Seven is my lucky number

Just sayin

Hi Zavr, I'm hoping to hear results today or tomorrow.

I did find out my baseline VL last Thursday - 10 million.

Yes! What a good point!! All you have to do is go to the thread on "worst things you did for 20g of fat" to get the flavor - pun intended!

How much calmer things have gotten here on the treatment thread.  Garbage isn't all that bad compared to picking your meds out of half digested food. 

Go team, SVR SVR SVR!!!!

LOL Tig!!!

Zavr,

Gross would've been if you said you stopped long enough to make a sandwich.... Now that's TMI, lol! I'm so glad you found the golden egg (among the shells)!

Bob, Any news from your 4 week test?

Thank you, guys!!!

P.S. It finally happened!! With only 3 days to go until EOT, I had to trash dive for Viekira Pak! (my hubby accidentally tossed out an evening dose of Viekira Pak).... OH man it was disgusting... Thankfully, it was all packaged up, in between the wilted lettuce and morning teabags. Gross. I think I get infected with new Hep C just thinking about it :D

P.P.S. Sorry for TMI. Oh the pleasures of taking multiple doses a day!

Congratulations Zavr! That's great news and you can trust that even though you're in a bit of shock, you'll find that the worry you have previously experienced, will be quickly replaced by the joy and confidence we all feel. It doesn't take long either! Enjoy the moment and look forward to more good news. Keep us updated whenever you hear something, we love being able to share your joy!

Hi guys! Just got the 8-week-Viekira-Pak news: UNDETECTABLE!!! I am so glad! For those who may be on the fence about it, the medication was not difficult to take, and had limited side effects, at least in my experience. Around the 3rd-4th week of taking it I started to feel an reduction in my usual all-day-fatigue and an improvement in my sleep. This is what it must feel like not to have your body constantly fight a chronic condition!

I also have a somewhat-random/weird experience to share: has anyone else felt like they don't quite know what to do with themselves now that you are "undetectable"? I think I feel this way because I worried/waited for 6 years for a non-interferon treatment, then fought with the insurance company for a couple of months, then went through several hiccups with the specialty pharmacy, then the storm hit and interrupted the delivery, and then my labs would not come back for what seemed like forever.... And now, suddenly, there is nothing to do or worry about... I'm just not used to not actively fighting for/about something related to Hep C. Anyways, I'm sure it's temporary, and I'll find something else to worry about soon :)

Hugs,
Zavr

We saw Ian Anderson last November.  He was phenomenal.  He had a fantastic band and a younger singer/actor whose voice flexibility was able to sing the complex lyrics and melodies.  Anderson was promoting a new album that sounded great.  That was the first 1/2 of the show.  The second half was devoted to old faves.  It was very powerful and we had 8th row seats.  This summer we're seeing the Stones.  Row 11.  My new motto...Life is Short.

Fem

Hi LoneWolf!   Never saw Tull or Ozzy. Was more of a Deep Purple/Fog Hat/Yes/ Genisus/Joe Walsh- space truckin kinda' guy. Did see Pink Floyd for "Animals"  My side effects vary each week. Just when I think there gone I get a bad one. I am on week 6. Get the blood work at 8 weeks and prayin the same again -  "Not Detected".  Hope we see each other at the SVR awards gala. This web site/ forum has been great support when dealing with the Ribavirin gools. Hope your well.

I'm on week 10 now and I'm not really having any side-effects at all anymore. And considering the sides I had to begin with and the fact that my mother's now in the hospital, I'd say that's quite remarkable. I guess the ole bod is finally adjusting to the Ribavirin. There is that hunger issue but I kind of like that.

Say, is that the wizard of Oz I smell? LOL I saw many Sabbath and Ozzy concerts back in the 70's. Saw Floyd too. Great shows but every Tull concert I saw was better so I'll use Ian Anderson for awhile. Till I get bored and then its back to my dog!

This is correct. Everyone is different. I had the "general itching"originally from Hep c. Now on Vikera I dont itch at all. No loss of appetite. I feel great in the morning and then when I take the pills I go down with some fatigue. About 3 oclock in the afternoon  I warn the wife it's "cranky hour" with the irritability issue. No insomnia. The "brain fog" comes with the fatigue. It's all managable. You should watch for anemia if on Ribavirin. I love to read all the recent posts of members stating "NOT DETECTABLE"   Great forum.

Hey RBell,

So happy to hear you've reached the EOT undetected! I expect that you're going to continue to improve and get that coveted SVR soon. Keep us updated and congratulations on this good news!

Finished my 12 week cycle last Thursday. Still undetected VL and all blood labs within normal ranges (AST 27 ALT 11). Feeling a little better every day. Started sleeping better day after final dose. Headaches actually subsided @ about 10.5 weeks (thank God!). Now we pray for similar results in 3 and 6 month post treatment labs!

For those on treatment, hang in there! My side effects, other than the headaches, we not terrible, and seemed to come and go through the 12 weeks (itching/rash, insomnia, loss of appetite, brain fog). The headaches were tough, but working with my doctor we found BC/Goodies powders kept them manageable. Dr was not thrilled to OK these, but finally agreed when nothing else seemed to work. Bottom line, check with your Dr on side effects and treatment options.

Almost there!

Hi Greg,

Done! Isn't Riba fun? NOT. Sorry about the Redwings....

Now I've gone and posted a new thread in the same thread! I swear its the riba. Put it all back in on the Viekira train if you can Tig. I'm still upset about the Redwings getting skunked in game 7 too so I'm sure you understand. We take our hockey pretty seriously up here! LOL

Ah, I love it! Great responses. I feel more and more like my dog every day. Always wanting attention! LOL I swear its the Riba. Does funny things to my head. Has since I started it, but no depression. Just not myself. I'm usually quite animated but Riba stunts my emotions and makes me a we bit paranoid.  Could be worse, eh?

I'll keep posting here, after all, its a good pak. But as for physical labor you'll need an un-skilled laborer for that GG! I'm semi-retired!

Greg, just so you don't get bored :)  From one Greg to another...... congrats on the UND     Being undetected is a GREAT THING.  Now you just need svr :)  If you're really bored, my yard needs mowed and my fruit trees need sprayed and weeded.  After that you can spread some rock on my road, do some pressure washing, and compound and wax a boat I bought not to long ago.  The boat is in anticipation of SVR!  Every time I see this in Mallani's signature line, it brings a smile.

Hi Greg,

Just wanted to let you know I have no comment, lol! 

Hi Greg.

We'll say goodbye to your posts on this thread and look forward to your contributions on a new one.

Everything looks great with your tx and it certainly helps to have a good doctor guide you through the process. SVR is around the corner!

john

Hey all,

   Thanks a bunch for your support. I'm quite happy and after seeing Dr. Diaz yesterday I'm even happier! Nicest Dr. I've ever had the pleasure to meet. He loves these new protocols and I think he's happier than I am. Spent years ordering blood transfusions and tying his best to keep people on those grueling former regimens. Makes his job a whole lot easier.

Seems this thread gets very little action from its few members so I'll be posting in a new thread when I post again. Feel free not to transfer my new thread to the Viekira Pak train BTW. I get bored easily and a new thread is needed. I like input from all, not just the Mods/Admin. Thanks again_Greg

Hi Greg,

Congrats buddy! The results are excellent across the board. I think your knowledge of treatment and HCV in general provides your doctor with a good indication of your commitment. It allows them the ability to discuss things on an educated level with their patient. We are our own best advocates and it lets your healthcare team know you plan to be involved. Keep it going Greg, everything sounds great!

Hi Greg, congrats on your 7 weeks results, `not detected` is the best thing you can wish to see on your lab reports!

Great to hear your blood levels are all looking good, and your liver enzymes are amazing!  An ALT and AST reading like that shows how well the treatment is working, and your liver is certainly feeling the benefit!

It`s good to be well informed about what`s going on and I`m glad you`re keeping your doctor on his toes!

Everything`s going in your favour, I`m sure you can look forward to SVR in your not too distant future! 

I received my 7 week labs results today. I really like seeing that big "Not Detected" in bold letters. It doesn't mention any numbers or Log or anything just Not Detected across the board. Looks good to me! I see this on-line thru a VA website although I see the good Dr. on the 29th. It trips him out how informed I am. I see a lot of guys there and most can't even tell me what they're taking let alone anything else. I actually get to see him in person this time not via tele-conference. Guess he's finally found the time to come up from Battle Creek. A busy man now that these new DAA's are out. I think when he started treating HCV in the early 90's he only had interferon to play with. He treats all infectious disease, HIV ect.

From what I see from the other results, everything looks good. The usual Ribavirin abnormalities in RBC's, HG, ext. but better than the first test. Liver panel looks great. Bilirubin right in the middle of range. Alt is 18 now and AST is 12. This being my first time on treatment and with probably no drug resistance of any kind I'd say my Hep C will be a thing of the past in no time!

-- Edited by lonewolf on Tuesday 28th of April 2015 12:01:17 AM

Hi Bob,

The itchiness is definitely Ribavirin related. It is a well known cause of skin disorders such as rash and sun sensitivity. Concentrate on increased hydration (water),  limit sun exposure and use >SPF 15 sun screen when outdoors. Always wear UV sun glasses outdoors if the sun is bright And a hat. My scalp blistered more than once. Be cautious.

If the skin itchiness is bothersome, a good moisturizer is needed. If it gets troublesome, check with your doctor for permission to use a hydrocortisone cream and an antihistamine like Benadryl or Zyrtec. Those things helped me greatly.

Hi,

I been finding I have lots of energy and focus for a few hours and then I just crash.  I'm totally depleted.  Also, I've found I'm quite emotional with my feelings just below the surface.  I'm not a big crier, but on this stuff, I seem to be.  It's kind of embarrassing when I've been known as quite the tough broad.  I'm not working now but I think I might have been able to work a regular day (I was a teacher) if I was able to sit down fairly frequently.  I'm very glad I don't have to work, though.

Hope this helps,

FemA.

Hi Britt:

I'm on week two and the only thing I've noticed is a bit more itchiness than usual and a small rash. I get rashes occasionally anyway, so I can't say for sure if that's riba-related. I have not experienced any "brain fog" so far, but it seems that many do. 

Hi Britt and welcome to the forum!

I'm relatively new here as well but I am on Viekira+Ribavirin so I can offer a little insight to you although that's a bit of a tough question to answer. As you are aware, everyone re-acts to medications differently. I've had people ask me how I quit smoking and I've told them that I simply stopped buying them because I didn't have and will never have a good answer to a question like that!

But I can tell how Ribavirin has affected me. I don't like it and Its a drug I would prefer not to take. At first it felt as though I'd just taken an over-dose of caffeine. Over-stimulated. That went away in a few weeks. I had a lot of brain fog, as we like to call it. That's now gone away. I've been a bit cranky although not so much anymore. From the day I started it I just haven't felt like myself. That's gotten better but has not gone away entirely. Others here have had similar side-effects but many do not. I haven't had anything in the way of rashes but some people do. I wish I could give you a better Idea of what to expect but I don't see how. You just won't know until you are on it.

I see you are only 25. Perhaps any side-effects you might experience will be easier due to your young age. Or perhaps not. Again, this is good question and I hope some-one here can give you better advice. You spoke of fighting for Harvoni but I don't know what that would entail. I had the luxury of quitting my job shortly after I started treatment. I was going to anyway and as I'm older and have money saved, I don't live check to check. In my opinion the Viekira pak is just as effective as Harvoni but if you are 1a like we are you have to take ribavirin to achieve that effectiveness.  

I'm glad you found this site. Its been very helpful to me and it will be to you too. Now that I can guarantee you! As for the Ribavirin its kind of a crap shoot. It hasn't been that bad but I sure don't like it. I hope some-one can give a more logical answer to your question. I'm sure you'll get a lot of input. Good luck and welcome aboard!    Greg

Hello,

I'm new here and just discovered this site tonight. Lots of great info so far! I just found out I was denied Harvoni but approved Viekira Pak. I know the side effects are different for everyone but does anyone know if you are able to still work full time while on treatment? I work as an event planner so as you can imagine, my work weeks are longer than 40hrs and consist of long days and a lot of stress-especially during summer months. I'm nervous that the Riba side effects might make it hard for me to continue to work while on treatment. I'm also wondering if I should fight for Harvoni or if Viekira Pak is just as good?

Anyone have experience with this?

I'm 25 and genotype 1a, no cirrhosis 

Thanks.

Hey Bubble,

Good deal! I'm glad you haven't had any problems getting these deliveries. That's a stress none of us need to deal with during an already stressful time. What a relief!

Those containers are the best! One of these days I'm going to need to get rid of all of the gel packs that came in mine. I've got the entire door of my big garage freezer stuffed with them. Along with those coolers, I haven't had to buy ice in almost two years! Call it a side benefit, eh? 

Just got my shipment for the next 4 weeks form Accredo Pharmacy. Hassle free. Filled with Abb-Vie goodies !   The train is now a "chooglin". 

Tig: You are right these styrofoam shipping boxes make great coolers, why mine fits 4 Arnold Palmers nicely and makes a fine accompanyment to any patio !  Cheers !

Hey Bob,

   I'm on the same regimen and was a little itchy the first week as well. The Riba no doubt. But all in all it hasn't been that bad. My main side now is increased appetite but that won't hurt much because I'm 6'2" about 200lbs the same as I was at 25 years old. People have been having good results from Viekira Pak. I had a high viral load of 21.8 million and was "Not detected" at 4 weeks. 26 days actually. I just went in today for labs and I have no doubt it will be the same. You should do great. Let us know what your lab results are when you get them. I've been eating very healthy foods, "mostly" and I would recommend anyone else do the same although that's sort of a no brainer. Lots of water helps too. Good luck!

Started Week 2 this morning, smooth sailing so far (maybe a bit itchier than normal).

Im  a 1a and used to be 1b. Go figure that. We Vikerians are quite a bunch. Hang in there Zavr. Your numbers are excellant. I agree with Lone wolf. 1B is almost 100% curable!   Keep us posted.

Thank you so much, Greg!!!

Hey Zavr,

Thanks, I appreciate it. It sound to me like you are well on your way. I see you started a week  before me so you could be UND right now and just not know it. It sounds like its definitely working for you with those low ALT and AST and <15 is so low that I think only UND is lower. And I'm guessing that UND will be your next stop! Just my inexperienced opinion. So hang tough and just keep doing what your doing and we'll all be rooting for ya!

I really wasn't expecting a UND with 21.8 million of those little buggers in that little bit of blood. Your 1b and from what I've read that's what Viekira Pak treats with the most success. Like 99 to 100%! You'll get there kiddo. Just let us know when.

Take care_Greg

A belated HURRAY on UND, dear Greg!! You are on you way to the SVR station stop!! :) (sorry, can't stop stretching the metaphor :))

As far as my results, I just got the 4wk Viral Load results last night: it is still detectable, but <15. As I posted before, the AST and ALT went down significantly. So, all in all, everything is going in the right direction.

Holding fingers crossed for UND at 8 weeks! 

LW,

There are technical articles on the subject, all difficult to interpret. Hopefully Malcolm can explain this better. It appears that the 1a/1b hybrid develops when you are exposed to both genotypes and they join to form the hybrid or you initially contract the hybrid. The thought of the air gun vaccinations comes to mind right away for the military among us. Nothing like sharing this with 100 of your fellow recruits.... JMHO 

The correct treatments now can address the issue as your doctor mentioned. The next pan genotypic treatments will be effective across all genotypes and should eliminate this hybridization concern.

I just have a question that I was wondering if some-one could answer. My Dr. told me shortly after I was diagnosed in 2010 that I had a hybrid Hep C virus that was somewhere between 1a an 1b. He said it was kind of in the middle but that he would just refer to it and treat it as if it was 1a. I don't see anything in the lit I've read that refers to that. Another member on here sent me a pm about the same thing and that's the only reason it even comes to mind at this point. So if anyone has heard of this and has a knowledgeable comment you'd be killing two birds with one stone! Thanks.

Congrats to Greg and lonewolf!

Just took my first dose a couple of hours ago, we'll see how it goes!

Thank you all for the support. Yeah, I believe the waiting is always the hardest part. A huge relief is a good description! And I'd still be waiting if I didn't have access to my lab results on-line. Oh, I could see the Dr. on any Wednesday but my guess is that he's juggling hundreds of patients now that these new drugs are available so I see no need to see him any time soon. Not that I'm out of the woods but it sounds like SVR is in my future. Now I'm real curious to see the results for others. In fact, I can't wait!

Greg,

I will go along with your hooray for Viekira Pak! VP instead of Harvoni doesn't matter so long as it works. Going from 21.8 million VL to UND in 4 weeks is a pretty good indication that it is doing the job!

john

Hi Greg,

Thanks for sharing the great news! An early undetected is always welcome news. Keep doing what you're doing!

Woo Hoo!!

Congrats to you Greg, that`s a brilliant result!  Very pleased for you, it must be a huge relief!! 

Great result Greg.

Keep trucking. Cheers.

Dammm LoneWolf, you go. I am next with my 2 week bloodwork results this week. 21mil. to zero is incredible! Congradulations and on to SVR !!!!