I am replying below:

Canuck wrote:

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Just my opinion - when you are on a "triple" (like Vosevi), all 3 component drugs are vitally important, the NS5A (VEL), the NS5B (SOF), and the NS3/4A (VOX) were designed to work together to attack the virus fully from every avenue that this triple is capable of doing. The VOX component is a very powerful drug, just as the SOF and the VEL are in Vosevi.

To be on a triple and then to switch to a lesser drug (Epclusa being a "double only" SOF/VEL) does not make sense - especially given the cure your labs are showing.

Don't take sof/vel just because you happen to have it sitting on your shelf!

So you thinkg it may do wrong things? And better to stop than take extra without one drug.

What makes you think you need further treatment anyway?  

I was reacting very slowly, so I thought that just in case.

 

If you thought yourself "not" cured, then why would you not be considering taking Vosevi again between week 16 to 20!

BECAUSE I HAVE NO MORE MONEY FOR THIS!!! IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE

Go with what both your docs think. 

Your labs look great. C.

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Just my opinion - when you are on a "triple" (like Vosevi), all 3 component drugs are vitally important, the NS5A (VEL), the NS5B (SOF), and the NS3/4A (VOX) were designed to work together to attack the virus fully from every avenue that this triple is capable of doing. The VOX component is a very powerful drug, just as the SOF and the VEL are in Vosevi.

To be on a triple and then to switch to a lesser drug (Epclusa being a "double only" SOF/VEL) does not make sense - especially given the cure your labs are showing.

Don't take sof/vel just because you happen to have it sitting on your shelf!

What makes you think you need further treatment anyway?  

If you thought yourself "not" cured, then why would you not be considering taking Vosevi again between week 16 to 20!

Go with what both your docs think. 

Your labs look great. C.

Because till the last moment I was not sure if I will be possible to order the Vosevi. I had to order it from another country within Europe where it is cheaper, much cheaper. But I had some problems with contacting the pharmacy and arranging it. Finally i did it. But when i was ordering from India I needed to be sure there is at least 4 weeks for delivery, so this was the only choice - I had to act quickly. If I were not able to take more Vosevi I would take - in this case - Epclusa, that my old doctor was saying that it may by enough.

2. I am guessing NEITHER doc will instruct you to take the lesser sof/vel

I will obviously ask, but as for your knowledge it may do anytning worse than just stopping after 16 weeks?

-- Edited by mcmaklin on Sunday 9th of December 2018 03:26:31 PM

Mak,

You have until Jan 2 to have a good consult with both of your docs - ask them about your idea of taking 4 additional weeks of sof/vel, after taking 16 weeks of sof/vel/vox.

I am guessing NEITHER doc will instruct you to take the lesser sof/vel (to take between week 16 to week 20).

Why do you even have the sof/vel sitting on your shelf, being that you obviously bought yourself the sof/vel/vox to extend your therapy from 12 weeks to 16 weeks. Why would have bought yourself this other bottle of only sof/vel? Just wondering. C.

I have Epclusa on the shelve so it would be easy to use it one more month when I finished the Vosevi 

Mak, 16 weeks of VOSEVI is equivalent to a very cold day in hell.   The fire will be out,relax and enjoy the rest of your life HCV free!!    RC

Yes - I understand - but when you extinguish a fire with 3 extinguishers  for 4 months - and when there is still anything left possible - so  when you are out of 1 extinguisher is it better to stop at all or just to finish with 2 extinguishers left? I know it is a step back but I will have 4 months of Vosevi and Vosilaprevir is probably not the most important there. Can it do any bad things? My question is serious .

I dunno.  "One day at a time" is not a treatment plan.  A plan is an ongoing series of steps to be followed through.

I'm echoing lamassu on this one - though I'm sure you will do whatever you think is best.  

I would stick with the advice of my specialists and scholars, some of whom are right here IMO.

OMGosh Robert your report is very good to hear.

Inspiring your one day at a time attitude. So glad you are feeling better, 

Many blessings on enjoying life!, Iris

Hi Mak,

Please listen to Tig. It makes no sense medically to finish treatment with Vosevi then continue with generic Epclusa: that is a step backwards. Vosevi was designed to treat patients who relapsed after treatment with other DAAs due to resistant variants of HCV. Vosevi is the last resort for treating difficult cases of HCV. I have never heard of anyone taking more than 16 weeks of Vosevi. I can confirm there is no generic Vosevi being licensed by Gilead at present. Talk to your doctor please. Best wishes for a durable SVR!

Good luck and very best wishes to you McMaklin!

I end my treatment with box 4 that I bought myself - box of Vosevi the 2nd of January.

Starting from the second I am thinking of doing more with Velpanat - YES  I Confirm this is generic Epclusa.

Hey Mak,

Velpanat is generic Epclusa, if memory serves me. Sovaldi and Velpatasvir. The addition of Vox makes it Vosevi, but I’m not aware of generic Vosevi being sold yet. Just a matter of time and/or interference from Gilead.

You should be asking your doctor about whether an extra 4 weeks of Epclusa (Velpanat) is the way to go. I’m thinking you’re probably good now and it’s not needed, but that’s just an opinion. You have to end treatment one of these days! I understand your concern, but you have to trust in the treatment given. Have faith that you’ve finally achieved your goal. 

Hello, thank you for keeping thumbs for me. I had to stop thinking for a while and work.

Above I posted my results - very interesting, because 15 of Nov I had 2 blood tests, one I did privately and the same day at my old doctor where I was doing unsuccessful Clinical trials (but it is ongoing for 5 years, to monitor patients, they from Abbvie say that taking Vosevi does not exclude me, strange but true) , so at least I had a Fibroscan for free. A few hours later I was undetected again.

My last test was qt the end of week 12 and is UND.

Yes, I bought myself the 4th box of Vosevi and am still taking it.

Here my question - I will ask my Doc (sorry to say but I have not contact with my official doctor, only with a nurse, who is aware of everything and is reporting to him) - I HAVE at home (because I was not sure if I ever get the 4th box of Vosevi) Velpanat for India which is (Sof + Vox).  I do not have any (I think any, maybe a few tiredness) side effects since I started my treatment. Maybe, if I already have it it is good to make it one more month longer with the Velpanat?

Are there any reports how long generally you can take the drug and if it can be harmful for other things? If it can take my chance bigger why not?

2ndTreatmnt  geno 1b- Vosevi 12 weeks - SOT Sept 12 2018 to EOT Dec 5 2018. Pre-treatment - VL 1.4 mil, ALT 45, AST __, ALP 69, GGT 90, bilir 16.

 2 weeklabs:VL 49, ALT 26, AST __, GGT 53. Bili 21, 

4 weeklabs:VL <15, GGT42 other normal  

5weeklabs:ALT 17,AST 27, Bili 11.8,  ALP 68, GGT 36 ... VL 12,   

6weeklabs ALT 19, AST 26, Bili 16,20, GGT35, VL<12

7week GGT34, ALT 19.1  AST 26.4, Bili 17,9 , VL<12 

5 Nov Official test UK undetected 

8week (6nov) GGT31, ALT15.6, AST22.4, Bili 16.6, UNDETECTED

15 nov after the beginning of week 10

GGT 27, Bilirubin 23,30High,  ALT 16.5, AST 23.7, VL<12

15 Nov a few hours later UND

19 Nov ALT 17.10, ast 26.5, ggt28, bili 17.5, UND

3 DEC 12week ALT20,7. AST24,3, GGT 27, Bili 12,10, UND

You are truly an inspiration Robert!!

What an amazing journey, thank you so much for sharing it with us!

Wow, RC - something to see alright, your journey being written up! Thank you for sharing your journey with us, and this! Unreal, you must have brought us the most "hot off the presses" early-info release, as i note it says " ... Vol. 0, No. 0 ... "! Thank goodness you got VIP treatment then and now too! No one deserved a better outcome than you. : ) Very interesting what they chose to determine about you in regard to your IL28 status/prior failures/NS5A and 5B.

Coincidentally, there was just recent article around here that was also speaking to "response guided" therapy.

I will forever thank our lucky stars for Polaris 5. C.

That was an impressive article, RC. As I read it, I remembered much of the story from your play by play narration, as you went through it! Hail to our fiercest of Warriors! Thanks so much for sharing that with us. It’s amazing how far you have come!

What you have been though is incredible.  Trudging through all of those lows is more than commendable.  Thanks for the update. I was wondering.

Congrats on your "free"s.  You have certainly earned it.  The soul is mighty.  I'm glad you are still checking in.

Hi Everyone, Things have settled down and I am starting to feel some sence of life before my liver transplant. Its been one hell of a ride. I can finally look back over the last 15 months and see more of the big picture and what i have come out of. Honestly there were some times when I dident think it was going to get any better and I could just barley hang on!  I was running my own 12 step program for L/T recovery and it was really just one day at a time!  The lows out numbered the highs and i just kept trudging forward knowing that it would get better and it has. I have come from twice weekly blood draws to just once a month and have gone from 23 pills a day to just one rejection drug twice daily. Im lucky that I havent had any issue with liver rejection.One year ago today I could hardly get out of my chair to cross the room, my HGB was 7. I was getting blood transfusions and I was self administering Nupogen shots to get my very low WBC and neutrophils built back up. Today I am HCV FREE and HCC cancer FREE and looking  forward to a ever improving tomorrow. RC

Have a look at this link, its my story

https://aasldpubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/hep4.1280

Hey Mak, 

You've been quiet for the last 8 days? Hope you read the last post and are feeling OK and doing OK?

Check in when you can.  C.

.

Canuck wrote:

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Good to know Mak.

With your "day one" SOT on Sept 12 - I must have counted the days wrong to figure week 9 - if, as you count, Nov 19th is almost the end of your week 10.  

While you are in Poland (over Nov/Dec you mentioned), will you be relying "exclusively" on your old doc there and using the lab there? 

You DO (at least) have to come back to the UK, to your official doc, for your 12 week EOT labs (Dec5)? don't you?

And, as you are adding an additional 4 weeks of Vosevi which you will buy yourself, which of the two docs (and labs) will be following you until that is completed (a total 16 week EOT date would be Jan 2?)? Or, will it be as now, that both docs and labs will be seeing you over week 12 to 16?

Virus virility, course length and treatment drug efficacy is already pretty well predetermined. Efficacy is backed up by all the extensive trials done, before Vosevi (or any DAA) comes to market. Gilead pre-determined that a 12 week course length was an ample, sufficient kill (generally "over-kill") to effect cure. My trial was 8 weeks, other trials were 12, 16 weeks, and there were other treatment length studies. Gilead went to market with data on their side that 12 weeks was the length the course was to be. Your virus was doomed (as far as I am concerned) right from the very earliest of your labs, when your VL and ALT crashed, the rest of the course is just required/necessary kill, over-kill/insurance. Your 16 weeks is definitely lots of kill. Any infinitesimal VL lab blips encountered - or "counted" (detected) part way into the 12 weeks, could be considered mortally wounded vestiges of virus incapable of surviving, multiplying - just my opinion. You will likely feel further insured adding 4 weeks, despite the evidence of your cure thus far.

BTW - what your old doc was mentioning ... I too would see little benefit to adding riba to vosevi (as was already shown in the trial datas).

Will you have to pay a lot for the additional vosevi? Did you ask Gilead about subsidy?

I am glad you are starting to feel a little bit better about things. Too bad for all these difficulties. C.

---

Good to know Mak.

With your "day one" SOT on Sept 12 - I must have counted the days wrong to figure week 9 - if, as you count, Nov 19th is almost the end of your week 10.  

While you are in Poland (over Nov/Dec you mentioned), will you be relying "exclusively" on your old doc there and using the lab there? 

You DO (at least) have to come back to the UK, to your official doc, for your 12 week EOT labs (Dec5)? don't you?

And, as you are adding an additional 4 weeks of Vosevi which you will buy yourself, which of the two docs (and labs) will be following you until that is completed (a total 16 week EOT date would be Jan 2?)? Or, will it be as now, that both docs and labs will be seeing you over week 12 to 16?

Virus virility, course length and treatment drug efficacy is already pretty well predetermined. Efficacy is backed up by all the extensive trials done, before Vosevi (or any DAA) comes to market. Gilead pre-determined that a 12 week course length was an ample, sufficient kill (generally "over-kill") to effect cure. My trial was 8 weeks, other trials were 12, 16 weeks, and there were other treatment length studies. Gilead went to market with data on their side that 12 weeks was the length the course was to be. Your virus was doomed (as far as I am concerned) right from the very earliest of your labs, when your VL and ALT crashed, the rest of the course is just required/necessary kill, over-kill/insurance. Your 16 weeks is definitely lots of kill. Any infinitesimal VL lab blips encountered - or "counted" (detected) part way into the 12 weeks, could be considered mortally wounded vestiges of virus incapable of surviving, multiplying - just my opinion. You will likely feel further insured adding 4 weeks, despite the evidence of your cure thus far.

BTW - what your old doc was mentioning ... I too would see little benefit to adding riba to vosevi (as was already shown in the trial datas).

Will you have to pay a lot for the additional vosevi? Did you ask Gilead about subsidy?

I am glad you are starting to feel a little bit better about things. Too bad for all these difficulties. C.

Hey! Nice Mak, We sure like to see those UND's (or in your case sometimes called "sequence not found")! Your ALT and other bloods have been lookin mighty fine for quite some time now too! C.

PS - so this VL blood was drawn Monday, Nov 19?, making it just a day or so shy of the beginning of week 10, or in other words, just about at the end of week 9? 

How are you feeling about things, as they have transpired? C.

Now that's what we like to hear!  Great news and big sigh.  Thanks, Mak.

Good news, Mak!

mcmaklin wrote:

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i wrote everything in my previous Messages. November and December I spend in Poland- I dos tests privately.

I have news : from this Monday undetected again - no virus. 

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 yay

i wrote everything in my previous Messages. November and December I spend in Poland- I dos tests privately.

I have news : from this Monday undetected again - no virus. 

I missed something.  Why are the reports in Polish?  Are you in the UK.  

I'm confused.

Hey Mak,

Thanks for being so thorough in your answers. We have always ended up getting better clarity most of the time in our communications, but to me, the most overriding bit of info you have said here was ... "YES I have already decided, " ...

Your decision to go ahead and get an extra 4 weeks of Vosevi trumps everything else we discuss here.

Did you pursue trying to reduce your cost for the extra vosevi by contacting Gilead as RC did? - (RC mentioned this in a post to you) - re: asking for payment assistance/subsidy/price reduction).

As long a both your docs feel an extra 4 weeks "might" benefit you (or, at least, "will do you no harm"), and you are followed by them, then the decision is yours, although an expensive one. 

That was good that you shared your Polish lab work with your official nurse and doc. (It was as I suspected, that they would NOT be providing you extra Vosevi to extend your treatment via the UK system), but, I hope you did explore asking Gilead themselves (directly) for any possible assistance they may be able to extend to you for your planned purchase. 

Have you already confirmed the price you will be paying to buy your own extra 4 weeks?

Please keep us posted. C.

Ditto that, Mac.

We just want you to be well. HepC free is a good place to be.

Good luck, Mak! Let me know what you decide, we’re here to support whatever decision you make.

Hello, thank you again. So to clarify I am replying below.

Blood test in my official treatment place is on treatment start, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8weeks. These official tests but 8 weeks I have already done. All other were at the same laboratory in Poland. The more the test at week8 was UND both in UK and in Poland a day after (they name it Negative). There were no translations of documents, but UK tests I know only what my nurse told me by mouth.

They did agree if I want I can buy another box of Vosevi myself but they cannot prescribe it in UK, so if I want from a different country they will monitor me.

I am replying more below:

Canuck wrote:

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Tig and Mak,

Yes, I too have always found it somewhat difficult to follow your labs in an easy straightforward fashion, this is why lately i started asking you to then write it out more fully or "word for word" what your labs were saying, but, better yet to post labs in their entireties - so, i thought that a very good suggestion Tig made, to copy/paste/post the actual lab reports in their entirety here. Semantics - words count for a lot, even the smallest words, language left out, lab-speak/medical terminology (from place to place) can hold subtle or significant nuances which unfortunately  can vary interpretation greatly, especially in this case of using two completely differing labs.

As I wrote the lab is mostly the same.

You kindly posting these 2 results, still does not easily clear up the matter. I am wishing i was fluent in Polish! With missing bits, and language barriers, it is still difficult to piece together what BOTH labs found (exactly and when). It would be far easier if we had ALL of your labs sitting in front of us for us to sift through and view ourselves, and if we could read them in English! I too am curious to know where both of these labs are located - perhaps both labs are in the UK and one (or both) provides you results in Polish (for your reading convenience)?

No translations

I did just want to stress that when you are using two different labs you can only compare the results from "lab A" with further results from "lab A", and when looking at the results from "lab B" you can only compare lab B's results to further results from "lab B"- you cannot compare lab A results to lab B results, nor B to A - at this point I still cannot be sure that you have not been comparing A to B at some points.

As I wrote earlier, A results are from UK, and there were only a few, all other were from another laboratory

Aside from that, I think you have indicated you were UND (with your official doc and his lab)

and not only because a day later in Poland

as of end of week 8 on Tuesday Nov 6, but, that via a different lab, your concern is that you think the second lab said that you have gone from "less than 12 - sequence not found" Correct - which means Negative, what they name it, I know it is the same as UND

on Nov 6, to next "less than 12 - sequence found" on Nov 15. YES

(If your end of week 8 was on Nov 7 and your end of week 9 was Nov 14) - then, at both labs, you were UND (and/or close to it) around the end of week 8 - so, ARE YOU AND YOUR DOC SATISFIED WITH THAT? -

I was talking only to nurse, they were not doing any meeting with doc, she was pleased to tell him and take my results I did in anohter country and she took even a copy of it, so the doc knows that I was und late. Anyway a few days later they told me that the only way to make it longer if I want is to buy it myself. In UK it is not possible to buy

if you were, for all extents and purposes, UND (or next to UND) at end of week 8, then are you then still going to pursue longer treatment just on that basis? 

I am definitely going to buy more Vosevi myself, but waiting before spending those money for the test result that will arrive tonight.

 

Regardless of how we all may be reading into these labs,  WHAT DID YOUR OFFICIAL DOC SAY TO YOU??, did he feel an additional 4 weeks of Vosevi was "not required"? - that he thinks you are being cured without adding treatment time ... did he say this???

NO NEWS - they told me that they (the nurse) cannot dissallow me making my treatment longer. I must tell them only. 

Did he clarify that your VL (with him and his lab) is UND as of the end of week 8, and did he explain to you what the other labs VL results mean (their significance)?? Did he say he will not/can not extend your treatment?? - and that if you wish it extended, you would just have to get the vosevi yourself and he would monitor you?

I certainly hope you discussed ALL of these things with your official doc, you needed his opinion on the matter.

My other DOC from Poland who was testing RAVS after my failed trials in Poland says that yes it would be good to make it longer with the Vosevi and gave me prescription

It is sounding as though you have already decided to go ahead and get the extra 4 weeks of Vosevi, is that not so?, so ... then, why are we still debating how to interpret the timing(s) of your UND's and/or the importance of being detected at less than 12?

YES I have already decided, I am only waiting for Viral load from yesterday, I hope it is right what I am doing, I hope it will be UND or at least <12 that they are not able to measure how many. Otherwise I think there would be no purpose to make my treatment longer. I hope now it is  clear what I am saying. And trust me I have not mixed anything. I hope it was one struggler left in the meantime hidden in my liver that will be killed very soon. I do not know any person doing labs so frequently so how can we know what if this thing does not happen.

 

 

C.

-- Edited by Canuck on Tuesday 20th of November 2018 03:25:26 AM

---

-- Edited by mcmaklin on Tuesday 20th of November 2018 10:58:05 AM

Tig and Mak,

Yes, I too have always found it somewhat difficult to follow your labs in an easy straightforward fashion, this is why lately i started asking you to then write it out more fully or "word for word" what your labs were saying, but, better yet to post labs in their entireties - so, i thought that a very good suggestion Tig made, to copy/paste/post the actual lab reports in their entirety here. Semantics - words count for a lot, even the smallest words, language left out, lab-speak/medical terminology (from place to place) can hold subtle or significant nuances which unfortunately  can vary interpretation greatly, especially in this case of using two completely differing labs.

You kindly posting these 2 results, still does not easily clear up the matter. I am wishing i was fluent in Polish! With missing bits, and language barriers, it is still difficult to piece together what BOTH labs found (exactly and when). It would be far easier if we had ALL of your labs sitting in front of us for us to sift through and view ourselves, and if we could read them in English! I too am curious to know where both of these labs are located - perhaps both labs are in the UK and one (or both) provides you results in Polish (for your reading convenience)?

I did just want to stress that when you are using two different labs you can only compare the results from "lab A" with further results from "lab A", and when looking at the results from "lab B" you can only compare lab B's results to further results from "lab B"- you cannot compare lab A results to lab B results, nor B to A - at this point I still cannot be sure that you have not been comparing A to B at some points.

Aside from that, I think you have indicated you were UND (with your official doc and his lab) as of end of week 8 on Tuesday Nov 6, but, that via a different lab, your concern is that you think the second lab said that you have gone from "less than 12 - sequence not found" on Nov 6, to next "less than 12 - sequence found" on Nov 15. (If your end of week 8 was on Nov 7 and your end of week 9 was Nov 14) - then, at both labs, you were UND (and/or close to it) around the end of week 8 - so, ARE YOU AND YOUR DOC SATISFIED WITH THAT? - if you were, for all extents and purposes, UND (or next to UND) at end of week 8, then are you then still going to pursue longer treatment just on that basis? 

Regardless of how we all may be reading into these labs,  WHAT DID YOUR OFFICIAL DOC SAY TO YOU??, did he feel an additional 4 weeks of Vosevi was "not required"? - that he thinks you are being cured without adding treatment time ... did he say this??? Did he clarify that your VL (with him and his lab) is UND as of the end of week 8, and did he explain to you what the other labs VL results mean (their significance)?? Did he say he will not/can not extend your treatment?? - and that if you wish it extended, you would just have to get the vosevi yourself and he would monitor you?

I certainly hope you discussed ALL of these things with your official doc, you needed his opinion on the matter.

It is sounding as though you have already decided to go ahead and get the extra 4 weeks of Vosevi, is that not so?, so ... then, why are we still debating how to interpret the timing(s) of your UND's and/or the importance of being detected at less than 12?

C.

I am treated in UK but as I usullay spend Nobember and December in Poland it was very Easy for me to do the test in Poland myself.

they were doing 2 tests - one for ALT AST and another one for HCV - Lady With a niddle forgot abour the 2nd test (the HCV one) so she had to do this the second time. But the negative od this test bas been confirmed in UK a day earier  in another test- they told me I was Undetected.

I did my best to translate those reports and want to know why on the 6th of November, they performed the PCR utilizing a SERUM sample, which was undetected. Then on the 11th of November, they used a PLASMA sample that had the presence of the preservative EDTA in it? Plasma is spun down, serum is not. Is it possible they retested an old sample? Clearly the results of the test on the 11th say they found <12 with the presence of Hep C RNA. I question the validity and accuracy of those results as written. Of course I’m not a doctor or a lab technician, so I would request a retest and see what that result is. Outside of that, I can’t provide any other opinions as to why these results came back differently. Do your best to speak with the same people each time and have the bloodwork drawn at the same lab.

One other question. Are you being treated in the UK or Poland? I thought you were in the UK. Why are your results in Polish? I’m confused...

Nothing was verbal, I have it but it is in Polish language. From the same laboratory there was "negative" it is how they name it and sequences of the virus not found, and from the same it was <12 earlier and now it is <12.  Verbally only  I know my results from UK around the same time, a day earlier it was UNDETECTED, which confirmed the thing. When it says <12 then it says found target sequences of HCV virus RNA less then 12 IU/ml. When it was UND they say NEGATIVE and then they describe not found target sequences....

So now a few days ago it says <12 found target sequences again.

Can it be that it was UND but maybe the sensitive test finds one or 2 sequences that are immediately killed by the Vosevi? As far as I know virus can exist somewhere in liver cells, or body, as these are only blood tests. Apart from that nobody measeures viral load every week, so maybe it is normal, it is still around and treatment is working.  So I think I must wait for the next result and make my tretment longer. Generally it IS possible to be UND and then again <12 and again UND while on treatment or I missed anything? I cannot translate everything but it could be possible to do it using google translator.

-- Edited by mcmaklin on Monday 19th of November 2018 05:02:45 PM

-- Edited by mcmaklin on Monday 19th of November 2018 05:07:16 PM

Mak (& Hoodie),

Every viral load test (PCR) can say <12 IU/ml when the results are less than 12 and too low to quantify. That number alone does not provide clear evidence that the viral count is undetected, however close. That is why we always ask, "Does the report say <12 IU/ml UNDETECTED or does it say <12 IU/ml DETECTED". You can still have a few active stragglers when the test returns <12 IU/ml. The PCR is sensitive enough to pick up those few stragglers, but isn't sensitive enough to count them. That's when you see it come back <12 IU/ml DETECTED. Not uncommon to see that. What typically occurs is they perform another test in two weeks and it almost always comes back UNDETECTED. These people need to figure it out, before you go out and purchase many thousands of dollars worth of medication you may not need. 

Mak, if you've got multiple people reviewing your test results and they keep bouncing back and forth with different results, you need to ask for the same person that gave you your previous UNDETECTED results and ask them to confirm them. I know you provided us with your last results, but that was also a verbal result. Do you have the ability to send a photo of your test results? I think reviewing your actual results would help us clear this up. Something given to you in writing. Remove your identifiable information and post the most current written report as an attachment. 

No- I was undetected already. It means that the virus is still there but they know it is less then 12 and they are Not able to measure it

<12 is the same as undetected. 

Someone who knows better please correct me if Im wrong. 

I believe CONGRATULATIONS are in order for Mac!

I think people are not doing labs so frequently.

The report UND was at 2 different laobratories. At one of them from the 15th of Nov it was <12 found hcv rna sequencies. When it was UND they wrote there "minus"

Well, but we do not know, it could be just all the time around <12. The labs from the 15th I have  sent you in my previous message already. I should have labs from today soon, I hope it will be und again or <12. Is not it like that that the result varies all the same? It was UND but maybe the test found a few other and drugs and they will die?

Hi Mak,

If you went from undetected to detected on Vosevi, you’ll be the first person I have personally ever heard of this happening to. Do you have the paperwork in your hand, or was this a phone report? Are you sure they were looking at the most current report? If you can post a photo of your most current report, redacted of course, I would like to see it. There are some confusing circumstances surrounding your differing reports. Are you receiving your results from the same person? Please share all dated copies of your actual reports, if possible.  Hang in there...

PS: Any recent ALT/AST labwork you can share?

Dear Friends, I do not know what to do and what it means.

I was at my official doctor, I told them that I want to buy Vosevi, the said that they cannot discourage me of this, if I want so I must only tell them.

My labs from official place of treatment from the 5th of Nov UND, I tested myself again the 6th of Nov and  as well UND.

Today I received my labs (as I wanted to make sure what to do - I am going to buy Vosevi) and my labs from the 15th of Nov (after the beginning of week 10, which is 9 days later) are saying <12 again and that they found the HCV sequence. I will have a confirmation in a few days because the same day I had other labs in my clinical trials (it is ongoing 5 years, so they did my fibroscan and tested the VL for free) - I do not have any results.

What is going going on? I will be talking to my doctor that is closer, the one that prescribed the Vosevi to buy privately, in a few hours.

I think I should do another test today again.

My labs from the 15th GGT27, Alt 16.5, AST 23.7, Bilirubin High 23,30 and normal would be up to 21, VL <12

Hey Mak,

How's it going?

Tuesday (yesterday) you were due for an appointment with your "official" nurse? (you said), and i had hoped you would also be able to see and speak with your hep doc, at that same appointment?

Did that happen? - did you have your appointment with the nurse yesterday? AND, did you also get to have a good, long thorough talk with your doc about what you should be doing for the balance of your treatment?? Hope so.

Let us know.  C.

i'm so glad we were allowed to swallow the pill

Well, if we’re strictly going on the consideration of medication absorption, then I’m going with diarrhea being preferred to puking. If vomiting occurs within an hour of medication administration, then there is going to be a concern related to complete absorption, where diarrhea is typically related to fluid loss through the large intestine. By the time things reach the Colon, medication absorption is generally not a consideration. The exception to that would be a medication supplied by rectal suppository. Then all bets are off...

so diarrhea is preferable to puking in this case ?

When my Dr ordered 4 more weeks of Vosevi, extending my treatment from 12 weeks to 16 weeks my insurance turned it down at first. I contacted Gilead and made arrangements to get a coupon that would make my cost something like 9 thousand dollars and I would have done that. As it turned out I won my appeal and the insurance stepped up and supplied the 4 week extension. I feel that I would not have reached SVR if it werent for the extra 4 weeks of Vosevi.   RC

Hi Mak,

No, diarrhea doesn’t impact the absorption of Vosevi or any drug. Absorption takes place in the stomach and upper (small) intestine. 

Hello - does not diarrhoea disturb to iabsorb the Vosevi- it happens to me like 2,3 hours after taking my pill latey? I have to avoid coffee I know. Or it does not make any difference ?