be a mis-print! Went in to have some blood drawn, routine blood pressure check higher reading than usual!

Back out to car, and on the phote to the clinic. “Yes, Mr ‘Alsdad’ it was a HBV vl test that was requested. Wasn’t that what you wanted?” Why on earth would I want one of those? I’m being treated for HCV. “Practice manager’s not in ’till 10.30. I’ll get her to phone you.” Practice manager phoned a 11.00, after reviewing what had gone on. Couldn’t apologise enough. “When can you get back in for another blood sample?” This afternoon.

So, feeling a bit like a dartboard , I’m about to head back down there.

My ‘treatment’ under the NHS had turned into a soap opera, and made me bite the bullet and go private. Hoping that this course isn’t going to go the same way!

The clinic seems quite disorganised. But the Consultant I’m seeing is remarkably well-informed, a good listener and a nice guy.

Yeah, done Riba and Peg in 2004. I’m sure it was killing me. I hobbled into my Consultant’s office one day, he looked round at me and a look of horror spread across his face. His first words were “Do you want to stop the treatment?” No ‘good morning’, ‘how are you’, or any such niceties. He was spooked. Never again.

It’s just crack on with the meds now, keep having the blood tested, see where I end up. I couldn’t wait for cirrhosis/liver failure, as the NHS were expecting me to do. I have an 18 yo daughter who I took across the country to start uni last Sunday, and a son in junior school. I have to givie it my best shot for them.