hepititis c (interferon)

[TennTom]

During my early using history, I picked up this malady. So far, I feel perfectly normal. I quit drinking but I take tablets with 325 mg of tylenlol in them. Not doing my liver any good. I have thought about the TREATMENT using interferon. Has anyone had any experience with the interferon treatment? Did it work?

[Benway]

I have a good friend who used interferon for Hep C. Yes! it cleared her system two years ago and still is clear. It is quite a demanding regimen and will take 6-12 months of therapy so you need to be committed to it. But it is definitely worth the effort. It does work slightly better for women than men [I dont know why] but if you can stick to it, it still has a very high success rate. It can make you feel a bit low, rundown and unwell but not so much that you cant function.

I would assume like you do that APAP is not going to help you situation, and Im also assuming you take it as little as possible. Perhaps a switch to ibuprofen maybe possible.

Im guessing your in the US, which probably means this is going to be an expensive therapy, but if you can afford it it is definitely worth the cost.

For anyone in the UK who is in this situation, if you meet the requirements [non-drinking, etc] the treatment is available on the NHS.

[TennTom]

Thanks for the good feedback. Yes, APAP is a major concern for me. I take the lowest amount possible in the pain meds that I take. Interferon wouldn't be feasible for me presently due to no insurance. I take ibuprofen when the cervical spine pain is not too bad.

[Blockhead]

Interferon treatments can reek havoc on some people such as my brother. He was diagnosed with it approx. 7 years ago. We don't know how he got it but he is pretty well inked up and probably was walking around with it for more than a decade prior to diagnosis whilst drinking heavily every day. It has gone way beyond affecting his liver. He had to stop the Interferon twice due to horrible side effects. It may ultimately take him out but at least he is on disability etc., and lives rent free on a property that I own so that all he needs to concern himself with is battling this gnarly dose of Hep. C. Life is not fair. I already lost my older sister to brutal murder in '78 and don't want to bury another sibling. I know this is TMI but this topic just really strikes a chord with me.

[sensient]

Hi all,i am very intrested to hear more about interferon,mainly from people who have actually gone through the treatment.
I too in my earlier days contracted hep c..i was diagnosed with it when i was about 21,i have had it for many many6 years.
I really want to do something about it now,but i have put my body through a lot over the years,so i don,t know how it will handle such a harsh treatment.
The main reason i want to do it is so i can be around for longer,but i,m worried the treatment might actually shorten my life,i know i may kick hep c,but with a treatment like this,there has to be some major side effects?
any feed back would be much appreciated.
thanks..S

[DarksideoftheRainbow]

Do you know what TYPE of Hepatitis C you have? (Probably type 1a- the hardest and the nastiest.) I attempted to go through interferon combination treatment (this means they give you interferon SC shots along with oral Ribavirin, an antiviral). Unfortunately, because I had undiagnosed Lyme disease, the treatment almost killed me- After THREE weeks. I gave myself three interferon (Pegasys) shots- one shot once a week, for three weeks (they also leave a huge mark at the injection site on your thigh or stomach) and took the ribavirin daily like prescribed, and the interferon (which is CHEMOTHERAPY- They don't tell you that) killed my entire immune system, my blood looked like red water.

This was only three weeks out of 48 weeks of treatment- If you've got Type 1a (probably do) you'll need the entire year, then perhaps more if the viruses rebound after stopping. However keep in mind that I had an undiagnosed illness at the time which highly complicated the treatment, which was why I nearly died. Give it a try, NOT Peg-Intron, try Pegasys instead because it is known for lesser side effects. Ribavirin is dosed by weight.. I still have it, but my liver is stable. Good luck, just remember that it IS chemotherapy like treating cancer (it does treat certain cancers!) and you should think of it as such.

[zero dot]

My experience with combination treatment (interferon and ribavirin) was essentially unremarkable. It was over ten years ago when I was cured (SVR). Combination treatment was fairly new at that time.

Before the treatment began, my doctor warned me that many patients experience uncomfortable side effects; therefore I was quite anxious indeed. I prayed for the Lord to give me strength to endure the treatment!

Thankfully, I did not experience any significant negative side effects at any point during the 24 weeks of treatment. Healthy diet, adequate exercise, and abstaining from all alcohol and recreational drugs can reduce the chances of developing serious side effects. I also believe that prayer can be remarkably beneficial as well.

Z

[sensient]

Hi,thanks for the info,i appreciated.
Yes i understand it is chemo,thats what i was so worried about.
I have much more research to do.
I don,t know what type i have,my doctor when i was idagnosed said it was a form that responds well to the treatment..whatever that means,unfortunatly i didn,t do anything about it then,i really should have!
anyway,thanks again for the info..S

[_tyrant]

i just found out i have the diease at age 23 im scared to death.

i hope i can find some kind of coverage or i might go to the free clinic.

i d k wanna die so young of hepititis

[Rhino236]

Hep c is a very common thing now a days sad to say. One of my best friends got it from sharing straws. Intranasally consuming oxycodone. It is beatable and I pray for everyone who is going through this. Don't share straws what ever you do. I shared straws with him but thank God I tested negative last week when I got tested.

[Purplebomshell]

During my early using history, I picked up this malady. So far, I feel perfectly normal. I quit drinking but I take tablets with 325 mg of tylenlol in them. Not doing my liver any good. I have thought about the TREATMENT using interferon. Has anyone had any experience with the interferon treatment? Did it work?

Did interferon myself for a year but not for hepatitis . I had melanoma. So far 4 years with no new cancer I wouldn't worry about drinking while on it because you won't even feel like having a drink. Blech!

[oahuyahoo]

i just found out i have the diease at age 23 im scared to death.

i hope i can find some kind of coverage or i might go to the free clinic.

i d k wanna die so young of hepititis

You're not going to die, people have had this disease for decades without any real problems. There's a cure for it now, good luck.

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If you are talking about hepc there is a new treatment out for it developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals. It's a drug called telaprevir but unfortunately it is still combined with ribavarin & interferon. Most patients respond in 4 weeks with no sign of the disease and continue treatment for a few more months greatly reducing the one year standard course of treatment.

During my early using history, I picked up this malady. So far, I feel perfectly normal. I quit drinking but I take tablets with 325 mg of tylenlol in them. Not doing my liver any good. I have thought about the TREATMENT using interferon. Has anyone had any experience with the interferon treatment? Did it work?

[kerryjennings110]

Nice one..

Thanks.

[zzelda01]

I took the treatment as well. Very hard, very sick from the interferon and ribavarin Doc told me I had about 10 years left.However - it has now been 15 years. I got mine from massive blood transfusions before they could test the blood supply. Small miracles - no aids. (no test for that at the time I got hep c, as well). Good luck to all and G-d bless.It is a hard treatment to go through.

[BobbyGee]

I used narcotics for many, many years and got clean 14.5 yrs ago. After getting health insurance, I had a full work up and was called by my Dr. and told that I had Hepatitis C, Genotype 1A, and the hardest to clear. I decided to through interferon combination treatment (interferon shots once a week, along with oral ribavirin, an antiviral twice a day for 48 weeks. I was clear all the way through the 48 weeks. I came back 6 months later for a checkup and the virus was rampart. Fast forward 8 years and me being a glutton for punishment. Drug companies come out with the Protease inhibitors (the new wonder drug) to be added the interferon, and ribavirin for26 weeks. Talk about brutal, but I made it. I go for my three month check-up April 27th. We will see.

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What is the best drug available for weight loss?

[brienzi]

interferon is currently in clinical trials for helping/curing the effets of hep c..
Vertex pharma (vrtx-ticker) is the leading pharma with the most promising results....check em out..(not sure if interferon is used)
Another small biotech amarillo biosciences (amar-ticker) is in trials using interferon for hep c.
There is much promising news out there for those suffering with this disease and VRTX has some great recent trial results...
But check out amar for specific Interferon use...there are a few others experimenting with it also...Interferon has been around for ages while offering cures/helping with things like the common cold and flu to hep c.

[Rocksteady17]

Zzelda1-

My husband also contacted HepC from a bad blood supply after open heart surgery. Before they had a test for it they told us they called it Non-A, Non-B and then finally gave it the name C.
He won't take a treatment for it, it's been about 25 years he's had it. The hospital sent out letters about 3 months after his surgery telling him to go have his blood checked for Hep C or Aids.
I don't know what will happen because he has other serious health issues (cardiac). He just doesn't feel it'll make a difference at this point in his life. I encourage him and so does his doctor but it seems useless.
Wishing you the best.

[parogers]

To the OP and anyone else interested ( I know its an old thread), I too went through the 48 week treatment over 10 yrs ago with peg (not sure if it pegasys or the orig) and the riboviron. It certainly is not pleasant but at the time my doc was giving me darvocet for aches/pains/headaches and ativan. All of which greatly helped with dealing with the treatment. I had type 1a - i think, the most difficult to treat. NO DRINKING WHILE ON TREATMENT. I had a friend whose treatment failed quite probably because she drank every now and then on treatment and let the virus regain a footing. I did not drink and at the end of 48 weeks tested undetectable, a year the same and now over 10, still undetectable in the blood. I will not lie, I still drink - sometimes more than i should - but also try to be gentle with my liver as much as I can. I had a biopsy done before treatment and there was already damage. I take NAC daily and Milk Thistle as well as many other vitamins, and supplements. My liver enzymes are still in the acceptable range. Feel free to PM me with any questions you might have. There is way too much info to go into a single post. I know, IT IS VERY STUPID to continue drinking, but that is / has been one of the demons that has haunted me my entire adult life.(I'm almost 54)
Best wishes to all.
w.p.

[Benway]

Id like to add to this thread.... in the past 6months I have come across [at the project I work] two individuals who were Hep C positive and have appeared to have cleared the virus spontaniously. This happened when they quit drink +/or drugs. Iv no idea of what strain they had but it shows the better you treat your body the more chance it has, with or without meds, to fight off infection.
And dont be afraid of the word chemotherapy. It does not [necessarily] mean that you may end up with the kind unpleasent drug regime that some cancer patients recieve. Chemotherapy is a standardized drug regime for so many different conditions. Taking APAP for a headache could fall into the definition of chemotherapy.
If you have HepC remember that time is on your side and treatments are developing fast.

[wtbeefy]

I used narcotics for many, many years and got clean 14.5 yrs ago. After getting health insurance, I had a full work up and was called by my Dr. and told that I had Hepatitis C, Genotype 1A, and the hardest to clear. I decided to through interferon combination treatment (interferon shots once a week, along with oral ribavirin, an antiviral twice a day for 48 weeks. I was clear all the way through the 48 weeks. I came back 6 months later for a checkup and the virus was rampart. Fast forward 8 years and me being a glutton for punishment. Drug companies come out with the Protease inhibitors (the new wonder drug) to be added the interferon, and ribavirin for26 weeks. Talk about brutal, but I made it. I go for my three month check-up April 27th. We will see.

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What is the best drug available for weight loss?

One of my good friends just finished this treatment and so far so good! No disease detected as of now. But from your post it looks as though it could come back? I thought the interferon cured it, not sent it in to remission.