Congrats Mac! One glass of wine to celebrate won't hurt you but any hepatologist will tell you to abstain from drinking for the rest of your life. There had been some controversy that one or two drinks a week is OK but I believe that thinking has passed see this link. As always absolutely no drinking if you have a trace of cirrhosis. Just be kind to your liver and no alcohol at all. In my opinion drinking alcohol either before or after SVR24 is like throwing gasoline on a fire not a good idea.

Good news (of course) for your nearly SVR24, just like your SVR 12 was, and, how you will be from now on - cured! : )

So nice for you Mak, to be free of that virus and of that stress - recover, and treat yourself well. We are all so glad you beat it. Keep us posted friend.

: )  C.

Congratulations, Mac! You went through a lot during that period of time and we’re all thrilled that you were finally able to kill that Dragon. After the first relapse, you were justly concerned about the effectiveness of future regimens, but we knew you’d be successful when you got your hands on Vosevi. Enjoy all that SVR will bring!

what a wonderful blessing for you Mac, congratulations on SVR 23 . 

Have a great holiday 

I dont know of any alcohol being healthy.

 I do know that alcohol (and everything else you eat or drink) is filtered by the liver and although livers can rejuvenate with time, my opinion is that alcohol is unlikely to help that.

I would like to say thank you for all who were helping me to be healthy especially when I was in doubt. Whrn I had to take one more longer the Vosevi as I was not completely clear on week eight while on treatment. 

Here my results: 18June 2019 AST 27.1, ALT 19.5, bili 11.9, phosphatase 68, GGT 24. UND

It is 23 weeks after the end of treatment - I was not waiting the week longer as I wanted to have holidays. Your help especially Cannuck and Tig was great, And I would like to thank you with all my heart for this and I wish you all the good health.

Finally I drunk a small glass of wine. By the way is there any alcohol that is healthy?

The Vosevi is incredible.

Hurray! Hurray!  

wonderful news Mak  

congratulations,  

Hey Mak!  

Happy SVR

Huge Congrats.

Nice to finally see you here at this Happy Day.  : )

Good to see Mak

Sincere congratulations, Mak.  You DID make it!

Great news on SVR12 Mak! Very happy for you, even though you had to take the long way home results are worth it, you can enjoy your life now without concern over HCV. Be good to yourself and congratulations again.

I’m loving what I’m reading, Mak! Congrats my friend, I know you had doubts along the way, but for me, it was never in doubt. You struggled and so did we, trying to get your fears quelled. It was quite a long ordeal for you, including all of the travel to accomplish this goal, but you did it! 

Time to do the Happy Dance! SVR12 it is

I would like to say that I have just received results from yesterday 25 of March 2018. HCV RNA undetected.

Which is SVR12 :)

You helped me SO MUCH here when I was in doubt. I believe it was a good move that I made my treatment longer. Your knowldege and goodness is great. Thank you for this!!!!

Mcmakin - whoo hoo!! Who would've thought the word UNDETECTED would mean so much?

Yay for your SVR10 Mak! ; )  C.

mcmaklin wrote:

---

Hello dear Friends , news from today: 

12 march 2019 which is day 70 after EOT, UNDETECTED, ALT 22, AST 31, Phosphatase 65, GGT 29, Bili 16.9

I hope I am cured.

---

  right on mak!! you did it! 

More good news, Mak.  You've got this.  Enjoy it!

The reference I used compared the rates of success between SVR4 and SVR12. As an example of what I’m trying to relay, if a patient achieved SVR4, the chance that they wouldn’t achieve the same result at week 12, was separated by one or two tenths of a percent. They have essentially proven that if you’re going to relapse after treatment, it’s going to happen during the first 4 weeks following EOT. You’re well beyond that at 10 weeks. Relax and enjoy the sun shining on your success!

So SVR8 does not mean anything nor SVR 10 because there were no trials on this?  So for you SVR4 and SVR8 is equal. Only SVR 12 counts?

Congrats again! While 70 days only amounts to 10 weeks, you should know, the probability of SVR12 (rate of success) after an undetected EOT+4 viral load, is essentially equal. You’re cured, enjoy the good things to come. Starting with a Hep C free liver...

Hello dear Friends , news from today: 

12 march 2019 which is day 70 after EOT, UNDETECTED, ALT 22, AST 31, Phosphatase 65, GGT 29, Bili 16.9

I hope I am cured.

Hey Mak,

Congratulations! I’ll go out on an educated limb and tell you, I have not heard of anyone relapsing after an undetected EOT+4 viral load. Every single one has gone on to SVR! To make it official, you need to have the +12 week testing, but I already know what it’ll be, 0. It has been a long journey for you. What do you plan to do with all your free time? I suggest enjoying your new Hep C free life! Good luck...

Congratulations on your numbers Mak.

Hope you are feeling better

Congrats Mak on your lovely UND at EOT+7weeks.  : )

Your question? (... about the timing of your next VL according to your UK doctor? ... he says you are to have your last VL in March? ... and you are questioning this ...) - I am surmising that if your "standard" 12 week vosevi treatment had ended the first week of Dec (as it normally would have, if you had been like everyone else who was on a standard 12 week vosevi treatment), then your SVR12 VL date (in that case) would have been due around Feb 27.

But being that you elected to extend your treatment to 16 weeks (you added 4 weeks of vosevi) then your EOT date was about Jan 5, in that case, your SVR12 date would be due around the end of March.  

So, if your UK doc wants a SVR12 VL and LFT's at end of March - good!

Ask him about ongoing LFT and VL testing, perhaps at the EOT+6 month mark (SVR24), and ask what they plan on doing for you as far as imaging and follow-up going forward.

I am going to be looking forward to your (soon!) next SVR12 UND at the end of March! : ) 

Hi Mak,

Well I bet you are happy to see that!  How are you feeling these days?  Different than when you were on treatment?  As Tig said, it doesn't all change overnight, but I expect you will feel better and better - and greatly relieved.

Thanks for the good new.

Cheddy

Yes, i couls not wait so long so I dis the test. My official test will be at the ene of March, they could offer only one, they were calling me. So it seems that there will be no more official- should it be?

No virus - undetected 

Hi Mak,

Glad to hear from you.

Gee whiz, seems like you just finished having bloods done (for EOT+4 weeks on Feb 5) and then these labs are only 20 days later? ... so, that makes this draw for aprox EOT+7 weeks?

Tig is right about LFT fluctuations, we can all do that (have fluctuations). Some people never seem to get to see any fluctuations as they don't get their bloods drawn much, others seem to always test out at about the same levels with not much variation, for others levels will vary a little, from draw to draw.

Your bili's have always bounced back and forth between 11/12 and 16's and 20's - so for you it seems it simply doesn't mean much for your bili to vary this small amount - now, had your bili skyrocketed to very high levels, way above normal limits and stayed that way, that might be more indicative of maybe something going on with your gall bladder function.

I wondered if you were going to have more blood tests done (between EOT+4 weeks and your SVR12), now we know, that you decided to get yourself a EOT+7 week draw done - and I am positive we are going to get to see another lovely UND to go along with these LFT's for you.

For the moment (since EOT) of course your main interest has centered around on seeing good labs and witnessing your lovely UNDs, but after SVR12, what do your doc(s) have planned for you - will you be getting follow-up U/S imaging - when?

Tell us what all you have been up to, how you are feeling, what your Mom and Sis have to say about your cure. I bet you are all happy to be seeing these long awaited good and better days! C.

Those are good numbers, Mak. Don’t worry about those minor fluctuations. It’s entirely normal for things to adjust following treatment. They always do. These are just fine.

I hope you’re feeling better each week. I know you’re looking forward to great days ahead and you will. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it will happen. I’m happy that you’ve continued to do well and want you to keep us informed of your progress! 

, im sure the news will be good mak. it is tough waiting for the results tho.

Hello,

I did another test the 25th of Feb.

Waiting for the result. 

Now AST 32.9 (norm is 0-40), ALT 26.5 (norm is 0-41), Bili 20.8 (High is from 21 I do not know why this happens), Phosphatase 60, GGT 27. One of highest AST . BTW on treatment parameters were lower. GGT is constant this is a good news. 

Mak,

Hey, good! Now we are doubly sure you are indeed UND and your labs are to the good at EOT+4 weeks!  : )

Glad your hurt back didn't require anything more than some TLC and some over the counter pain control - hope it gets better/stays better fast.

While you recover from all this stress of being on the meds and getting yourself cured, please do still try to take very good care of yourself, eat well, sleep well, keep drinking lots of water, get some gentle exercise and fresh air, I like the idea that your doc gave you a dose of vitamin B (obviously he thought that would be good for you). 

It won't be long now and you'll fairly soon have your SVR12!

So between these labs, at EOT+4 weeks and SVR12, are you going to have any more labs drawn, while you are waiting until the SVR12 ones get done?

I bet your Mom and Sis are happy for you. Are you feeling some more relief now with these EOT+4 week lab results? Less worry? C.

A moment ago I got results of another test. I retested because I think the first test was too short after EOT. So now:

29 Jan 2019 which is 28 days after EOT: AST  30, ALT 23.6, Bili 16.4  Phosphatase 74,  GGT 30, UND

5Feb 2019 AST 28.7,  ALT 21.8, Bili 12.5, phosphatase 55, GGT 27, UND

About my hurt back it is better. I was taking only Ibuprofen. Doctor have me B-vitamin, he decided - while waiting for the SVR not to do any steroid injection. It was nothing so serious, but it bever happened to me as big. 

Oh dear. Too bad about your hurt/sore back Mak.

It's hard to say what the doc might want to suggest to do for it.

Maybe he will just recommend some over the counter medicine for discomfort or for inflammation, depending on what the problem is with your back.

Maybe you just pulled or strained something??

As long as he know how well your liver is functioning, then he would know if he would have to avoid any drugs for you - I highly doubt (with your good Fscores and LFT's that any doc would be worried that you could not be treated with drugs for something as simple as a back strain? 

I hope your back thing is not serious and is short-lived.  C.  

It’s recommended that you avoid all supplements, particularly herbal types, such as Milk Thistle. They can alter the liver enzymes and your test results. There isn’t much you have to be careful with, except for medications. You do need to continue hydrating and observing good dietary practices. Vosevi is cleared from your system within a week, so now your immune system has taken over and will sustain the undetected viral response. Treat yourself right and enjoy your Hep C free life. 

Hello - what is safe to do after treatment? Yesterday I bent to pick up things and something ached in my back. Unfortunately probably there will be an injection at a doctor. Is there anything he should not inject or medicines that could interfere with waiting for the SVR? Urgent. Thank you.

No, it doesn't mean that you need another test.  It means your test was at 4 weeks already.  

Mak, take confidence in these great numbers. We've been watching how this works for a long and detailed time.  We are not speaking as doctors, but the consensus here is that you have beat this.  SVR12 will confirm but I'm not sure you will believe it then.  

Someday, you can put this all behind you.  

I know this is stressful, but it's also very positive.  Enjoy yourself.  You've done everything you can.

Hang in there.  Think CURE!

Best wishes.

If you had a viral load test, 4 weeks following the End of Treatment and it was undetected, that’s great! It means you’re on your way to success. An EOT +4 week undetected viral load is a sign of good things to come. Hang in there!

Tig wrote:

---

Mac,

If youre undetected following a week +4 PCR, you should start dancing! The rate of success is comparable to week +12. Im confident youll continue on to SVR.

---

 Tig, what does it mean undetected following a week +4 PCR? It means to do another test in a week?

Mac,

If you’re undetected following a week +4 PCR, you should start dancing! The rate of success is comparable to week +12. I‘m confident you’ll continue on to SVR.

mcmaklin wrote:

---

28 days after EOT (I do labs on Tuesday to not wait all weekend) HCV RNA sequence not found 

---

 so you are UND now?

Yes, thank you I was very stressed. How big are my chances to achieve the VSR? Are the growing up now?

Very good news, Mac.  You must feel great relief. 

28 days after EOT (I do labs on Tuesday to not wait all weekend) HCV RNA sequence not found 

Hey Mak,

Well, (so far) those lab numbers are brilliant (as usual)! We all expect the same numerical brilliance for the VL you are waiting on.

I am of the firm belief that your "pharmacological performance" has been a complete success and that from now on your labs will always show up as being boringly normal. That is a very nice state of affairs to be in and one you so deserve, after all you have been through. I know, I know, we all have to be patient and wait until your SVR12 to claim (official) curedom, but in my book, you are certainly looking VERY cured!

I do wonder what you could do with that epclusa, and I was wondering how the rest of your family may be reacting to your good news of your cure.

Are you still feeling good about everything? Please post your lovely VL results as soon as you get it back. : )  C.

Hello,

I did a VL test today (today because they need up to 3 days for the result). And the liver panel.

For now I have: AST 30, ALT 23,6, Bilirubin 16,40   Phosphatase 74,  GGT 30

It is 28 days after EOT

Riba. while it was needed in the early treatments the dose that was given was also a factor for the low cure rate. Side effects of it were the main reason people stopped or doctors stopped treatment and never finished.

So in the early treatment people that couldn't finish added to the failure rate. Riba belongs in the garbage can. But at the time I was treated it was needed and I'm glad it helped. 

Mak, 

That was just one quite small study, a good one, but not too many participants really - but still ... I found it informative then (and now). Also their data showing how quickly people dropped logs, and the division of participants who were CC CT or a TT, was all good info. All these studies are good learning, but do you really need to know that particular riba data once you are cured? Don't you recall us talking about the vosevi/riba study results before?

So, what did you think about my other queries to you (like what your sister had to say, and what you think you will end up doing with the epclusa)? C.

Riba did nit give any more cures. Even the group with the Riba had worse results.

I wouldn't be wasting my time trying to think about riba (yuck), when you are already well-cured. I would instead be trying to devote some time and effort in rebuilding the rest of my health and recover from all this time of having hepc harming me, now being free of it!  But, to each his own - you do have the rest of your hepcfree life to study riba or RAV's if you wish.

Here is a link to an old phase 2 study that had "with and without" riba arms for TE GT1's (I am positive we have run this riba data by you before!), but you can read the whole of the study results for yourself to see what effect riba had when it was added to 12 weeks of vosevi or not, and whether this data answers your question for you. If you do not read the answer you seek in this data, then i would not know the answer either. 

NCT02536313  (open, then click on/see all of the "Study Results")

PS - You mentioned your Mom's reaction to your treatment results - does your sister know as well that you have finished your vosevi treatment? They must be very happy for you?

Later, C. (hm, just noted the data above does not show up here properly, so you WILL have to open it and read it all for yourself Mak. Also, my bad, in my prior post I MEANT to say TE (not cirrhotics).

So happy you are und at EoT, 

I cannot answer your question about statistics on riba vs not riba , all I can say is it is a horrible drug to be on and if you didnt need it and still cleared the virus...lucky you.