adult child of Hep c parent

[Erin-86]

Trying to find clarity or just understand options to help support my parent.
Info I know as of now Geno type 1 viral in the 300,000 (which I've read is low)
Minimal cirrhosis
They've been confimed to have the disease for 16 years w not much progression. 
My parent is considering the Sovaldi & Olysio combo.

My question is if the progression is so minimal and they are relatively healthy why do the medication?
What are the short term side effects and what are the known long term effects in 5-10 years. With the drugs being so new I worry about the effects in years to come being as destructive as this disease.

[Mike]

The reason for treatment is that Hep-C can kill you and the progression of liver disease seems to accelerate the older you get.

Most folks don't show clinical signs or symptoms until 15-20 years post-infection, which is where your parent is and tests show mild liver damage (progression).

In addition, research indicates that a chronic, long-term Hep-C infection can reduce life expectancy upwards of 15 years (and that's if it doesn't progress to cirrhosis, liver failure or carcinoma).

Note also, that a low viral load does not correlate with less liver damage or progression over the long term. You can have a very high viral load and minimal liver damage and a low viral load and advanced liver disease.

Knowing this, why wouldn't you get treatment?

Best wishes, Mike

[Erin-86]

Thank you for your reply!
I guess my ignorant thinking is if you're not sick why risk a medication that's still so new. I know that's probably a dumb way to think about it and I'm struggling more because it's my parent so in coming to this group I'm trying to gain knowledge from ppl going through it to help me related better.

[Mike]

Please don't think you're dumb. You had some really great, heart-felt questions and it shows that you deeply care for your parent.

I wrote a strong reply to your first question so that you'd know that Hep-C can be very pernicious and I didn't want this to escape you.

The treatment today is so advanced, and many people are getting cured (90%+), which was a term not rendered when I was diagnosed (I had about a 30-40%).

The treatment is also short 12-24 weeks (12 weeks in most cases) and so much more tolerable then the old days, when treatment could last 48-70 weeks  and was very grueling to say the least.

Your parent is very lucky to have a child like you, as I'm sure you'll be supportive throughout.

Please take comfort in that this is the golden age for those with Hep-C, and the treatment and new generation drugs are true miracles.

Best wishes, Mike

[lporterrn]

Ditto on what Mike said. Also, I would add that people with hep C have an overall mortality risk of dying earlier by 15 years from all causes of death. Erin, you didn't say if your parent was female or male, and how long he/she might have had hep C, but if it is your mother, and if she might have had hep C during pregnancy, then you and your siblings need to be tested. 

[Erin-86]

When she found out 16 years ago we were all tested. Both parents have it but none of their children. Would there be a need to get retested? 

[lporterrn]

Not unless there was a clear risk factor, such as injection drug use with shared needles or an occupational exposure