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Author Topic: Finally added my "signature"  (Read 8142 times)

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Offline drummerman

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  • Posts: 538
  • For those regarded as warriors....
Finally added my "signature"
« on: July 08, 2015, 02:28:03 pm »
Just got new lab results from doc's office.
So I added my "signature".

Also added liver biopsy info from a few years ago.  Doc said I didn't need a new liver biopsy.

Not sure what the liver biopsy results mean (and there were additional comments) but nobody seemed too concerned so I assume my liver is mildly damaged?

I was surprise at my AST and ALT levels (and I know these vary wildly).  They have never been this low and are usually in the 80-100+ range.  I have been going through a low carb, high protein, lots of salads,  no sugar phase for the past few months so that may explain these low levels.  I have never had such low levels and have had at least two reports per year for the past 8 years.  weird.

The only symptoms I have had are :  joint pain,esp in fingers  (old age?)  , a weird , ice pick stabbing in my ball and socket, where leg attaches to hip, comes and goes, ouch!! and feeling winded when performing physical acts.

Anyway, not feeling too bad on day 3.   Way easier (so far) than interferon (knock on wood).

jpritch

Diagnosed07
Interferon/riba 2008 - non-responder
5/16/15 - AST -34
ALT - 35_ HCV RNA - 10,783,000
 7/6/15 - started viekira/riba
8/11/15  Week 5 <15 vl,  AST 18, ALT 18
9/11/15 Week 9  "HCV NOT DETECTED"!
AST 16, ALT 11.  10/16/16 - 2 weeks post EOT = "HCV NOT DETECTED!   AST - 18,  ALT 14
12/29/15 -12 wk EOT-HCV NOT DETECTED! AST 23, ALT 15
3/26/16 - 24 wk post EOT - HCV NOT DETECTED!! AST 19, ALT 21
1 yr eot - AST 20, ALT 17

Offline Philadelphia

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  • Posts: 1,157
  • It only looks like I know what I'm doing
Re: Finally added my "signature"
« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2015, 05:36:50 pm »
If you look at my sig, you'll see my ALT and AST dropped dramatically in the first month and have kept up a slow decline since then. It's the drugs. They're working!
CURED SVR24  Class of 2015
Wk 12 post EOT 30.11.15: ALT 14 AST 22 GGT 22 VL UND
Week 19 07.08.15: ALT 17 AST 23 GGT 25
Week 12 18.06.15: ALT 21 AST 23 GGT 28
Week 8 25.05.15: ALT 23 AST 27 GGT 30 VL UND
Week 4 20.04.14: ALT 30 AST 36 VL 40
Treatment start 23.03.15: ALT 137 AST 185 VL 342,600
Cirrhosis Child-Pugh A, Genotype 1a - Viekira Pak + riba 24 weeks
Total failure interferon/ribavirin/boceprovir Mar 2013
https://www.hepmag.com/blogger/grace-campbell

Offline drummerman

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  • Posts: 538
  • For those regarded as warriors....
Re: Finally added my "signature"
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2015, 09:56:13 pm »
I did notice that Phil!!  pretty cool!
jp
Diagnosed07
Interferon/riba 2008 - non-responder
5/16/15 - AST -34
ALT - 35_ HCV RNA - 10,783,000
 7/6/15 - started viekira/riba
8/11/15  Week 5 <15 vl,  AST 18, ALT 18
9/11/15 Week 9  "HCV NOT DETECTED"!
AST 16, ALT 11.  10/16/16 - 2 weeks post EOT = "HCV NOT DETECTED!   AST - 18,  ALT 14
12/29/15 -12 wk EOT-HCV NOT DETECTED! AST 23, ALT 15
3/26/16 - 24 wk post EOT - HCV NOT DETECTED!! AST 19, ALT 21
1 yr eot - AST 20, ALT 17

Offline drummerman

  • Member
  • Posts: 538
  • For those regarded as warriors....
Re: Finally added my "signature"
« Reply #3 on: July 08, 2015, 09:56:58 pm »
weird thing is, mine were at an all time low before I started tx.  Probably just a fluke.
j
Diagnosed07
Interferon/riba 2008 - non-responder
5/16/15 - AST -34
ALT - 35_ HCV RNA - 10,783,000
 7/6/15 - started viekira/riba
8/11/15  Week 5 <15 vl,  AST 18, ALT 18
9/11/15 Week 9  "HCV NOT DETECTED"!
AST 16, ALT 11.  10/16/16 - 2 weeks post EOT = "HCV NOT DETECTED!   AST - 18,  ALT 14
12/29/15 -12 wk EOT-HCV NOT DETECTED! AST 23, ALT 15
3/26/16 - 24 wk post EOT - HCV NOT DETECTED!! AST 19, ALT 21
1 yr eot - AST 20, ALT 17

Offline Philadelphia

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 1,157
  • It only looks like I know what I'm doing
Re: Finally added my "signature"
« Reply #4 on: July 08, 2015, 10:05:26 pm »
Just lucky I guess! :)
CURED SVR24  Class of 2015
Wk 12 post EOT 30.11.15: ALT 14 AST 22 GGT 22 VL UND
Week 19 07.08.15: ALT 17 AST 23 GGT 25
Week 12 18.06.15: ALT 21 AST 23 GGT 28
Week 8 25.05.15: ALT 23 AST 27 GGT 30 VL UND
Week 4 20.04.14: ALT 30 AST 36 VL 40
Treatment start 23.03.15: ALT 137 AST 185 VL 342,600
Cirrhosis Child-Pugh A, Genotype 1a - Viekira Pak + riba 24 weeks
Total failure interferon/ribavirin/boceprovir Mar 2013
https://www.hepmag.com/blogger/grace-campbell

Offline w_ink

  • Member
  • Posts: 31
Re: Finally added my "signature"
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2015, 12:33:01 am »
Good luck, J! I started two weeks ago on the Viekira-ribavirin combo. A few side effects like fatigue and nausea, but nothing extreme. Here's to curing this thing!
w_ink: 56-years old, female
1976: contracted hep B, likely co-infected with HCV
2007: diagnosed
2011: accepted into clinical trial, dropped out when the required biopsy resulted in a huge hematoma
Genotype: 1a
Fibrosis: 1
Start of treatment with V-Pak and RIBA: 6/25/2015
ALT at start=31; AST at start=24
HCV RNA at start=18,188,000 IU/mL; HCV Log 10=7.260
ALT at 2 weeks=13; AST at 2 weeks=13
HCV RNA at 2 weeks=50 IU/mL; HCV Log 10=1.699
HCV RNA at 8 weeks=Undetected

Offline drummerman

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  • Posts: 538
  • For those regarded as warriors....
Re: Finally added my "signature"
« Reply #6 on: July 09, 2015, 12:56:55 am »
thanks w_ink!
good luck to you too!
any tips you can throw my way would be appreciated.

jp
Diagnosed07
Interferon/riba 2008 - non-responder
5/16/15 - AST -34
ALT - 35_ HCV RNA - 10,783,000
 7/6/15 - started viekira/riba
8/11/15  Week 5 <15 vl,  AST 18, ALT 18
9/11/15 Week 9  "HCV NOT DETECTED"!
AST 16, ALT 11.  10/16/16 - 2 weeks post EOT = "HCV NOT DETECTED!   AST - 18,  ALT 14
12/29/15 -12 wk EOT-HCV NOT DETECTED! AST 23, ALT 15
3/26/16 - 24 wk post EOT - HCV NOT DETECTED!! AST 19, ALT 21
1 yr eot - AST 20, ALT 17

Offline w_ink

  • Member
  • Posts: 31
Re: Finally added my "signature"
« Reply #7 on: July 09, 2015, 02:00:15 am »
Sure! The best tips—that I gleaned from many forum posts—are to drink plenty of water and to take the medication right in the middle of a meal: eat half, take the pills, eat the other half.

The first two weeks, I've been taking the morning dose between 10:30 and 11:00 a.m., which is a bit late for breakfast, but I find that right after I take the meds, I feel off, nothing big, but a little headachy, nauseated, so I've been doing my 3-mile daily hike before I take the meds. Then I was doing the p.m. dose at about 7 p.m. At my two-week checkup today, my doc said I might want to stretch the time between a.m. and p.m. doses, so I'm going to get up an hour earlier and eat an hour later.

Still, I've read that the ribavirin can keep you up, so a lot of forum people suggested taking the ribavirin earlier, at 5 p.m. say, then taking the Viekira later. Apparently, you reach a saturation point with the RIBA, so it's not as imperative to spread the dose out.

What else? I find walking uphill and up stairs can wind me and make my heart race, but the doc says the anemia shows the ribavirin is working. Yet, the docs don't want your hemoglobin to drop too low. I just had the blood work done, and don't have the lab results yet, but I'm sure it will show a drop in my hemoglobin (I started at 14.9).

I've had a bit of insomnia for the past few years and don't notice much of a change on the V-Pak/riba, and when I have trouble I take melatonin or valerian to help me sleep. My doc told me this was okay, but, please!, run supplements like that past your doc before you take any!

Good luck, JP, on this journey! I'm psyched that I was able to get treatment via a voucher AbbVie gave my doctor for a free course of treatment, which he gave to me (a very squeaky wheel). I hope that very soon everyone with hep C, no matter what their stage, will have access to treatment.
« Last Edit: July 09, 2015, 02:05:11 am by w_ink »
w_ink: 56-years old, female
1976: contracted hep B, likely co-infected with HCV
2007: diagnosed
2011: accepted into clinical trial, dropped out when the required biopsy resulted in a huge hematoma
Genotype: 1a
Fibrosis: 1
Start of treatment with V-Pak and RIBA: 6/25/2015
ALT at start=31; AST at start=24
HCV RNA at start=18,188,000 IU/mL; HCV Log 10=7.260
ALT at 2 weeks=13; AST at 2 weeks=13
HCV RNA at 2 weeks=50 IU/mL; HCV Log 10=1.699
HCV RNA at 8 weeks=Undetected

Offline drummerman

  • Member
  • Posts: 538
  • For those regarded as warriors....
Re: Finally added my "signature"
« Reply #8 on: July 09, 2015, 09:44:26 am »
Thanks w_ink!

Great tips! 

Know what you mean about feeling a bit off.... its  a weird spacey feeling for me, light headed, hard to describe.  Doesn't happen with my pm dose,.. guess cause less pills.

When I go back to doc in  a month for blood work, I'm going to see if I can take pm pills in am and am pills in pm.   With my job and commute , I do not need to feel light headed and spacey.

good luck to you!

jp
Diagnosed07
Interferon/riba 2008 - non-responder
5/16/15 - AST -34
ALT - 35_ HCV RNA - 10,783,000
 7/6/15 - started viekira/riba
8/11/15  Week 5 <15 vl,  AST 18, ALT 18
9/11/15 Week 9  "HCV NOT DETECTED"!
AST 16, ALT 11.  10/16/16 - 2 weeks post EOT = "HCV NOT DETECTED!   AST - 18,  ALT 14
12/29/15 -12 wk EOT-HCV NOT DETECTED! AST 23, ALT 15
3/26/16 - 24 wk post EOT - HCV NOT DETECTED!! AST 19, ALT 21
1 yr eot - AST 20, ALT 17

 


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