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Author Topic: Week 5 - Harvoni  (Read 10904 times)

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Offline JC

  • Member
  • Posts: 5
Week 5 - Harvoni
« on: January 02, 2015, 05:22:43 pm »
Hi everyone. I just wanted to give a quick update on treatment thus far in hopes it will be encouraging to others. Tomorrow, I complete week 5 and I have to say that I have felt exceptionally well on this treatment. So far, only a few headaches (not many). Two were pretty rough that I woke up with...but certainly tolerable. 500mg of Tylenol knocked it out. I have more energy than I can remember in years past. Not sure if it is the drug...I'll have to compare once I am off of it.

Took my 4-week blood work on Monday and my liver enzymes have dropped a good bit. Maybe that's why I have more energy...not sure. Today, I received notice that I am negative for Hep C. Good news! Three more weeks to go on the drug.

So I just wanted to post to let folks know that the treatment is not bad. All the best to everyone.

Offline PaulG

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  • Posts: 38
Re: Week 5 - Harvoni
« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2015, 06:07:43 pm »
Great news!!!!!!!! Tomorrow I start my last week of my 8 week treatment and will then wait until April  to see if I'm still virus free. I hope we all have a very happy virus free New Year

Offline JC

  • Member
  • Posts: 5
Re: Week 5 - Harvoni
« Reply #2 on: January 02, 2015, 06:18:48 pm »
That's wonderful, PaulG. It's a new day for us all.

Offline Trenz

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  • Posts: 27
Re: Week 5 - Harvoni
« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2015, 11:01:14 pm »

Hello all.  I just started looking into Harvoni side effects today and found this discussion.  An acquaintance of my wife started Harvoni about 3 wks ago and his wife says it has entirely changed his personality.  Depressed, angry, throwing tantrums, etc.  She tried  to get him to stop the treatment and he became extremely angry.  This is now very important to me.

I just went through my third treatment, this time Sovaldi, Ribavirin, and peginterferon for 12 wks.  It was non-detectable at completion, back with a vengeance 12 wks later.  The f'ing Dragon won't die.

 I've been discussing treatment with my doc and she is recommending Harvoni and Riba for 24 wks.

Viekira is not an option because of decompensated cirrhosis.

Is anybody out there doing Harvoni and Riba and experienced turning into a monster? I'm sure that I'll have to fight with ins. company to get it approved and don't know if I want to fight so I can turn into a monster.

Offline PaulG

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  • Posts: 38
Re: Week 5 - Harvoni
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2015, 11:12:59 pm »
Harvoni is as easy as can be. A headache every once in awhile blood pressure jumped a little but that's it. Can't speak about riba

Offline JC

  • Member
  • Posts: 5
Re: Week 5 - Harvoni
« Reply #5 on: January 02, 2015, 11:33:56 pm »
Good luck on your next round of treatment. Too bad they want you to use Riba as well as  I understand that it comes with side effects. So sorry you have had to go through the treatments more than once. I held out for the non-interferon treatment and this is my first go round. I was too concerned about side effects. Best wishes. Don't fear the Harvoni...not sure why your friend had such a bad experience. Maybe there were some other things/issues going on in his life. I hope this is the last go round for you!

Offline george

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 2
Re: Week 5 - Harvoni
« Reply #6 on: January 03, 2015, 12:38:05 am »
I finished my 8 weeks a few days back. Always took it with coffee every morning around 6:00. I never did have any side affects while taking Harvoni. However on the first night i woke up about 3:00 AM drenched in sweat, the same thing happened on second night about the same time. It never happened again and i just figured it was the drug attacking the virus. Lab work showed virus not detected after 6 1/2 weeks and all other liver functions normal except platelets were a little low. A month from now i will have lab work done again and hope it did not return. Good luck to everybody.

Offline Lynn K

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  • Posts: 4,546
  • Get tested, get treated, get cured, fight Hep c!
Re: Week 5 - Harvoni
« Reply #7 on: January 03, 2015, 01:17:44 am »
Hi Trenz

I also failed Sovaldi but with Olysio for 12 weeks. I am just about to finish week 7 of Harvoni of 24 weeks treatment. I asked my doctor about adding Ribavirin to my treatment based on my treatment history. She agrees that might be a good idea so I am currently waiting on Express Scripts to see if they will allow it.

Back when the new treatment was interferon and Ribavirin people talked about riba rage. I don't think I experienced this but some people do not sure what folks did about it except be glad for understanding spouses.

I did experience a significant drop in hemoglobin levels but I have heard that is less of a concern when riba is not taken with interferon.

Good luck to you on treatment

Here's to SVR in 2015
Genotype 1a
1978 contracted, 1990 Dx
1995 Intron A failed
2001 Interferon Riba null response
2003 Pegintron Riba trial med null response
2008 F4 Cirrhosis Bx
2014 12 week Sov/Oly relapse
10/14 fibroscan 27 PLT 96
2014 24 weeks Harvoni 15 weeks Riba
5/4/15 EOT not detected, ALT 21, AST 20
4 week post not detected, ALT 26, AST 28
12 week post NOT DETECTED (07/27/15)
ALT 29, AST 27 PLT 92
24 week post NOT DETECTED! (10/19/15)
44 weeks (3/11/16)  fibroscan 33, PLT 111, HCV NOT DETECTED!
I AM FREE!

Offline cathy

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  • Posts: 7
Re: Week 5 - Harvoni
« Reply #8 on: January 03, 2015, 01:47:57 am »
I am sorry to say, but Riba is a horrible drug.  While on interferon and Riba, I was depressed, angry........My doctor took me off the Riba and left me on Interferon.  All the bad side effects went away.  I did not even know I was taking Interferon. I did not clear the virus.  Now I am on Harvoni.


Offline Lynn K

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 4,546
  • Get tested, get treated, get cured, fight Hep c!
Re: Week 5 - Harvoni
« Reply #9 on: January 03, 2015, 02:26:05 am »
Hi Cathy

I am not super excited to take Ribavirin but I am less excited at the prospect of relapsing again. So for me it maybe a necessary addition to make sure this time I finally beat this thing. This of course assuming my insurance company will allow it.

How many weeks of Harvoni are you taking?
Genotype 1a
1978 contracted, 1990 Dx
1995 Intron A failed
2001 Interferon Riba null response
2003 Pegintron Riba trial med null response
2008 F4 Cirrhosis Bx
2014 12 week Sov/Oly relapse
10/14 fibroscan 27 PLT 96
2014 24 weeks Harvoni 15 weeks Riba
5/4/15 EOT not detected, ALT 21, AST 20
4 week post not detected, ALT 26, AST 28
12 week post NOT DETECTED (07/27/15)
ALT 29, AST 27 PLT 92
24 week post NOT DETECTED! (10/19/15)
44 weeks (3/11/16)  fibroscan 33, PLT 111, HCV NOT DETECTED!
I AM FREE!

 


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