Author Topic: Week 8, Still Detected. Anyone Else in This Boat? (Read 25306 times)

atomic dog · « **on:** April 11, 2015, 01:49:47 pm »

I know that the only VL test that really matters in 12 weeks after treatment when you're checked for a sustained viral response (the ever-popular SVR12). But I've been 20 Iu/ml since my first test at Week 3 and now at the start of Week 8 I'm still <20 Iu/ml. Sure, that's better than a higher number or an increasing number but it's also disheartening. My doc says to stop worrying. Hey, worrying is what I do! Anyone else in this boat? Anyone post-treatment who had <20 or <15 or whatever at the end of 12 weeks but is still maintaining?

dragonslayer · « **Reply #1 on:** April 11, 2015, 04:21:02 pm »

Remember Dog.... on the last day of my 8 wk treatment, i tested Detected 29. That's 29 with NO more Harvoni to be taken to fight the Virus.... I just tested at 11 wks post treatment for SVR12 and came up Undetected, so stop worrying. Low level detected even at end of treatment often resolves itself over the next several wks to a good outcome.

spitzbar · « **Reply #2 on:** April 11, 2015, 04:42:19 pm »

very good, dragon.

atomic dog · « **Reply #3 on:** April 11, 2015, 08:32:53 pm »

That provides a sense of relief. Thanks mate.

dragonslayer · « **Reply #4 on:** April 11, 2015, 09:08:01 pm »

Quote from: spitzbar on April 11, 2015, 04:42:19 pm

very good, dragon.

Spitz, your first post on these forums referring to that blog article which referenced the OxfordJournals study regarding EOT low detectables resolving to SVR12 wasa real game changer.. This study gave me my first real hope that detected at EOT was not the end of the game... You really helped me through this via the link you posted, so, again, much thanks.

atomic dog · « **Reply #5 on:** April 11, 2015, 09:32:25 pm »

Can you repost that link?

dragonslayer · « **Reply #6 on:** April 11, 2015, 10:44:40 pm »

Quote from: atomic dog on April 11, 2015, 09:32:25 pm

Can you repost that link?

Sure:

http://hepatitiscnewdrugs.blogspot.com/2015/03/hcv-rna-does-not-always-mean-treatment.html

http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2015/03/02/cid.civ170.abstract

atomic dog · « **Reply #7 on:** April 11, 2015, 11:23:24 pm »

Cool, thx

Tiger · « **Reply #8 on:** April 16, 2015, 04:40:08 pm »

dragonslayer, I'm so happy to read your latest post!!!
Heartiest congratulations - man, what a relief that must have been for you!!!
You give hope to all of us!
Here's an update from me: I finished my 8 week treatment on Sunday and went for EOT appointment and bloodwork today - the results should come back next week - will keep you posted, hopefully will be joining the ever-growing "waiting" group for 12 weeks and then hopefully also ever-growing group of "used to have HCV"s - wishing all to join that group soon!

dragonslayer · « **Reply #9 on:** April 16, 2015, 05:13:24 pm »

Quote from: Tiger on April 16, 2015, 04:40:08 pm

dragonslayer, I'm so happy to read your latest post!!!
Heartiest congratulations - man, what a relief that must have been for you!!!
You give hope to all of us!
Here's an update from me: I finished my 8 week treatment on Sunday and went for EOT appointment and bloodwork today - the results should come back next week - will keep you posted, hopefully will be joining the ever-growing "waiting" group for 12 weeks and then hopefully also ever-growing group of "used to have HCV"s - wishing all to join that group soon!

Hiya Tige.. Havent seen you around in awhile.. Yea, as youve read, despite my detected 29 eot lab result, Ive resolved at 11 wks +1 day to Not Detected... My doctor called and told me the news last Friday, but until I actually got my lab copy this afternoon and saw it with my own eyes, I wasnt 100% in.. Now Im all in! This has been a trip of one surprise after another. I didnt even know, back in January, that an eot Detected could be viewed as anything but a treatment failure. Apparently, with the earlier treatments, that was the case. So this really underscores the advances that have been made with Harvoni...

Congrats on completing your treatment! The takeway is that dont worry if youve got a low detected at EOT... There are many examples of folks who tested this way, and resolved to SVR12.. Im far from the only one.... So its clearly a new day in HCV treatment, and the intermediary results have to be viewed in that new light..

Looking forward to your good outcome; cant wait to see your results!

Solvaldi-Olysio user · « **Reply #10 on:** April 16, 2015, 08:58:58 pm »

Week 16, Still detected, so in the same boat, but longer voyage.

I was on S/O treatment for 114 days or 16 weeks and it wasn't until the 109th day of treatment that I finally got the "Undetected" results this past Friday.

I was thinking the same thing, considering my viral load on the 11th day was at 352 IU_HCV, down from the initial starting viral load of 2,632,109 IU_HCV. So it took 103 days to kill off that small amount of virus particles, at a cost of $184,000....ouch!! Total therapy costs: $204,060...ouch again!!

Interesting point to me was that I started taking Cetirizine 10mg. for sleep, shortly after that 352 IU reading on the 11th day and continued taking it. Thereafter my labs results showed a very minimal decrease in my viral load levels. My last two lab results read 15 IU_HCV. My Doctor said he couldn't tell if it was leftover active or inactive genetic HCV material? I recall he said that readings below 8 IU_HCV are considered no virus detected. And to keep taking the S/O, 16 weeks total.

I ran out of and asked for more Cetirizine. When I got the Cetirizine I read the info sheet and it said Cetirizine can give false positives on certain lab test results. So I figure I've been at 15 IU_HCV the past two lab results, false positives, okay its worth a try, I'll stop taking the Cetirizine until I get the results back from my most recent labs. And sure enough, the last lab results came back "undetected"!

Whether this is just coincidence or the Cetirizine did in fact skew my previous lab readings? But it is interesting that my labs read "undetected" once I stopped taking the Cetirizine.

So I became undetected during the last 16th week of my therapy with 5 days left on therapy. Cutting it close!

I hear/read a lot of people stating they became undetected at the four week mark. Which is a good thing, but then the same people can and have relapsed once therapy is over.

Some people reading that others have "undetected" readings at the 4 week mark can create an expectation that if they don't clear the virus at week 4, they either won't be cured, the drugs are not working or won't become "undetected" and might have to be taken off treatment. But as stated here and elsewhere that's not always the case.

I also flat lined for approximately 3.5 months before getting the "undetected" results this past Friday.

So keep floating your boat to that "undetected" destination.

atomic dog · « **Reply #11 on:** April 23, 2015, 01:27:00 am »

Waiting on results of Week 10 viral load. Results of my ALT are slightly elevated (trying to place too much stock in that).

atomic dog · « **Reply #12 on:** April 24, 2015, 04:47:21 pm »

File Under: Light at the send of the tunnel. Week 10 HCV RNA is Undetected. Here's hoping it stays that way for the next 14 weeks.

Mike · « **Reply #13 on:** April 24, 2015, 05:37:42 pm »

That's great news!

Best wishes, Mike

Philadelphia · « **Reply #14 on:** April 24, 2015, 05:38:51 pm »

Great news Atomic Dog

atomic dog · « **Reply #15 on:** April 24, 2015, 08:08:30 pm »

Made my day.

Ledoc01 · « **Reply #16 on:** April 24, 2015, 11:23:35 pm »

Allow me to just say: WOOF!!

:-)

grats A Dog

Pete · « **Reply #17 on:** April 24, 2015, 11:59:12 pm »

Outstanding news indeed! Your results give us great hope oh Mighty Dawg!

Maddawg46 · « **Reply #18 on:** April 25, 2015, 01:22:40 am »

I was detected at week 8. I was on a 12 week treatment with Ribavirin because of cirrhosis. I was bummed. Last week I finished and did my blood test. Yesterday they called Said I was undetected. Now I wait until October to get tested again.
I'm going to still have fun. If in October I expect clear results. If it's not....oh well. My life will go on and that's that. Wait for the next drug. I'm still going to have fun! Go fishing every week!!

dragonslayer · « **Reply #19 on:** April 25, 2015, 09:27:31 am »

Quote from: Maddawg46 on April 25, 2015, 01:22:40 am

I was detected at week 8. I was on a 12 week treatment with Ribavirin because of cirrhosis. I was bummed. Last week I finished and did my blood test. Yesterday they called Said I was undetected. Now I wait until October to get tested again.
I'm going to still have fun. If in October I expect clear results. If it's not....oh well. My life will go on and that's that. Wait for the next drug. I'm still going to have fun! Go fishing every week!!

They usually order a 12 wk post treatment viral load test, as that is the Big one with modern treatments.. . Surprised hes bypassing that in lieu of the 24 wk one.

Maddawg46 · « **Reply #20 on:** April 25, 2015, 11:21:08 am »

Kaiser......surprised they even paid for the Harvoni.

Pete · « **Reply #21 on:** April 26, 2015, 02:40:01 am »

So Dog... I am reading your posts correctly that you are on Harvoni TX for 24 weeks and treatment naive? How'd you manage that? I would have preferred approval for 24 vs 12.

If I'm not undetected after 8, I'm going to try to appeal for more TX.

Maddawg46 · « **Reply #22 on:** April 26, 2015, 12:38:47 pm »

I was on it for 12 weeks not 24.

atomic dog · « **Reply #23 on:** April 26, 2015, 12:55:11 pm »

I am on a 12-week treatment plan. I start Week 11 tomorrow--my last bottle of Harvoni.

Maddawg46 · « **Reply #24 on:** April 26, 2015, 11:50:29 pm »

Your stats look a lot like mine. I got it in 79. I think I'm stage 1 Cirrosis. I can't spell either. Lol

Lynn K · « **Reply #25 on:** April 27, 2015, 12:30:22 am »

A 5-point scale is used in grading the degree of liver fibrosis:

F0= no fibrosis
F1= minimal fibrosis
F2= fibrosis has occurred and spread inside the areas of the liver including blood vessels
F3= fibrosis is spreading and connecting to other liver areas that contain fibrosis
F4= cirrhosis or advance liver fibrosis

When you say Stage 1 I am assuming you mean F1 which is minimal fibrosis.

I was diagnosed by liver biopsy as Fibrosis 4 or F4 cirrhosis in Jan 2008.

Good luck on treatment

Maddawg46 · « **Reply #26 on:** April 27, 2015, 01:14:56 am »

I'm done with mine. Just waiting until October to get my viral load again. I still need to get ultrasounds on my liver though.

Lynn K · « **Reply #27 on:** April 27, 2015, 01:16:35 am »

Just 8 pills to go after 24 weeks of Harvoni and 15 weeks of Ribavirin

Maddawg46 · « **Reply #28 on:** April 27, 2015, 01:31:58 am »

I'll probably just try to forget about it and move on until October. I don't dwell on it. My doctor always got pissed at me for not being concerned about it. I just do what I need to do. I'm just going to keep having fun as much as possible. October is on my calender to remind them to order the blood test.

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Author Topic: Week 8, Still Detected. Anyone Else in This Boat? (Read 25306 times)