Many thanks for your assuring words Pablo, Harvoni is my first treatment, just completed 6 weeks of treatment out of a total of 12 weeks, I don't know when I was contracted! my be mid 70's (not sure) but I knew of it in 2002, didn't take any supporting midications, only follow up the liver functions which were always within normal range.I was waiting for an advanced treatment to come out and didn't try any.
I know that 49 IU/ML is the same 42, but I expected it to be gone by 6 weeks as all people I knew on the Harvoni forums were less than 12 or less than 15 after 4 weeks.
But you saying 269 after 4 weeks and then it's undetected gives me a light at the end of the tunnel. when was your first lab test after the 4 weeks which gave undetected?
Pablito said
Jun 18, 2016
Hi Osy
Bottom line is: don't panic.
Can you clarify a few things please? How long are you on Harvoni for and is this your first treatment? And how long have you had HCV for?
The results show that you are responding. You are nearly there and have (presuming you are on 12 weeks of Harvoni) you have 6 weeks left to zap the remaining few stragglers. The increase from 42 to 49 I/U is nothing. The way the VL tests work is by a method called PCR (polymerase chain reaction) which means that there are so few viral copies that the test multiplies any viral RNA seen by a huge number in order to be able to measure the viral load...so the apparent increase is not a replase or viral breakthrough but more an artefact of how the test works.
To put your results in context my pre-treatment VL was 2.1 million and my week 4 was 269. I was only on 8 weeks of treatment and by the end I was undetected.
You'll almost definitely go on to achieve SVR. Being negative at week 4 is a good predictor of SVR but the flip of this is that not being negative at week 4 is not a good predictor of not achieving SVR. Having been through it myself I know how worrying it is but you are still in a good place.
PM me if you want to discuss it further.
Pablo
-- Edited by Pablito on Saturday 18th of June 2016 03:07:48 PM
Osy2 said
Jun 18, 2016
Hi everybody, I want to share with you my lab results which are confusing to me hoping some of you will be kind and give me a hope.
I've started Harvoni on May 4th 2016, a couple of days before starting it my numbers were VL 1,976,086 IU/ML, F3 KPA 12, ALT 27, AST 30, BIL 0.6.
After 2 weeks (May 21, 2016) ALT 15, AST 15, CBC OK, no VL done
After 4 weeks (June, 1st 2016) VL was 42 IU/ML, this is amazing to me, I expected it had gone by 4 weeks
After 6 weeks (June, 16th 2016) VL was 49 IU/ML !!!!!! most strange to me.
Is this normal? I know it's not normal, does that mean I'm not responding to Harvoni? Should I stop it and go on something else? I don't trust my doctor and I don't want to go to him again,
I will change the doctor soon, but till then can anyone help interpret these #s for me, I feel disappointed!
Many thanks to all of you.
Linuxter said
Jun 4, 2016
Hi again K8,
I wanted to mention that if your doctor hasn't done so, you should probably request a CBC test (it tests for hemoglobin level). As you may know, the Riba can and probably will lower your hemoglobin count. That's Ok to a point but it should be monitored by a doctor to make sure it's not getting too low.
Dave
p.s. Sorry, I just noticed that you've done the Riba before so, no doubt, you know about the Hg,
-- Edited by Linuxter on Saturday 4th of June 2016 10:31:25 PM
Gracie said
Jun 4, 2016
RIBA can kick you in the gut for sure. I was tired but got through it one day at a time and so will you. Nap when you need to, drink lots of water and take it easy. The end will be here before you know it.
K8 said
Jun 4, 2016
Hi Syd
Did have any side effects with the Dak/Solvadi? The Riba is kicking my butt a bit....just so tired. I wanted to go with the Dak but no doc said there is not much difference in the treatment. The Dak would have cost $2000.00 a month so I am on the Riba.
Thanks
K8
65 yr female.Gt 2 B. Contracted Hep C approx 71,
tested 2007 - vl 10mil RIBA/PEGI in 2007 6 months, undetected EOT, VL 600,00 in 2008
tested in Feb,2016 VL less than 2 mil, SOT 4/25/16 SOL/RIBA for 3 months
Sydhanrahan said
May 23, 2016
Hi Mike,
tropical fantasy land is a good place to get that sort of news.
big congrats.
Syd
Canuck said
May 22, 2016
Hey Mike,
Thanks so much for sending us such a lovely post-card from the Phillipines!! You signed it UND! Talk about a good news holiday! C.
JimmyK said
May 21, 2016
Mike I know all about not having he words to express the feeling.
Other than , Thanks be to God, for His precious mercy.
Keep up the great work!
JimmyK
Tig said
May 21, 2016
Thanks for brightening my morning Mike! That's wonderful news. I can only imagine the sun was shining brightly over the beautiful South Pacific when you opened up that webpage! Congratulations and enjoy the time you have left in the PI, it's one of my favorite places.
wendyo said
May 21, 2016
Hey Mike that is terrific and I can see the dragon's burial ground in the Philippines. Since you found out there I kinda feel he is buried there. Not that you weren't enjoying yourself, but now there is cause to celebrate.
Cinnamon Girl said
May 21, 2016
What excellent news, Mike, I'm so pleased for you!
I'm sure that getting this result must be a big relief for you. Relax and enjoy the rest of your holiday!!
Congratulations!!
Linuxter said
May 21, 2016
Hey Mike,
That's WONDERFUL NEWS!!
So glad to hear it ... that Dragon is gone ...
So you are also one week from End Of Treatment too ... another reason to celebrate!
Seems like yesterday that you were still waiting on approval ... now you're nearly done with Tx ... Good Job!
Congrats,
Dave
Mike said
May 21, 2016
Hello Brothers and Sisters on the Hep C Discussion Forum. I wanted to report some rather great news. I checked my email from my Gastroentrologist's Nurse who reported I am undetected for the HCV at present time. I cannot tell you in words how I feel about this, but safe to say, I'm pretty much in awe about it. I am currently on my eleventh week of Harvoni, with little to no side effects. I am truly blessed. I am in the Philippines right now, and will return June 1st, 2016 to the US mainland, California specifically. I do know that prior to my start date, I was just under 2,000,000 Hep V viral load. Again, I am blessed:) "t"
Many thanks for your assuring words Pablo, Harvoni is my first treatment, just completed 6 weeks of treatment out of a total of 12 weeks, I don't know when I was contracted! my be mid 70's (not sure) but I knew of it in 2002, didn't take any supporting midications, only follow up the liver functions which were always within normal range.I was waiting for an advanced treatment to come out and didn't try any.
I know that 49 IU/ML is the same 42, but I expected it to be gone by 6 weeks as all people I knew on the Harvoni forums were less than 12 or less than 15 after 4 weeks.
But you saying 269 after 4 weeks and then it's undetected gives me a light at the end of the tunnel. when was your first lab test after the 4 weeks which gave undetected?
Hi Osy
Bottom line is: don't panic.
Can you clarify a few things please? How long are you on Harvoni for and is this your first treatment? And how long have you had HCV for?
The results show that you are responding. You are nearly there and have (presuming you are on 12 weeks of Harvoni) you have 6 weeks left to zap the remaining few stragglers. The increase from 42 to 49 I/U is nothing. The way the VL tests work is by a method called PCR (polymerase chain reaction) which means that there are so few viral copies that the test multiplies any viral RNA seen by a huge number in order to be able to measure the viral load...so the apparent increase is not a replase or viral breakthrough but more an artefact of how the test works.
To put your results in context my pre-treatment VL was 2.1 million and my week 4 was 269. I was only on 8 weeks of treatment and by the end I was undetected.
You'll almost definitely go on to achieve SVR. Being negative at week 4 is a good predictor of SVR but the flip of this is that not being negative at week 4 is not a good predictor of not achieving SVR. Having been through it myself I know how worrying it is but you are still in a good place.
PM me if you want to discuss it further.
Pablo
-- Edited by Pablito on Saturday 18th of June 2016 03:07:48 PM
I've started Harvoni on May 4th 2016, a couple of days before starting it my numbers were VL 1,976,086 IU/ML, F3 KPA 12, ALT 27, AST 30, BIL 0.6.
After 2 weeks (May 21, 2016) ALT 15, AST 15, CBC OK, no VL done
After 4 weeks (June, 1st 2016) VL was 42 IU/ML, this is amazing to me, I expected it had gone by 4 weeks
After 6 weeks (June, 16th 2016) VL was 49 IU/ML !!!!!! most strange to me.
Is this normal? I know it's not normal, does that mean I'm not responding to Harvoni? Should I stop it and go on something else? I don't trust my doctor and I don't want to go to him again,
I will change the doctor soon, but till then can anyone help interpret these #s for me, I feel disappointed!
Many thanks to all of you.
Hi again K8,
I wanted to mention that if your doctor hasn't done so, you should probably request a CBC test (it tests for hemoglobin level). As you may know, the Riba can and probably will lower your hemoglobin count. That's Ok to a point but it should be monitored by a doctor to make sure it's not getting too low.
Dave
p.s. Sorry, I just noticed that you've done the Riba before so, no doubt, you know about the Hg,
-- Edited by Linuxter on Saturday 4th of June 2016 10:31:25 PM
RIBA can kick you in the gut for sure. I was tired but got through it one day at a time and so will you. Nap when you need to, drink lots of water and take it easy. The end will be here before you know it.
Hi Syd
Did have any side effects with the Dak/Solvadi? The Riba is kicking my butt a bit....just so tired. I wanted to go with the Dak but no doc said there is not much difference in the treatment. The Dak would have cost $2000.00 a month so I am on the Riba.
Thanks
K8
65 yr female.Gt 2 B. Contracted Hep C approx 71,
tested 2007 - vl 10mil RIBA/PEGI in 2007 6 months, undetected EOT, VL 600,00 in 2008
tested in Feb,2016 VL less than 2 mil, SOT 4/25/16 SOL/RIBA for 3 months
Hi Mike,
tropical fantasy land is a good place to get that sort of news.
big congrats.
Syd
Hey Mike,
Thanks so much for sending us such a lovely post-card from the Phillipines!! You signed it UND! Talk about a good news holiday!
C.
Mike I know all about not having he words to express the feeling.
Other than , Thanks be to God, for His precious mercy.
Keep up the great work!
JimmyK
Thanks for brightening my morning Mike! That's wonderful news. I can only imagine the sun was shining brightly over the beautiful South Pacific when you opened up that webpage! Congratulations and enjoy the time you have left in the PI, it's one of my favorite places.
Hey Mike that is terrific and I can see the dragon's burial ground in the Philippines. Since you found out there I kinda feel he is buried there. Not that you weren't enjoying yourself, but now there is cause to celebrate.
What excellent news, Mike, I'm so pleased for you!
I'm sure that getting this result must be a big relief for you. Relax and enjoy the rest of your holiday!!
Congratulations!!
Hey Mike,
That's WONDERFUL NEWS!!
So glad to hear it ... that Dragon is gone ...
So you are also one week from End Of Treatment too ... another reason to celebrate!
Seems like yesterday that you were still waiting on approval ... now you're nearly done with Tx ... Good Job!
Congrats,
Dave
Hello Brothers and Sisters on the Hep C Discussion Forum. I wanted to report some rather great news. I checked my email from my Gastroentrologist's Nurse who reported I am undetected for the HCV at present time. I cannot tell you in words how I feel about this, but safe to say, I'm pretty much in awe about it. I am currently on my eleventh week of Harvoni, with little to no side effects. I am truly blessed. I am in the Philippines right now, and will return June 1st, 2016 to the US mainland, California specifically. I do know that prior to my start date, I was just under 2,000,000 Hep V viral load. Again, I am blessed:) "t"