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  • 15 June 2016 at 2:20 pm in reply to: Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP) and nash/fibrosis #19119
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    • Guardian Angel
    • ★★★★★
    @sonix

    An apple a day keeps the doctor away. ;)

    I have fruit and raw oat muesli for breakfast, but usually yoghurt after dinner. When I was in Vietnam I recall being advised not to eat yoghurt after dark as it disturbs your sleep but dismissed it. I might try it for breakfast instead for a while.

    M 61yo HCV+ ~ 30 yrs Gt1a F2 VL 223,000 ALT 54 AST 42 Tx start Sof/Dac 17Dec15.
    SVR4 at 7Apr16 ALT 22 AST 22
    SVR12 at 9Jun16 ALT 23 AST 25
    Melbourne, Australia

    15 June 2016 at 2:00 pm in reply to: Supplements with evidence #19118
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    • Guardian Angel
    • ★★★★★
    @sonix

    Vitamins B and D are good to have during Tx. I swam outside and took Vitamin supplements, Jeunesse AM/PM Essentials (which contains a couple of things recommended not to take with Dac like ginseng but small doses) alternating with Berocca.
    I don’t imagine brewer’s yeast would be a problem but I am not an expert.
    Sof/Led is less affected by foods than Sof/Dac, just don’t take antacids near the same time as your dose.

    M 61yo HCV+ ~ 30 yrs Gt1a F2 VL 223,000 ALT 54 AST 42 Tx start Sof/Dac 17Dec15.
    SVR4 at 7Apr16 ALT 22 AST 22
    SVR12 at 9Jun16 ALT 23 AST 25
    Melbourne, Australia

    10 June 2016 at 7:40 am in reply to: Geoblocking Australia version 1.0 is active now #18793
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    • Guardian Angel
    • ★★★★★
    @sonix

    That’s a better outcome than I expected. So happy I can still access the forum without jumping through hoops. B)

    BTW Dr James you spelled Australia wrong in the title. :ohmy:

    M 61yo HCV+ ~ 30 yrs Gt1a F2 VL 223,000 ALT 54 AST 42 Tx start Sof/Dac 17Dec15.
    SVR4 at 7Apr16 ALT 22 AST 22
    SVR12 at 9Jun16 ALT 23 AST 25
    Melbourne, Australia

    4 June 2016 at 7:25 am in reply to: Sorry, but Australia is going to have to be Geoblocked #18356
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    • Guardian Angel
    • ★★★★★
    @sonix

    I’ve just done a little research on how to continue accessing fixhepc.com from Australia after the geoblock comes into effect. I found a possible gem, Opera browser developer edition now has a VPN included in the browser! Just click on the Menu and select “New private window with VPN”. You can download it from here –
    http://www.opera.com/blogs/desktop/2016/04/free-vpn-integrated-opera-for-windows-mac/
    Make sure to select “Opera developer” version for your operating system, it is available for Mac, Windows and Linux. B)

    Other possible options –
    – VPN service. Usually require a subscription but some free ones are available which may vary from good to dangerous.
    Tunnelbear was just recommended to me. You can get 500MB/month for free. https://www.tunnelbear.com/
    – Tor Browser. Not sure if this works as it is for anonymous browsing rather than hiding location, but it may. https://www.torproject.org/projects/torbrowser.html.en

    Hopefully all of us Aussies can continue to connect with each other here after the ant gets stomped.

    M 61yo HCV+ ~ 30 yrs Gt1a F2 VL 223,000 ALT 54 AST 42 Tx start Sof/Dac 17Dec15.
    SVR4 at 7Apr16 ALT 22 AST 22
    SVR12 at 9Jun16 ALT 23 AST 25
    Melbourne, Australia

    31 May 2016 at 6:21 pm in reply to: Medicare benefits VL test confusion #18140
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    • Guardian Angel
    • ★★★★★
    @sonix

    Thanks for explaining that, it must be why the lab want me to pay for the April one.
    I don’t recall having a VL in May 15 although I did have my annual(ish) LFT then. I’ll have to check with my GP. At least the next one for SVR12 should be bulk billed. :)

    It’s those Rules 18 and 25 that are really confusing. I just looked at the MBS Schedule linked in my first post and still can’t quite decipher them. :unsure:

    M 61yo HCV+ ~ 30 yrs Gt1a F2 VL 223,000 ALT 54 AST 42 Tx start Sof/Dac 17Dec15.
    SVR4 at 7Apr16 ALT 22 AST 22
    SVR12 at 9Jun16 ALT 23 AST 25
    Melbourne, Australia

    31 May 2016 at 12:35 pm in reply to: Medicare benefits VL test confusion #18108
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    • Guardian Angel
    • ★★★★★
    @sonix

    Thanks a million, Dr. James!
    So yeah, appears to be a bureaucratic stuffup and/or billing stuffup by the labs. Definitely had quants in Dec and Jan. I just checked your path request form for Feb and it requests qualitative but results say it was quantitative. Idiots. :S
    I’m presuming the April one hasn’t been presented to Medicare yet. It’s the one I was billed for and I disputed it. They gave me an extra month to investigate.
    I’ll call Australian ClinicalLabs again and see if I can get on to a supervisor. The grunt I spoke to last time didn’t seem to have a clue and said the supervisor was out.

    you have 3 official MBS tests leaving at least 1 qualitative available to be bulk billed.

    Are we only eligible for 4 tests total, rather than 2 quantitative plus 4 qualitative as I had previously understood?

    M 61yo HCV+ ~ 30 yrs Gt1a F2 VL 223,000 ALT 54 AST 42 Tx start Sof/Dac 17Dec15.
    SVR4 at 7Apr16 ALT 22 AST 22
    SVR12 at 9Jun16 ALT 23 AST 25
    Melbourne, Australia

    31 May 2016 at 8:05 am in reply to: Medicare benefits VL test confusion #18087
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    • Guardian Angel
    • ★★★★★
    @sonix

    Thanks Dr.James. The first quantitative was at St. Vincents liver clinic while the rest were private labs. SVR12 test is due next week so guess I’ll have to pay for that as there would be no chance of getting into the clinic before then.
    ALT was good at SVR4 but I’d like to do SVR12 VL just for completeness.
    I don’t even have a path request form yet so will have to pay GP2U for that too as my GP didn’t want to monitor my Tx. Funds are tight atm. :(

    M 61yo HCV+ ~ 30 yrs Gt1a F2 VL 223,000 ALT 54 AST 42 Tx start Sof/Dac 17Dec15.
    SVR4 at 7Apr16 ALT 22 AST 22
    SVR12 at 9Jun16 ALT 23 AST 25
    Melbourne, Australia

    31 May 2016 at 4:18 am in reply to: Sorry, but Australia is going to have to be Geoblocked #18079
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    • Guardian Angel
    • ★★★★★
    @sonix

    Yes TGA is under Department of Health. Read all about them – https://www.tga.gov.au/sites/default/files/tga-business-plan-2015-2016.pdf

    M 61yo HCV+ ~ 30 yrs Gt1a F2 VL 223,000 ALT 54 AST 42 Tx start Sof/Dac 17Dec15.
    SVR4 at 7Apr16 ALT 22 AST 22
    SVR12 at 9Jun16 ALT 23 AST 25
    Melbourne, Australia

    29 May 2016 at 11:57 am in reply to: Sorry, but Australia is going to have to be Geoblocked #18017
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    • Guardian Angel
    • ★★★★★
    @sonix

    PBS is the government subsidy scheme for drugs. They first need to be approved for use in Australia by the TGA after which they are allowed to be prescribed although will only be available at full retail price until PBS listing. For instance sofosbuvir was approved in 2014 but not listed on PBS until March 2016.
    It is not legal to sell generic drugs until after the patent expires, but it is legal to import 3 months supply of drugs that are TGA approved for personal use only.
    Where the TGA got it’s knickers in a knot, they somehow think FixHepC is advertising and supplying generic drugs. It’s a bit of a stretch as the site is really just making available information to facilitate patients to organise their own supply.

    M 61yo HCV+ ~ 30 yrs Gt1a F2 VL 223,000 ALT 54 AST 42 Tx start Sof/Dac 17Dec15.
    SVR4 at 7Apr16 ALT 22 AST 22
    SVR12 at 9Jun16 ALT 23 AST 25
    Melbourne, Australia

    28 May 2016 at 1:53 pm in reply to: Living with hepatitis C vs legal framework #17976
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    • Guardian Angel
    • ★★★★★
    @sonix

    1. How was/is it for you to live with Hepatitis C?
    I was diagnosed in the early 90s and probably was reckless with aspects of life as I thought I would eventually die earlier than I should. So I have regrets I didn’t treat myself better, mainly for not beating addictions much sooner although managed to quit most bad things (not bloody ciggies though) over 10 years ago mainly by willpower. I’ve usually managed an acceptably healthy diet and moderate level of fitness regardless which most likely saved me from being a total basket case now. Then there’s the social stigma which added to the anxiety and depression I’ve suffered intermittently for most of my life.
    2. Was the information available on hepatitis C forums/websites useful to you? Describe shortly
    I first phoned https://www.hepvic.org.au/ in June 2015 to get the ball rolling and they gave invaluable information and sent me an excellent info pack.
    hepvic.org.au and fixhepc.com were both most helpful.
    3. Did you applied in your healthcare system for a Hep C treatment? What was/is the status of your application?
    I got a GP referral to St Vincents liver clinic who believed PBS approval would happen in December. In the meantime met a friend who told me about FixHepC and I got started on meds soon after when the December approval looked unlikely.

    M 61yo HCV+ ~ 30 yrs Gt1a F2 VL 223,000 ALT 54 AST 42 Tx start Sof/Dac 17Dec15.
    SVR4 at 7Apr16 ALT 22 AST 22
    SVR12 at 9Jun16 ALT 23 AST 25
    Melbourne, Australia

    28 May 2016 at 12:40 pm in reply to: Sorry, but Australia is going to have to be Geoblocked #17973
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    • Guardian Angel
    • ★★★★★
    @sonix

    It would be great if the advice accumulated here regarding treatment and patient experiences was available separately from the Buyer’s Club and generic supply topics. It would be a herculean task to sift through what is posted here already though. A lot of the knowledge contained here is helpful and some is invaluable for people contemplating or undergoing treatment irrespective of where they source the medication.
    Perhaps someone with website skills could set up a forum in Australia just to provide treatment info without links to generic supply (ozhepcsupport.com?) and some of us here with Tx experience could join to kick it off. As I see it, the TGA’s main issue is the actual connection to supply of generics.

    And just a thought on sabrecat’s post above, all those prosecutions by the TGA appear to be for snake oil or counterfeit snake oil. This appears to be unprecedented action against medication that is approved for use in Australia.

    M 61yo HCV+ ~ 30 yrs Gt1a F2 VL 223,000 ALT 54 AST 42 Tx start Sof/Dac 17Dec15.
    SVR4 at 7Apr16 ALT 22 AST 22
    SVR12 at 9Jun16 ALT 23 AST 25
    Melbourne, Australia

    27 May 2016 at 5:07 am in reply to: Blood tests throughout tx #17877
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    • Guardian Angel
    • ★★★★★
    @sonix

    Just my opinion, but the only tests needed are –
    – pre Tx
    – during Tx until UND*
    – SVR4 (less essential)
    – SVR12

    *Personally I had a test at 4 weeks into TX which showed Detected

    M 61yo HCV+ ~ 30 yrs Gt1a F2 VL 223,000 ALT 54 AST 42 Tx start Sof/Dac 17Dec15.
    SVR4 at 7Apr16 ALT 22 AST 22
    SVR12 at 9Jun16 ALT 23 AST 25
    Melbourne, Australia

    27 May 2016 at 4:57 am in reply to: Sorry, but Australia is going to have to be Geoblocked #17874
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    • Guardian Angel
    • ★★★★★
    @sonix

    Shit. Sam the eagle.

    I can see their point of possibly considering parts of the site as advertising, in that it espouses the benefits of medication and offers a source of supply. This follows the letter of the law but ignores the spirit of humanity. That the law is inflexible and could be seen to inhibit positive outcomes is not something we can change easily or quickly, and is certainly not the only law we have that fails to consider the value of borderline cases (ie. technically illegal but socially or morally beneficial).
    Now that treatment is available at nominal cost to all Australians through PBS, the supply side of things is virtually irrelevant locally.
    The site contains reams of information that is helpful or even essential for people contemplating or undergoing treatment. It is a tragedy to close off this info for Australians.

    Thanks again for your wonderful work, Dr. James, and I am very sad about this turn of events.

    M 61yo HCV+ ~ 30 yrs Gt1a F2 VL 223,000 ALT 54 AST 42 Tx start Sof/Dac 17Dec15.
    SVR4 at 7Apr16 ALT 22 AST 22
    SVR12 at 9Jun16 ALT 23 AST 25
    Melbourne, Australia

    15 May 2016 at 7:52 am in reply to: No Kill to Bulk Bill Aust #17243
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    • Guardian Angel
    • ★★★★★
    @sonix

    The path form includes this –
    “Tests Requested
    HepC Viral Load Qualitative; LFT;”
    “Clinical Notes
    Having DAA Rx for HCV. Auth Dr John W Freeman FRACP”
    and
    “Special Requests
    Bulk Bill:Yes”

    Seems pretty clear to me.

    Also strange is I’ve had 3 quantitative VL tests in the last 12 months from 3 separate labs with no bill. The first was StVincents internal lab but that shouldn’t make a difference.

    M 61yo HCV+ ~ 30 yrs Gt1a F2 VL 223,000 ALT 54 AST 42 Tx start Sof/Dac 17Dec15.
    SVR4 at 7Apr16 ALT 22 AST 22
    SVR12 at 9Jun16 ALT 23 AST 25
    Melbourne, Australia

    15 May 2016 at 7:16 am in reply to: No Kill to Bulk Bill Aust #17238
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    • Guardian Angel
    • ★★★★★
    @sonix

    @ Ariel – Was your VL done at Australian Clinicallabs? (they used to be Healthscope) I’m calling them tomorrow to query the bill.

    M 61yo HCV+ ~ 30 yrs Gt1a F2 VL 223,000 ALT 54 AST 42 Tx start Sof/Dac 17Dec15.
    SVR4 at 7Apr16 ALT 22 AST 22
    SVR12 at 9Jun16 ALT 23 AST 25
    Melbourne, Australia

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