Maintenence tx - Questions?

[Guest guest]

Okay, here's my situation, was diagnosed a few years back. Lots of

the usual symptoms you read about here and that few doctors ever tie

to Hep C. Biopsy showed that I was teetering on the edge of

cirrhosis and that there was a fair amount of damage to the liver.

I started Peg-Intron and Reba tx in January of 2002 and finished

just before Christmas that year. Had a pretty hard tx, especially at

the end. I was undetectable from my first check at 12 weeks, all the

way through tx. At my first post tx test the virus was back in the

detectable range.

In February of 2003 my mother passed away and I went to her funeral

back home in Minnesota. The day after the funeral I had my second

heart attack (First was about 13 years ago) which upset me a great

deal as I did not get to play with the siren and my wife did.

Docs were a bit unsure/reluctant to jump back into anything right

away so I was told to take a " vacation from treatment " for this last

year which I did. Tx left me with hypothyroid, some nasty RA type

aches, and all of my pre treatment sides, fatigue etc…

Now we have to figure out what to do. Went to gastro on Monday and

he went through the options:

Wait! With the state of my liver, he thinks I " could " progress to

cirrhosis pretty quick, I don't like that idea.

Retreat with Pagasys/copegasys or Peg/Reba – he said odds were 30%

on retreating using drug companies most optimistic figures and that

in his opinion it was 15% or less. He said this was an option if I

really wanted to do it.

High dose tx - contraindicated because of past heart problems.

Maintenance – Once a week with Pegasys only - This is where we're

leaning as it may not clear the virus but will keep further dame

from happening to the liver.

So, I've got some questions.

How many here have done or are doing maintenance?

How was it in comparison to the peg and reba together?

Who put the bop in the bop-she-bop-she-bop?

Sides?

How long?

What kind of results?

Okay, that's all for now.

Kim

[Guest guest]

Hello Kim, My husband went through treatments twice and also relapsed

and has a great deal of liver damage, he is now taking once weekly dose of

Pegasus. He is taking half dosage to see if this will prevent future damage.

He is in the Halt C study in our area, the side affects aren't real bad

except on the day after the shot. He is able to work full time We are also

doing a lot of herbs, and very healthy foods and lots of exercise. Plus

keeping weight down. His last sonogram showed all was well I hope this helps

take care

Maintenence tx - Questions?

Okay, here's my situation, was diagnosed a few years back. Lots of

the usual symptoms you read about here and that few doctors ever tie

to Hep C. Biopsy showed that I was teetering on the edge of

cirrhosis and that there was a fair amount of damage to the liver.

I started Peg-Intron and Reba tx in January of 2002 and finished

just before Christmas that year. Had a pretty hard tx, especially at

the end. I was undetectable from my first check at 12 weeks, all the

way through tx. At my first post tx test the virus was back in the

detectable range.

In February of 2003 my mother passed away and I went to her funeral

back home in Minnesota. The day after the funeral I had my second

heart attack (First was about 13 years ago) which upset me a great

deal as I did not get to play with the siren and my wife did.

Docs were a bit unsure/reluctant to jump back into anything right

away so I was told to take a " vacation from treatment " for this last

year which I did. Tx left me with hypothyroid, some nasty RA type

aches, and all of my pre treatment sides, fatigue etc.

Now we have to figure out what to do. Went to gastro on Monday and

he went through the options:

Wait! With the state of my liver, he thinks I " could " progress to

cirrhosis pretty quick, I don't like that idea.

Retreat with Pagasys/copegasys or Peg/Reba - he said odds were 30%

on retreating using drug companies most optimistic figures and that

in his opinion it was 15% or less. He said this was an option if I

really wanted to do it.

High dose tx - contraindicated because of past heart problems.

Maintenance - Once a week with Pegasys only - This is where we're

leaning as it may not clear the virus but will keep further dame

from happening to the liver.

So, I've got some questions.

How many here have done or are doing maintenance?

How was it in comparison to the peg and reba together?

Who put the bop in the bop-she-bop-she-bop?

Sides?

How long?

What kind of results?

Okay, that's all for now.

Kim

It's a pleasure having you join in our conversations. We hope you have found

the support you need with us.

If you are using email for your posts, for easy access to our group, just

click the link-- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Hepatitis_C_Central/

Happy Posting

[Guest guest]

> Hello Kim, My husband went through treatments twice and also

relapsed

> and has a great deal of liver damage, he is now taking once weekly

dose of

> Pegasus. He is taking half dosage to see if this will prevent

future damage.

> He is in the Halt C study in our area, the side affects aren't

real bad

> except on the day after the shot. He is able to work full time We

are also

> doing a lot of herbs, and very healthy foods and lots of exercise.

Plus

> keeping weight down. His last sonogram showed all was well I hope

this helps

> take care

> Maintenence tx - Questions?

Thanks for the reply! Sounds okay! Just had another question, did

he lose his hair with this, or does it take the combo to cause the

thinning. Not all that important as us guys can always cut ours

SHORT!

Thanks,

Kim

[Guest guest]

Hi Kim, no he did not lose his hair yet, I think the combo is much worse

about that. though the study lasts for 3 years he is getting tired of the

shots for so long we are only on month nine, This study is to find out if

low dose helps prevent futher damage. Unless his platelets go to low we

are in for the whole thing.

Maintenence tx - Questions?

>

>

> Thanks for the reply! Sounds okay! Just had another question, did

> he lose his hair with this, or does it take the combo to cause the

> thinning. Not all that important as us guys can always cut ours

> SHORT!

>

> Thanks,

>

> Kim

>

>

> It's a pleasure having you join in our conversations. We hope you have

found the support you need with us.

>

> If you are using email for your posts, for easy access to our group, just

click the link-- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Hepatitis_C_Central/

>

> Happy Posting

>

>