Forum Replies Created
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Wow! There’s a lot to take in here. Very interesting about the cholesterol and VitD – over the last couple of years my cholesterol has been steadily rising to be considered ‘high risk if history determines’ – no explanation regarding diet etc and I was freaked out! MY previous DR got me to collect family history, diet check etc and assumed it was because my liver wasn’t functioning properly due to HCV; but my current Dr said could be genetic predisposition to high cholesterol, don’t worry.
My Vit D levels were marked as being way too low and hence I included a Calcium/D supp. My symptoms have been worse over past couple of years re HCV, now wonder if cholesterol levels and low D have been involved??Debs, I too have been suffering terrible hair loss & dry skin, again last couple of years. I take Vit B complex for it.
Naturopath recommended Vit C for Hep C – though the form of it was specific (forget now??) I was suffering bleeding gums and easy bruising. I take Vit C with Zinc powder occasionally for boost. I read the articles and posts here and now I’m confused.
QLD Australia ☀️
G3a HCV 35 yrs Tx naive
Started Sof/Dac 13/01/16Dec ’15
AST 70
ALT 89
GGT 124
Fibroscore 8.5
F1-F2
13 Feb’16 VL UND
AST 24
ALT 26
GGT 50HWow, Ariel, so glad you’re ok and hope your chooks and pussies are too
Breathing in that sort of smoke is horrendous. Love your priorities, to be honest, after my son and dog, covering my birds, I’d grab my MP’s too on the way out the door.
While it sounds awesome where you live the cons are the annual fire alert. I’m on an island, around 85% National Park, when we had a massive bushfire a few years back it was scary but they did contain it well. The soot and the smoke were the worst though.Glad you’re home now and let’s hope no more for you this summer. Damn those little shits that start these fires deliberately
All the best, take care
QLD Australia ☀️
G3a HCV 35 yrs Tx naive
Started Sof/Dac 13/01/16Dec ’15
AST 70
ALT 89
GGT 124
Fibroscore 8.5
F1-F2
13 Feb’16 VL UND
AST 24
ALT 26
GGT 50HCongrats to you Geno1b4! What an interesting adventure you must be having! I haven’t been to India but the way you describe it reminds me of Egypt, many years ago!
Good Luck on your Tx when you return home
QLD Australia ☀️
G3a HCV 35 yrs Tx naive
Started Sof/Dac 13/01/16Dec ’15
AST 70
ALT 89
GGT 124
Fibroscore 8.5
F1-F2
13 Feb’16 VL UND
AST 24
ALT 26
GGT 50HThanks GAJ, I was thinking the same last night. We’ll make an appointment in a couple of weeks for my previous GP, do the trip and see how manageable it is. He is actually the only one currently that can see my son for anything beyond ‘minor’ because he has his history and new GP’s won’t complete any paperwork without knowing the history. So, we were planning a trip to see him for my son, I will make a double booking and discuss my Tx. He is the best, most knowledgeable, compassionate Dr I have ever had, the moment you walk in and sit down his attention is fully on me, he doesn’t rush and look at the clock, he never dismisses my concerns. Honestly, having travelled around and lived in so many places as I have I truly have lost count of my Dr’s. So, having him for 8 yrs was a Blessing
I don’t believe for a moment he will not do my blood work because he was monitoring me for years because of the lack of communication with the Hospital clinic. I think I’ve got a plan!
Then, Plan B is to see Dr James via GP2U! Thanks for the tip re the Edit after post
Hey Zhuk, great to hear from you and I’ve been following your Tx thread too. Sounds like me ‘always late to the party’
You seem to be going well on Tx too. I’m starting my 2nd week today Day 8 – still sleeping well but when I do wake in the morning I’m ‘awake’ and can’t go back to sleep. I’m a bit ‘wired’ during the day, not as hyper as the 1st few days, but I still crash hard in the arvo and evening time I’m a couch potato
The ‘sweats’ not as bad now either, still suffering shocking nerve pain, numbness during the day(just so happy it’s not waking me at night) but I am now doing a long walk in the morning as well as my usual late arvo one. My feet burn and ache but I just keep going anyway. Despite my prescribed meds – heavy duty Yes! – I actually don’t take them as ‘prescribed’, I tend to wait until I’m crippled up in agony before I reach for them and never take Oxy after about 3 pm because I can’t sleep. This is not the right approach to pain management, my old GP used to say, because waiting until your in agony is much harder to knock on the head
illy:' /> Nevertheless, I’m paranoid about addiction – look at my history, it’s warranted
Anyway, thanks again for the support, couldn’t be doing this without it, Cheers
QLD Australia ☀️
G3a HCV 35 yrs Tx naive
Started Sof/Dac 13/01/16Dec ’15
AST 70
ALT 89
GGT 124
Fibroscore 8.5
F1-F2
13 Feb’16 VL UND
AST 24
ALT 26
GGT 50HHi LG, if your blood work shows you are deficient in B12 – then usually a B12 shot from the Dr is recommended. Otherwise, my understanding is that the B’s are better taken as a ‘complex’ – Multi B slow release. They don’t all carry out the same functions and finding a good balance can be hard, its always recommended that B12 needs Folate (better form for absorption than Folic Acid) and B6; in a multi, choline and biotin are very important but often these things are left out in some brands, also since Vitamins B (and C) are water-soluble, any excess is flushed straight out of the body. So, taking a max dose multi that isn’t slowly released into your system through the day means your body would digest it, assimilate what it needs and flush the rest out – big waste. If you just want B12 (with folate and B6) on its own the sub-lingual forms and liquids are assimilated faster.
As you say it’s all very complex Come on you did intend the pun didn’t you
QLD Australia ☀️
G3a HCV 35 yrs Tx naive
Started Sof/Dac 13/01/16Dec ’15
AST 70
ALT 89
GGT 124
Fibroscore 8.5
F1-F2
13 Feb’16 VL UND
AST 24
ALT 26
GGT 50HBTW, does anyone else have posts sometimes that the last couple of lines get chopped off?
Yesterday i had the ‘glitch’ with editing my Profile – works today – now it’s chopped off the end of my last post, happened before.Can’t believe I was so angry yesterday I forgot the awesome banana – can’t help myself now
All the best to you
QLD Australia ☀️
G3a HCV 35 yrs Tx naive
Started Sof/Dac 13/01/16Dec ’15
AST 70
ALT 89
GGT 124
Fibroscore 8.5
F1-F2
13 Feb’16 VL UND
AST 24
ALT 26
GGT 50HThank you GAJ and LG. Yes, as I was fuming on my walk home from GP, I kept thinking about her words and like you said GAJ, why can’t she do my blood work and if anything is ‘abnormal’ send me to the hospital clinic. Every day GP’s get someone with symptoms they want tests done and of course something comes back abnormal then if they don’t know the reason they ‘refer’ them to a Specialist! What is the difference here?
I had a fantastic GP for 8 yrs, he moved away last August and hence I’ve had to find another. He monitored all my ‘conditions’ and because the Hospital Clinic never sent him letters or copies of my tests he never knew what was going on re the Hepatology, so he always ran his own thorough tests, regular Ultrasounds etc. He was awesome, I think I may travel to his new clinic as I can drive there and take my son with me, it’s still a hike but not like the trip on the mini-bus to Brisbane! Otherwise, GP2U I suppose, it’s just that it will cost min. $90 p/m for consult and I’m on a pension and savings are running low.
Nevertheless, I feel completely unsupported by this GP and think I should change.Yes, LG I wish we could get together for a cuppa and a cry.
I agree, the crying is part of the grieving process and therefore essential to healing. So, I let those floodgates open
QLD Australia ☀️
G3a HCV 35 yrs Tx naive
Started Sof/Dac 13/01/16Dec ’15
AST 70
ALT 89
GGT 124
Fibroscore 8.5
F1-F2
13 Feb’16 VL UND
AST 24
ALT 26
GGT 50HOh, great my day has turned shitty after seeing my GP. She won’t have anything to do with monitoring me i.e. won’t request pathology tests at 4 weeks etc. Ever since she spoke to the Specialist from the public hospital clinic I go to in Brisbane she said that he told her if I decided to go via the Generics myself that she ‘couldn’t monitor me because she doesn’t know anything about these drugs and isn’t qualified.’ She said that if my results came back ‘abnormal’ that she wouldn’t know what to do and she has a Duty of Care to do something! She went on to say that even though the Gov has announced GP’s will be able to write scripts for these DAA’s soon there’s a misconception that people assume any GP can write a script. Apparently, only GP’s ‘experienced with HepC treatment and these drugs’ will be allowed to write scripts and monitor. I wanted to know how many GP”s could possibly be experienced with these new DAA’s and hepatology. She couldn’t answer. Because we all know ‘our’ Dr James Freeman is a rare breed!
She told me I would have to do the trek to the public clinic every month instead, they will be happy to monitor me. That means organising Respite Care for my son and getting on a Volunteer Bus on the island that takes people down to Brisbane for their medical appointments. It’s a whole day, hours of travel and hours of sitting at the hospital. I take days to recover from the pain, arthritis and nerve impingement is so aggravated by sitting and bouncing around on a hard seat in a mini-bus.Feeling very p***** off
So, probably other option is doing tests through GP2U consult I think.
And now I go to edit my profile and it’s deleted everything but 1 line, tried 3 times. I’ve messaged you Paul re this.
QLD Australia ☀️
G3a HCV 35 yrs Tx naive
Started Sof/Dac 13/01/16Dec ’15
AST 70
ALT 89
GGT 124
Fibroscore 8.5
F1-F2
13 Feb’16 VL UND
AST 24
ALT 26
GGT 50HWelcome and a big Congrats to you Greedfighter for being pro-active in taking your health and wellbeing into your own hands. I’m G3a, started Sof/Dac 13/01, 16 weeks Tx.
Good Luck and post how little or more you want as we all appreciate everyone’s experience and sharing of info.
QLD Australia ☀️
G3a HCV 35 yrs Tx naive
Started Sof/Dac 13/01/16Dec ’15
AST 70
ALT 89
GGT 124
Fibroscore 8.5
F1-F2
13 Feb’16 VL UND
AST 24
ALT 26
GGT 50HGood news GAJ Congrats
QLD Australia ☀️
G3a HCV 35 yrs Tx naive
Started Sof/Dac 13/01/16Dec ’15
AST 70
ALT 89
GGT 124
Fibroscore 8.5
F1-F2
13 Feb’16 VL UND
AST 24
ALT 26
GGT 50HThanks for sharing your symptoms/experience Ariel. I too had noticed that my eyes have been really sensitive to the sun, they water constantly and burn. Even indoors my eyes are having more trouble focussing and burning around the rims. Just started having tinnitus on/off past couple of days – I know others have mentioned that too.
Sorry, to hear of your loss Ariel
Can imagine getting out into the surf and having the waves wash over you and that magical cleansing feeling, aaahhh 
Go for it!!
Haha, the ducks! My son and I always love watching the ducks gathering – as long as it’s on someone else’s lawn
QLD Australia ☀️
G3a HCV 35 yrs Tx naive
Started Sof/Dac 13/01/16Dec ’15
AST 70
ALT 89
GGT 124
Fibroscore 8.5
F1-F2
13 Feb’16 VL UND
AST 24
ALT 26
GGT 50HYeah, it’s only been 6 days for me and the past few nights the best sleep ever
Even when I take valium to battle my lifelong insomniaI I always wake about 4 hours later. I haven’t taken anything other than my usual AD’s before bed and out quickly and sleep solidly for 6+ hrs, my puppy wakes me to be taken to the toilet, then I crash again for another couple of hours – it’s awesome
QLD Australia ☀️
G3a HCV 35 yrs Tx naive
Started Sof/Dac 13/01/16Dec ’15
AST 70
ALT 89
GGT 124
Fibroscore 8.5
F1-F2
13 Feb’16 VL UND
AST 24
ALT 26
GGT 50HThanks for that info LG. I have read about Alpha Lipoid Acid before and wondered about taking it. I spend a lot as it is on supps so I didn’t rush out to get any. So, you sound like you recommend it?
I know when things ‘work’ for me because when I run out of something and can’t afford to buy any for awhile I will notice the difference with my symptoms. e.g. Omega 3 and Multi B.
Although I am trying to keep things to a minimum while on Tx, antioxidants really are vital.
QLD Australia ☀️
G3a HCV 35 yrs Tx naive
Started Sof/Dac 13/01/16Dec ’15
AST 70
ALT 89
GGT 124
Fibroscore 8.5
F1-F2
13 Feb’16 VL UND
AST 24
ALT 26
GGT 50HHaving only started Tx a week ago, the first few days I was very ‘hyper’ and this set in about an hour after taking my Magic Pills (Sof/Dac) and lasted several hours and I crashed hard in the late arvo and by evening I was struggling to get off the lounge. Therefore, I know that it wasn’t just me feeling ‘excited’ about Tx. The past few days I hit a ‘low’ and was experiencing an emotional roller coaster and felt depressed and weepy. i know this had more to do with my psychological reaction to starting Tx. Thinking about how I got this and the years since, losses I’ve had and thinking that feeling like crap was going to be my ‘normal’ state until I passed. I never thought I’d ever get to have a chance to be rid of this virus.
It is a lot to take in.
QLD Australia ☀️
G3a HCV 35 yrs Tx naive
Started Sof/Dac 13/01/16Dec ’15
AST 70
ALT 89
GGT 124
Fibroscore 8.5
F1-F2
13 Feb’16 VL UND
AST 24
ALT 26
GGT 50HThank you everyone for the reassurance. Can’t imagine how much harder it would be without this forum.
I have had another solid night’s sleep – this is amazing! I have lived with insomnia since I was a teen, actually spent many years working nights because that was when I was most energetic and slept in the days.
I’m also noticing that my usual state of anxiety and agitation has subsided. I stopped drinking before Tx and interestingly have had no desire at all. I expected it to be an effort to resist but the lack of increasing agitation that typically occurs most days isn’t there and I don’t feel the ‘need’ to calm myself with a few wines. I’m enjoying a fabulous range of herbal teas that even my son is loving the ritual at night I had a ‘low’ over the weekend but feel better today, the weather has eased and I could get out for a walk – more like a ‘dragging’ of my puppy around the waterfront, she’s used to my son letting her pull him around, I’m trying to train her to walk along side
hmy: Today is Day 6 and I’m off to see my GP later and inform her I’m on Tx and ask if she’ll do my blood work at 4 weeks etc.
Each day is a new day and I’m taking it as it comes.
Sabrecat – Happy Birthday to you! Awesome to be EOT too!
Have a Great Day!!!
QLD Australia ☀️
G3a HCV 35 yrs Tx naive
Started Sof/Dac 13/01/16Dec ’15
AST 70
ALT 89
GGT 124
Fibroscore 8.5
F1-F2
13 Feb’16 VL UND
AST 24
ALT 26
GGT 50H
