Re: questions on stopping Peg Intron

[Guest guest]

There are 2 tests that they do. A qualitative and quantitative. The

quantitative is the (I think?) RIBA and the qualitative (which is

the better of the 2 ) is a PCR (Polymeraze Chain Reaction sp?) They

probably did the Riba and now want to do the PCR

> Hi, I haven't been deeping up with the posts on here for a quite

a

> while. Actually, I can't even remember the last time I checked it

out

> here. Sooooo, please excuse me if you've all had this up for

> conversation before but I really need some advice I can only get

from

> other Peg users. The only support group anywhere near me is really

> too far for me to get to at night (when they meet).

> So here goes........I spoke to the RN in charge of my case

several

> days before Christmas and he told me that I could skip a few shots

to

> give myself a break. The fatique and all is just too depressing.

> While on the phone he pulled out my last blood work and said he

had

> really good news for me, that the virus was not being picked up on

> the last test. But then he said something to the effect that I

needed

> another test done that looks more closely for the virus. Anyone

know

> what that would be?

> And, I never did the Ribavarin (sp?), and now that I'm going to

stop

> the Peg at least for a month, can anyone tell me how long it would

> take for me to feel the effects of NOT having Peg in my system?

> I am stage 4 Dr Child's level B or C, they have been very hazy

on

> this point with me, whicn of course makes me suspicious. After the

> first few weeks on Peg the side effects changed to things like

hair

> loss instead of that wicked flu type stuck in bed for 2 days crap.

> And my last big question is something that's been bothering me

for

> some time now, really bothering me a lot!. Years ago I had a Dr

who

> said I had auto immune and hep c, he had me on steroids and

Immuran

> for 17 1/2 years. He used to look at my finger tips all the time

and

> told me that they would blunt out when the diease progressed to

the

> no reversal stage. I switched Dr.s since that first one had some

> personal crisis and seemed to me to be going off his rocker (me

and

> many hospital staff), anyway my finger tips are now blunting and

I'm

> really getting scared. Was he right? Do I still have some other

hep?

> like auto immune - or whatever they're calling it these days?

> I would so appreciate if someone could please help me out with

> these questions. I'm not in a very good state of mind of late.

> My mail is jetticus@y... and I will check this board

> daily for awhile.

> Kay

[Guest guest]

Stopping treatment? I know with HIV stopping gives the virus a

chance to mutate. I don't know if that holds true with HCV. The

problem is I am not sure if the doctors know either. It would be

nice to take a break over the holidays, but I don't think I would do

it. I was doing a TX with Infergen (consensus interferon) and my

liver panel numbers were coming down, when I found myself in jail

for 10 days behind some traffic tickets not paid, and when I got out

the numbers were back up and didn't start coming down again, so I

got cut off as a non respondent. I don't know if that was from

missing the TX (I was injecting every day, it was a high dose study)

or if that would have happened anyway. Bottom line it's your choice,

but the missing time will probably get tacked on at the end anyway,

so I would stay the course. Good luck!

> Hi, I haven't been deeping up with the posts on here for a quite

a

> while. Actually, I can't even remember the last time I checked it

out

> here. Sooooo, please excuse me if you've all had this up for

> conversation before but I really need some advice I can only get

from

> other Peg users. The only support group anywhere near me is really

> too far for me to get to at night (when they meet).

> So here goes........I spoke to the RN in charge of my case

several

> days before Christmas and he told me that I could skip a few shots

to

> give myself a break. The fatique and all is just too depressing.

> While on the phone he pulled out my last blood work and said he

had

> really good news for me, that the virus was not being picked up on

> the last test. But then he said something to the effect that I

needed

> another test done that looks more closely for the virus. Anyone

know

> what that would be?

> And, I never did the Ribavarin (sp?), and now that I'm going to

stop

> the Peg at least for a month, can anyone tell me how long it would

> take for me to feel the effects of NOT having Peg in my system?

> I am stage 4 Dr Child's level B or C, they have been very hazy

on

> this point with me, whicn of course makes me suspicious. After the

> first few weeks on Peg the side effects changed to things like

hair

> loss instead of that wicked flu type stuck in bed for 2 days crap.

> And my last big question is something that's been bothering me

for

> some time now, really bothering me a lot!. Years ago I had a Dr

who

> said I had auto immune and hep c, he had me on steroids and

Immuran

> for 17 1/2 years. He used to look at my finger tips all the time

and

> told me that they would blunt out when the diease progressed to

the

> no reversal stage. I switched Dr.s since that first one had some

> personal crisis and seemed to me to be going off his rocker (me

and

> many hospital staff), anyway my finger tips are now blunting and

I'm

> really getting scared. Was he right? Do I still have some other

hep?

> like auto immune - or whatever they're calling it these days?

> I would so appreciate if someone could please help me out with

> these questions. I'm not in a very good state of mind of late.

> My mail is jetticus@y... and I will check this board

> daily for awhile.

> Kay

[Guest guest]

Kay,

Why are you only doing monotherapy with the Peg? If you stop

midstream so to speak, you will most likely wind up not responding.

There is no protocol for stopping for a " break " in the middle of a

treatment regime and it will most likely give the virus a better shot

at going at your liver again.

No way would I ever stop in the middle. Any progress you may have

made so far could be wiped out completely!!

LeighAnn