hi canuck, 

so i guess my 8 to 1 mixture was good enough.

yea, i'm a little ocd too

all my labs came back in the normal range at 4 weeks. my liver panels were mostly normal thru the years.. some years my enzymes were a little high, but never really high. my signature says the main things; but my enzymes were slighty elevated before tx, and now mid normal and my bio has some more info too

still i went on to the middle f3 fibrosis; i was still drinking the first 4yrs that i got it , then life stress, and of course 36 years of the little critters nibbling away was the main reason i'm sure.

so now, going forward my liver will have a happy home life

I love that inner discussion that went on between you, the rank and file immune troops and the batallion of extra special-ops soldiers! heehee But that was right-on BTW.

thank-you

5

-- Edited by 5-1-18 on Wednesday 6th of June 2018 04:36:00 AM

Hey 5!

Huge congrats on that lovely 4 week UND you got! I saw your happy announcement of it whilst I was still getting myself and things sorted from my trip "away" - very nicely done my dear, lovely for you to know you have a GORGEOUS UND under your belt, AND ... that all your other 4 weeks labs were normal?? Just the way it is supposed to go! 

Pray tell us (if you ever got the pre-treatment ALT/AST's etc) what they were, AND what your 4 week ALT/AST is now, or whatever the normal labs were you said you got for your 4 week draw.

I love that inner discussion that went on between you, the rank and file immune troops and the batallion of extra special-ops soldiers! heehee But that was right-on BTW.

Our May 1 ladies are doing so well!! I am pleased - hope things remain tolerable (on the sides front) so that you can just coast in for a smooth finish.  C.

PS - Ah, I always do the "Paranoid" version of a surgical scrub, instead of doing what is simply called for! - if an inanimate object simply calls for a 1 part bleach to 10 parts water soak for one minute to do the job, then I automatically soak the object in warm soapy water to loosen any dried debris, then scrub it with a brush and lots of friction and lots more soap (toothbrushes work great for scrubbing BTW)! , then rinse well in warm water, then plunge the soapy cleaned object into the 1 part bleach 10 parts water soak overnight, then air dry the bleach solution on the object for hours until dry. Then rinse the now dried bleach solution off the object with warm running tap water, before i use the object again - overkill to say the least! Oh did I mention I have OCD tendancies?  hee hee  

hey tig, not sure , but i did  8oz water to 2 oz bleach... soaking now, but one min. is def enough?

Good one 5! Glad all's well with you.

feeling good and having fun. managing work ok

water water ,everywhere

........and yesterday was cake day

thnx tig, i'll wash off the alcohol real good , let it dry for a few days then hit it with the bleach water. 

i'll do the nail clippers too. already changed tooth brush and of course threw out any disposable razors 

The best thing I can advise you to use is a 1:10 household bleach solution. A one minute soak kills 100% of the uglies, whereas 70% alcohol was shown to be less than 90. I suppose it’s close but... There isn’t anything better than bleach to clean everything, except grass stains on my kids uniforms, lol!

“But commercially available antiseptics were highly effective against the HCV-contaminated blood spots. One minute of exposure to bleach (diluted to a ratio of 1:10) was 100% effective, whereas cavicide at a similar concentration was 94% effective and ethanol (70%) eliminated HCV in 87% of blood spots. The effectiveness of these disinfectants was significantly reduced when their concentrations were reduced below recommended levels.”

HCV & Disinfectants

question...????

is alcohol a good soak for things like electric razors?

i bought a new top part, but still want to know if the old razor part will be ok soaked in alcohol for decontamination of any virus particles

Tig wrote:

---

Congratulations is never enough, but Im standing on my head, yodeling it, if that helps! Im thrilled to pieces, this always brings me the same excitement I had when I was given the good news. Youll never see nuttin but zeros from now on, yeah!

---

 thank you tig, yes indeed this is a very fun and exciting time for me .......00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

i made it thru work another nite with only moderate discomfort, but thankfully my mind was sharp and i had energy to do the job....... so weird . hahhaha. still on the huge water=4qts

no nausea or gi problems so i like that.

Congratulations is never enough, but I’m standing on my head, yodeling it, if that helps! I’m thrilled to pieces, this always brings me the same excitement I had when I was given the good news. You’ll never see nuttin‘ but zeros from now on, yeah!

Observer wrote:

---

hurray.

you got the pesky dragon  on the run 

thats THE best news.

Alison

---

 yes , giving my liver a long deserved  break from being battered,  giving it a chance to breath. i'm sure my immune system is like "wow"....... regrouping and wondering "did we finally get it done for her?" ; and then...... "well lets mop this place up now and get to renovating, and thanks for the extra soldiers mam". 

hurray.

you got the pesky dragon  on the run 

thats THE best news.

Alison

SeeTheLight wrote:

---

Fantastic news for you I would love to hear that Not Detected, but I will just have to wait till the 12 week post for that one.

---

 yes, it is good news today.......i bet you are the same. , and i await the end result too so that will be about the same time as you i think, so we continue to wait together

Fantastic news for you I would love to hear that Not Detected, but I will just have to wait till the 12 week post for that one.

Tig wrote:

---

When do you get your VL results back? Youll be amazed!

---

 no detectable hcv

normal chem labs

... ,

and the journey continues

i am def amazed.

When do you get your VL results back? You’ll be amazed!

waiting on my quant VL .....

lamassu, i was told that we do need the gallon of water also...hubby did the same during his tx as i had read about it already.

so i was ready with my numerous water containers i collected just for my tx

still, i was expecting half a gallon would be enough till tig and canuck told me a gallon

i just read hubby's labs and here's what i found

he only had 2,560,000 VL, but was higher into the f3 stage than me. [blood test only-we don't have the fibroscan here locally yet]. one of his tests showed 68, the other in the 70's [f4], but finally they agreed he does not have stage 4/Cirohsis

also, he had A1-A2 activity and i only had A1

so... maybe the more fibrosis and activity was the reason for 12 weeks. hubby thinks he pissed off the doctor and so got some extra time on. I don't think that.

-- Edited by 5-1-18 on Thursday 31st of May 2018 03:23:41 AM

-- Edited by 5-1-18 on Thursday 31st of May 2018 12:18:00 PM

Canuck,

Is it as important with Harvoni as Epclusa to drink a gallon of water a day? That full gallon really helped with my Epclusa side effects.

i just read hubby's labs and here's what i found

he only had 2,560,000 VL, but was higher into the f3 stage than me. [blood test only-we don't have the fibroscan here locally yet]. one of his tests showed 68, the other in the 70's [f4], but finally they agreed he does not have stage 4/Cirohsis

also, he had A1-A2 activity and i only had A1

so... maybe the more fibrosis and activity was the reason for 12 weeks. hubby thinks he pissed off the doctor and so got some extra time on. I don't think that.

-- Edited by 5-1-18 on Thursday 31st of May 2018 03:23:41 AM

-- Edited by 5-1-18 on Thursday 31st of May 2018 12:18:00 PM

yes tig, i believe

hahahahaa, drowning the pill, hahahahaha

i already feel better in many ways, so whatever help the harvoni is giving my immune system i am thankful.

the turn around on these labs was quick for hubby so i hope to know by friday, if not, then monday.

Hey 5,

I did my darnedest to drown a pill for you and want to assure you the attempt was futile. It wouldn‘t cooperate at all, lol! I’m including a proof of attempt photo.

I hope that when you finally decimate your Dragon and you will, many of these nagging issues will begin to resolve. The liver is responsible for filtering just about everything that passes through your body. A sick liver doesn’t do that job well. There are many benefits obtained following SVR, let’s hope you get them all. 

It was a fighter!

so good to hear we can't drown the harvoni.haahah

i actually take the tsp of apple cider vin. to help with the gallstones cos i heard it helped. so i can make sure i  eat the oatmeal/vinegar only on days off or if i get out early from work....... reg. oatmeal with some cake on work days where i can't eat at specific times.

i'm always home by 3:3am so i'll never have to worry about missing my cake and harvoni at 4am; a very small piece of cake with frosting.

i was eating almond butter and sesame butter but the first week of harvoni i got flushed real bad and had red face for awhile......not sure what that was all about but plan to experiment a bit wed evening.

speaking of wed. i will go forward to the lab and check on my progress; i'm sure we all feel a bit off with the actual time of checking. i just pray for happy results and good progress, yes, even und. amen

of course we all know soon what the results are as i will share them here

May 1

No, you can't drown a Harvoni pill ... but you can maybe consume too much water at one time and have it just generally have a stomache affect in you in various not so pleasant ways - water consumption can be stretched out over more evenly over a 24 hour period to lessen any great boluses of water sloshing around in your stomache. You aready seem to have a cyclical acid/ph thing going on in your stomache, so I would not know how best to balance large volumes/boluses of water given how you eat (special diet requirements/meal times/use of vinegar) and your doc-approved tum use. Back and forth acid/ph stomache can be affected by all these things.

If you chose to take your pill with a mod. fat content meal (which you are allowed to do, even though it is not required with harvoni) - especially if you assume you might increase your absorption of the ledi component of your harvoni in an insignificant/miniscule amount, then the fat/meal should be concentrated with the drug (the fat content meal taken at the same time as you take the pill), but i (personally) would just be taking a drug like harvoni with a meal, just on principal, hoping that that might make it easier on my stomache to do so. Water intake can be all day long, just as long a get your daily water quota in and are well hydrated.

Well, I am trying to pack up and go off to my out of town appointments, I'll keep trying to check back in. 

Hey STL, not MIA, just missed!  C.

thinking about fat and water now.... can i drink too much water after i take the pill?

i generally drink most of my water leading up to the pill and by pill time usually 8-16 oz of water.

but tonite i wasn't maxed out yet so started drinking more water after pill and started wondering if i was actually drowning the harvoni??? 

hi stl

hubby is retired too so didn't have to think about it..

i hope the fat content doesn't make that big a difference cos i'm not a big fat eater and the pharm said with or w/o food for the harvoni.

but! i am having a big piece of cake now, pill at 4am, so will stretch the cake out as far as i can.

already had the oatmeal ,banana and aspergus [freeze dried, hardly can taste it at all]. awhile ago.

today was good at work STL , that's how it's been for me....... one day that makes me sit down and rest and then ok in between.

work completely understands, but they've all known me for so long so they know me; i stay away when i can't make it for realzzzzzzzzz. but don't take advantage. if i do need more time i get a dr's note. i just know we all work hard and only a cpl of ppl take advantage now, so  it's harder for me to call in, but i do listen to my body......it tells me that if i go it's not going with me.hahahahaha

tv is my favorite hobby too, esp now when other things take too much energy

i'll see you over on your thread

t

Oh 5, sounds like you are not having it too easy. Hope you are feeling a bit better now. I do admire you going to work feeling like this. I'm glad that is something I do not have to worry about. The TV is my bestie at the mo

I do have a big craving for sweet things particularly cake also. LOL Cake and carbs ....bit strange, keep feeling like I need them at the mo.

Hope work was OK after your night off. Did hubby manage to cope with work while he was on treatment?

oh hey, i took a fourth of a unisom at midnite and could hardly keep my eyes open till pill time.hahaha

then after pill i conked out till my 3:30pm, slept better than on valium, but feel groggy now . still happy i got some sleep.

and...it is just antihistamine so it will help with allergy too.

back to work tonite to see how it goes... will consider time off with a doctor's note if it's just too difficult to work

hopefully once the unisom wears off i'll have some energy.

the harvoni says with or without food, but i always eat when i get home....... still it's about 1-2hrs till i take my pill, along with about 60 ounces of water before my pill. having the other half gallon thru the day and nite before that [when i wake up and all thru work]

then about 8oz at time of pill so i don't get up all nite to pee.

hubby ate all kind of fatty sweets during his treatment cos he was losing weight.

i'll be sure and pick up some cake after work tonite and start having that with the pill , a few bites anyway

Good point Obs, and, it kinda plays into what effects these DAA's in their absorption too, why there is such consideration as to why your gut ph should be "just right" for taking your dose of DAA (such as being on PPI's taking tums, or altering your gut ph period). They say to take some DAA's with a "moderate fat content meal" for good reason. Most DAA's monographs will expound clearly (for the drugs that stipulate that it does not matter if you do or don't take the drugs with food) that the effect of food/fats have no "sgnificant" affect on drug absorption, but, with further reading you can see it does have a miniscule effect, so if you are trying to maximize absorption you will take certain DAA's with a mod. fat content meal - the food itself (if recommended), I believe, helps to set up the correct stomache ph balance for your dose - (my thinking). If a mod fat meal assists (in any way), i would do it. 

You have already been advised and have it all covered by your doc and pharmy's advice, but thought you might like to read this as well, just out of interest.

I recall angel and DL and I were discussing this, way back in Jan, about drinking baking soda and stomache ph and such, here is that post, should you be interested:

From Jan 10 ...

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 Hey Angel and DL,

I got back into to town tonight after an overnighter, and trying to catch up on some posts, but did notice you were both reading that link "About DAA Absorption" (acid/alklaine balance, baking soda use, etc.) ...

If you read the monographs for many of the DAA's, you will find similarities in them (whether it is Harvoni, Epclusa, Vosevi or Mav) in that various "acid reducers" PPI's can be contraindicated for their potential negative interaction with DAA's, while you are on the DAA's. H2 antagonists and many other things that affect/reduce acid (increase your gastic ph) have to be taken into careful consideration so as not to intefer with the DAA absorption - whether it be a simple as taking the DAA as recommended with a meal, or, not taking baking soda water dosing while you are on DAA's, all has to be taken into careful consideration. 

The Mav monograph (like Vosevi) directs you to take the dose with a meal for good reason. Starting off with the right acid/alkaline environment for the drugs to be able to be liberated and absorbed. That's my take on it anyway. 

The link was just trying to highlight how important it is to discuss with your doc all the other things you will be wanting to consume, before you start DAA's, that's all ...

Here are a couple more tidbits, "Catie" is a well known group who wish to advise folk to consider what things may affect DAA absorption ...

Excerpted from Catie:

When Harvoni is taken with the following medications it could potentially cause significant drug interactions:

·         antacids or buffered medications

·         medication to treat indigestion, heartburn or ulcers, such as nizatidine (Axid), famotidine (Pepcid AC, Peptic Guard), ranitidine (Zantac), esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Losec) and pantoprazole (Pantoloc)

·          

Talk to your nurse, doctor and pharmacist if you are taking any of these medicines. One way to manage drug interactions is to make sure that your doctor and pharmacist know about everything you are taking, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, street drugs, herbal medications, supplements or anything else. If you have more than one doctor or pharmacist, it is possible for drug interactions to get missed. If more than one doctor is writing prescriptions for you, let each one know about everything you are taking. If possible, use the same pharmacy for all your prescriptions.

Harvoni monograph excerpt:

Acid Reducing Agents: Antacids (eg, aluminum and magnesium hydroxide)

H2-receptor antagonists: (eg, famotidine)

Proton-pump inhibitors: (eg, omeprazole)

Effect on Concentration - reduces ledipasvir

Ledipasvir solubility decreases as pH increases.

Drugs that increase gastric pH are expected to decrease concentration of ledipasvir.

It is recommended to separate antacid and HARVONI administration by 4 hours. H2-receptor antagonists may be administered simultaneously with or 12 hours apart from HARVONI at a dose that does not exceed doses comparable to famotidine 40 mg twice daily. Proton-pump inhibitor doses comparable to omeprazole 20 mg can be administered simultaneously with HARVONI. Proton-pump inhibitors should not be taken before HARVONI.

In the "About DAA Absorption" link that you both read, info from MAV was used, to highlight the importance of taking a (mod to high fat) meal with MAV dosings, and what effect the food has, when taken with the MAV dose. How you will absorb the dose of MAV (in the company of a meal and the right acid/alkaline condition that that meal sets up). That's my take on it anyway. C.

observer, the acv soothes my gut before bed. and the tums help while i am at work [stress and food related indegestion].

only 1 more month  to go, and waiting for the lab request to come

canuck, yep i do feel much better after nearly 24hrs bed rest, sleep and tv.

yes it got to be a bit boring a few times but i just relaxed myself into knowing this was the way to go today

yes, it is a journey and day in day out things can change. i was looking for a more stable day to day experience....hahaha

but along the way i have indeed listened to my inner guidance and enjoyed the support on this forum.

thank you. 5

Im wondering if apple cider vinegar could be contributing to your need for tums?

I used to drink a shot glass of it everyday, and found it gave me an acidy tummy. 

I eventually started using psyllium husks in a glass of orange juice to fix my digestive problems. 

Alison

Ah, lovely sleep - just what body and mind needs. Glad you got a better sleep, and that you decided to cull work. The right things you need.

This has to be the rule ... "i am good to me ".

What you are going through really IS a journey, you are being tested (in various ways), we all get tested (by something) along this trip, some less, some more - everyone's experience is dif, but we share the common fundamentals, YOU are doing really, really well in the coping dept. Sleep deprivation and lack of mind and body rest only makes any unpleasant physical and mental things you go through, just a little harder, it adds another layer/element of stress. So you have done the right things (to retract, rest, recoup, restore, reach-out, re-charge, re-boot, re-calculate, re-group). Hey, those must be the 9 R's! heehee 

Nice your hubby is such a good support and that you have your sis as well - never in a million years could I/would I go to my sis/reli's! My partner was  was the best support one could ever hope for, I am/was so lucky that way, a saint he is, but don't tell him, it just goes right to his head. Good you have this kind of crew at your work who are experienced, knowlegedable and empathetic - take advantage of this good situ at your work (like you are doing). Very lucky when you can arrange/have that kind of cooperation.

We all have some overall stress we go through while on treatment, can't be avoided in lots of cases, just is, add to the mix anything more (such as lack of sleep/rest) it can start piling up in unexpected ways, feelings of guilt, doubt can creep in, feeling too vulnerable can test our patience and keep us off-balance, at a disadvantage to cope - you are using the right tactics, logic/reason, these thoughts and little inner talks you are having with yourself about work demands and others expectations of you should be entertained and then put in their place - find the right place for them, do not give into the gulit/doubt devil on your shoulder nattering at you - instead listen to your inner goddess who knows you need to soothe and take care of yourself, the good angel on the other shoulder who knows you are doing good, and will do well. If you are having trouble justifying being off work, listen to your reason. BE selfish, you need to be. NO ONE can take better care of you that Number one. You know, and will know what to do. 

We drink filtered water, just waaaay too much chlorine around these parts. Yuck.

I would be taking my Harv. "with food" and best with a "mod. fat content" meal. C.

i finally fell asleep and slept well for 7ish hours  , right after my last post. 

i'm thinking some of this is allergy, but the combo of allergy and harvoni is not fun , but sleep and time off to relax are def the way to go today

simply tv and bedrest today, and water

it's funny cos i always drink britta water and my sister says she always drinks tap water..... anyone here think there's a big difference?

my phone call to work was easy and the day shift boss was very kind; she knows of my harvoni and has urged me along the way to take care of myself. so that is done and now i can watch tv and hope to fall asleep.

i'm so thank-ful that i didn't try to muscle thru work tonite feeling this way and with no sleep.

i am good to me

so,i decided it is best for me to stay home and take care of myself today. i'm not a habitual call in sick person and trust that the place doesn't fall apart without me today  

i'm just kinda burned out right now, been so positive and doing all the right stuff........ wishing i had more energy and enthusiasm for work. wish my body felt better.

i haven't slept well the past few days; plus now i have been concerned with the labs that will be coming soon.

i suppose i expected to have that cheerful outlook everyday and this is a little surprising to me; even tho i saw hubs go thru the ups and downs....... 

i worry that work will be disappointed in me but that can't be my concern right now if i am to move thru this period of adjustment

it's mostly been so easy for me so naturally i don't like this part, but i'm gonna go with the flow and realize this too shall pass

i can take it easy and know that my coworkers call in when they need to also.

well, i'm not the energizer bunny after all 

i had a nice chat with my sister and that helped me to realize i am not faking anything. and hubs is very supportive.

this mood is stranger than the aches, pains , dizziness and upset tummy..hope it passes quickly

i'll be back later to update........ i know you've all been thru this too, that def helps me to wait it out.

oh, and i work 4 night's a week. so in that window of time , spread out like that it's no more calcium than in cheese or fortified milk or orange juice.

STL had a long trip and may be resting and recouping from all the fun

solar plexus encounters

 wow! those accidents must have been horribly painful . i'm glad it is finally taking a good turn for you after all you've been thru.

my gi problems are actually less since starting the harvoni, my liver is much happier.

i've had ibs for years, but fairly regular on a daily basis, every once in awhile i dont poop for one day then back on track.

when it happened 2nd week of treatment i was like "oh no please not constipation as a side effect!", but it's only been twice in the 26 days so i'm happy about that.

i am thrilled to hear your puffy feet and legs being cured as well, i have had that problem for the past few years and i don't like it. i too have seen a little improvement since starting tx... so yay for this good thing.

and no red face except the first week of tx...... still not going to work without makeup in case it does get red.

and i can totally see that the back pain could be caused by liver inflamation and congestion ,  the front of my liver doesn't hurt anymore since tx.

don't know if it's gallbladder or liver, but it's not tender anymore..... i noticed that within a few days when i slept on my stomach. i was like  WOW! woohoo.

thanks for such a wonderful post.

and yes i'm doing the 3.5-4 quarts water daily  [almost 4 liters].seems to be working out for me except having to get up to pee a lot in when i'm trying to sleep...... i drink a lot of it before and after work . about 1.5qts at work.

small price to pay for flushing my body of this virus  

tiredness........ we work hard on the weekends and my body gets sore and i get tired.

in fact tho, i do feel so tired after work right now and my body aches so i will decide if i need to take a sick day when i wake up.

oh my goodness canuck...where to start? it's all great.

first. tums >work nites only . 500 mg tabs,  half at 8pm and half no later than 11 pm.  i'm very strict about this. some days only only half, some days 1 and half........still in that window of time...... the heating pad on my stomach when i get home.

i take my sweet harvoni at 5am, so that's  15 hrs after and 6-7 hrs before.

 i eat  a tsp of apple cider  vinegar in my oatmeal with freeze dried asperagus  a cpl hours before the pill, and a banana;  and maybe a small piece of bread after if i still cant sleep. 

i take 1-2mg of valium about an hour before or after the sweet harvoni on work nites 

more in my next post

That is a substantial number of days!!, and good for the good water days. Hope you will be adding more "good-feeling only" days to the allotment as you carry on. We'll have to suss out our other May 1 lady next and see how her good epclusa days are going. 

I am always learning from this site - glad everyone shares so readily. Nice to know your thinking/connections between allergies/rosacea and things that you do for your allergies, nice the lazering helps/works. And, that claritin can make you go WILD (like ... how "crazy"?) - that's interesting, as is your list of the veggies you CAN eat - those are all some of my fav veggies BTW!

Are you still finding you are having to take tums, or whatever it was/brand you said you and your hubby take from time to time? Just wondering if you able to get along without it? Do you end up having to take that everyday?, or more than once day? I know you said the doc or pharm advised you on how/when to take it - and if you must you must, but if it can be avoided (without causing you gastric grief), then I would try to take it as little as is possible, or as little as you can get away with.

Here's my improvement-hope spiel - I had long standing (un-figured-out) epigastric discomfort for decades, I personally just chaulked it up to this or that, I came up with my own bizzarro self-diagnoses, like ... gee, maybe it was that time I stabbed myself but good in the solar plexus with the blunt end of my ski pole trying to learn how to ski!, did that not once but twice (who'da thunk it eh!), but the next time was a very sudden unfortunate painful solar plexus encounter with the end of a push-broom.  Fast forward decades later, when I finally get dx with HCV in 2015, hm ... I wonder (being that I was now able to blame just about everything wrong with me ever on HCV, maybe the epigastric stuff too?) ... maybe HCV explained my epigastric thing, my chronic constipation?, or a whole hoard of other complaints I had? - no answers. Prior to HCV being diagnosed, no doc ever came up with explantions for me as I brought various complaints up. Nothing relieved the epigastric thing, it just was, and I lived with it. It did get a wee bit more noticeable the last decade. Because of my hep treatment I got my first ever U/S's, which showed pancreatic calculi, that of course I (nor anyone) would have ever known about prior, so i went all paranoid for a while thinking about the radiologists note "suggestive of chronic pancreatitis", could that possibly explain the epigastric thing?, but no one was really buying into this theory, including myself ... silent chronic pancreatitis?, I don't think so. Would just getting cured of HCV help the epigatric pain? - nope. After HCV cure i still had the epigastric discomfort - dang it!, and, as far as i know I am still packing the same amount of calculi in my pancreas (altho, I will be getting another U/S soon, that I am looking forward to, to see what's what). BUT HEY, GUESSWHAT! ... just recently I kinda discern just a little tiny bit less epigastric discomfort, such a long time since cure, and just in the last few weeks too - here's to hoping that maybe the epigastric thng will turn around for me yet! :) I have had improvements on the chronic constipation front as well since cure, (slowly, but steadily mind you) whether i could have blamed the HCV, or now credit my slightly better applied water and diet measures - I do not know. I argued with my doc about a marked intractable RLQ back pain that I had for many, many decades that just miraculously disappeared after cure. I swear the back pain was liver related, he will not agree.

He did agree my pedal edema was HCV related though, I still so proudly pat my feet and un-pudgey ankles in grateful/congratulatory ways. Grateful for all these small improvements, that are BIG to me.

Post-cure, I hope (and trust) you WILL see improvements, on many fronts - I hope you get the whole box of post-HCV-improvement chocolates, and not just a few unknown but delicious-picks gifted to you.  C.

25 days and stilll going good with water

thnx tig 

Hey 5,

It has been documented that people with HCV, suffer from Rosacea. There are a number of articles and studies that imo, proves it. I will be optimistic that once you have destroyed the Beast, your condition will hopefully follow. 

Here are some references and will show you the incidence is fairly high. HCV definitely is responsible for various dermatological conditions.

Rosacea/HCV

Hep C and Your Skin

lol, canuck, i did snatch it out of his hands while hubby signed .hahaha

my allergy is actually rosacea. which has been very nice to me during tx. my hope is that it's simply a response to the hcv 

so, stuff that gets the vascular revved up also revs up the vascular in my face. i get laser tx 2x a year and it has helped so much.

but i tend to have the sinus/allergy thing going year round... again hoping it will be better after my liver feels better.

oh yea, i can only eat asperagus. brocoli, cabbage and brussel sprouts too, but of course they hurt my gut...my face likes them tho.

but i manage well enough after all these years. 

i take a few grains of claritin once a week ; more than that and it makes me crazy. i do use a product called nasal crom [it's a mast cell inhibitor rather than decongestant, antihistamine or steroid].

yes, i look forward to cracking open the next bottle and getting labs... next monday will be the end of week 4.  the doc will send  the labs via the internet and snail mail.

yes, i feel that anticipation, zeal

Ah, the comfort of the pills! I remember it well. I called them my biggest, bested, strongest, bravest back-up buddy in a bottle (e-ver!). How was I not surprized you were pretending to sleep with one or both eyes open waiting for that doorbell. We had one gal here who was so distraught/fraught with desperate excitement, anticipation, zeal at finally receiving her very first long-awaited bottle to the door, she near-snatched them out of the delivery guys hands.

My friend on thyroxine luckily did not complain of any stomache issues with them, just the "juggling", at the first fews months/year, in finding the right dosage, he was either wired or tired, but finally found his sweet spot.

Allergic to ginger/spices! hm, I have finally succeeded in getting referred to an allergist for some allergy testing. I never thought about spices, makes sense - coming from plants, I guess a person could be allergic to anything!

Progress! Crack open that specail Gilead bottle #2 and celebrate with a 4 week blood draw, coming up right soon. It's gunna be good.  C.

 had the thyroid med bothered your stomache before (in the past)?

yes Canuck, they have. in fact i didnt start taking them sooner than i did becos i didn't like how i felt....eventually i just went for it and now i know it's best to take it when i can go back to sleep.

I believe the use of different drugs and protocols is much to do with price, commission, structured costs afforded to insurance carriers and governments and effectiveness. Harvoni, out of pocket is actually one of the most expensive protocols on the market. Mavyret is the least. As I mentioned, it’s all about the structured price agreements. If you consider the cost of available generics in various global locations, you can throw brand name prices, out the window...

Considering all of these DAA’s consist of a combination of a NS5A, NS5B w/wo a NS3/4a, and Ribavirin, they are all in my humble opinion, excellent. Your past treatment history, fibrosis stage and of course genotype (less important nowadays, but still a consideration), all factor in.

If you meet the treatment requirements of these new drugs, you really should jump on the opportunity.