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Author Topic: Just started Harvoni Treatment: 20 years old born with Hep C  (Read 6876 times)

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Offline patrick.m18

  • Member
  • Posts: 5
Just started Harvoni Treatment: 20 years old born with Hep C
« on: September 14, 2016, 08:46:58 pm »
Hey everyone I just wanted to share my story so far in hopes that someone else can benefit from what I have learned and been through. I was diagnosed about 5 years ago while doing liver tests to begin Acutane (for acne). My mother mentioned that she is Hep C positive and that I was tested when I was a baby but she just wanted me to get tested again to be sure. Well the tests came back positive, I can still hear the scream in my moms voice when she got the call from my doctor. Its been a long 5 years that's all I can say. I was going to start a clinical trial that same year in San Francisco. It was going to be a treatment including interferon and at the time my parents and I were really considering it. My mom had tried interferon 15+ years ago with no success. Thankfully I decided to not do the trial and I was going to wait out for this "miracle" drug that everyone was talking about. About 2-3 years after this point I go back to the doctor to hopefully start this new miracle drug. Well stupid me admitted to using marijuana to help several symptoms from the HepC as well as other issues I have. Marijuana truly helps numb pain and keeps my nausea under control. That doctor made me feel horrible about it and told me she wouldn't see me for another year until I was 1yr sober. Fast forward another year and I decide to go back to a new, different amazing doctor. I explain to her my entire situation and she said Harvoni would be a great fit for me. Well the real battle with insurance started then. I'm young, don't make a ton of money, so I was on med-ical which had worked great for me up until that point. I had a fibroscan done with a score of 5.4, and a viral load of 4.4 million. Med-ical wouldn't cover the medicine unless my score was at least a 7. I then switched to Covered California, and now I'm stuck paying a pretty pricey monthly fee but it was my only option to get cured. My refill copay is $200, so if I only have to do two months I can make it work but it'll be tough.

Last night (9/13/16) I took my first pill. I'm on an 8 week treatment with my last pill being on November 7th. On December 7th, I will be one month cured (Hopefully!) as well as it being my birthday! The next couple months are looking so great for me. Hepatitis C isn't the worst thing out there but it has been weighing on me ever since diagnosed.

Offline koifish54

  • Member
  • Posts: 56
Re: Just started Harvoni Treatment: 20 years old born with Hep C
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2016, 10:15:17 pm »
Good luck with your treatment odds are with you!!

Offline MommaT

  • Member
  • Posts: 65
  • Tomorrow Is a New Day
Re: Just started Harvoni Treatment: 20 years old born with Hep C
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2016, 03:48:49 pm »
I read your story and was very moved. I am so happy you were able to get your treatment and will complete it on your birthday! 8 weeks is not bad at all! Funny I started my treatment on my birthday to end it on my daughter's birthday! Keep posting and hoping you feel good like some people say with treatment! I am only going on a week but not same Med.
62 year old Female
Treatment Naive
Genotype 2b
2001 Dx Donated blood after 9/11
2002 Biopsy F1
2016 Fibroscan 15 F4
Comp Cirrhosis Stage 1
pretreatment VL 1,722.660 mil
platelets 122 low
alpha 2 Macroglobulins 647
Apolipoprotein A-1 214
GGT 67 high
AFP Serum Tumor Marker 11.4
ALT 563 AST 332
2016 Sept 16 Epclusa started
4 wk VL <15 HCV Detecte
ALT 19 AST 18
8 wk VL HCV Undetected!
12/8/16 EOT Yipee!
12 wk VL HCV Undetected
SVR 12
SVR  24  10/5/2018 HCV Undetected   12/10/18 DETECTED????????

Offline AussieRosa

  • Member
  • Posts: 226
Re: Just started Harvoni Treatment: 20 years old born with Hep C
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2016, 12:49:38 am »
Congratulations on starting treatment, Patrick. If you haven't read much of the forum, the best advice is to drink a lot more water than usual. It will keep side effects at bay. Please keep us updated on your progress. Wishing you a smooth and successful treatment.
Gt 1a
contracted 1983
Fibroscan 6.1
Treatment naive
VL 2.97M
ALT 38
AST 47
Started Viekira Pak + Ribavirin Tues 19th Jan 2016
Week 4: VL Undetected!
March 5th Ribavirin dose reduction to 800mg from 1000mg
EOT April 11th 2016. VL Not Detected
12 Weeks post EOT: SVR12. Cured with a capital C!!
6 months post EOT: Undetected :-)

Offline Mw2324

  • Member
  • Posts: 138
Re: Just started Harvoni Treatment: 20 years old born with Hep C
« Reply #4 on: October 04, 2016, 05:52:30 pm »
Hey Patrick,
   I read your story. I am wondering how you are feeling? Wishing you the best!
30 yr. old female
Infected in 2006
Genotype 2b
Pretreatment:
F0
Alt 28
Ast 30
Viral load 49,000
Started Epclusa on 9/9/16 -12 week treatment
4 week viral load undetected... ALT 19 AST 19
12 week eot viral load undetected...ALT16 AST 11

 


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