I didnt see in your post what you are struggling with. I saw no discription of why after a very short period of time on this med that will likley cure you want to stop. All i saw was a rant against a cost of a pill (which was not correct in the states)and the company who makes it
You give no resonable reason to your position. Hope you do take it. I have not seen anyone, anywhere saying that early tside effects (please post them) made them quit in 12days. Something else is the issue here
My opinion
Jaded said
Aug 4, 2015
Alex...stick with it. I had 2 failed trials with interferon and interferon/ribaviran for a total of 70 weeks back to back. I'm now 1/2 way through 24 weeks of Harvoni. There were some off and on side effects the 1st couple of weeks and then they went away. The last few weeks I've had a lot of fatigue and it's been harder. But these side effects have a way of suddenly disappearing and you feel great. They may come and go but it's all worth it because Harvoni works. Sometimes you have to remind yourself how difficult the alternative can be if you don't clear the virus at some point...so stick with it and don't despair because your 24 weeks will pass soon enough. Havrvoni has as success rate of 98% for cirrhotics who get 24 weeks.
-- Edited by Jaded on Wednesday 5th of August 2015 05:01:44 AM
-- Edited by Jaded on Wednesday 5th of August 2015 05:02:28 AM
Dzdayscomin said
Aug 4, 2015
Alex ask yourself what you'll say, when they say, we are sorry there is nothing else we can do for you, and the choices are no longer available to be made, please finish out your course of Harvoni. I did the Sovaldi-Olysio combo and other than fatigue and joint pain I'm SVR 14 months EOT . After 30 yrs with the virus
The sooner you irradicate the HCV the better your chances of not getting even worse conditions that have no cures.
Good Luck you can do it....think of doing it for others and not you...because everyone has someone that cares about them so fight for them they'll be proud of you!
Duane
Fireman Rob said
Aug 4, 2015
Alex,
it's almost been a year since I finished Sovaldi (one of two Harvoni drugs) and Olysio. Supposedly Harvoni is an easier treatment than the combo I took and my combo wasn't bad at all.
That said, it does take time to get the drugs out of your system (six months min) but it's way harder to live with the virus in my opinion. I only had HCV for ten years and I notice a world of difference one year post SVR. Today, I feel great and would take the meds in a second if I were to go back in time.
Furthermore, I'm one of those people that won't even take an Aspirin. I hate taking any pharmaceutical as I almost died from an antibiotic reaction one year prior to treatment. my point is that Harvoni is the real deal. It's worth the risk personally. I hope this helps?
-Rob
Groupergetter said
Aug 4, 2015
Alex,
Harvoni was approved by the FDA on October 9, 2014. It is a relatively new drug combination. Clinical studies were done several years prior to the approval. The results thusfar have been very good. I'd been thru 3 prior treatments without success. No one can say with total certainty if problems will occur years down the road. We do know that left untreated, hcv has a terrible affect on the liver and leads to numerous other, sometimes very serious health issues. When I stop in mid-sentence my wife jokingly tells me to focus :) I did the 24 weeks of Harvoni, you are fortunate to have already started. Every day is one closer to being rid of the virus.
AlexJ said
Aug 4, 2015
hi Tig,
I hear you......but the ends don't always justify the means. There is a huge amount of money to be made by the pharma companies. $1460 a pill. That's just insane. I need to speak to one person who is post tx harvoni after a year. just one.
If you know of such a person, please put me in touch. So many people have been permanently screwed by pgeinterferon, riboviron.....10 years ago everyone said that was a miracle drug. I'm sorry to be such a skeptic, but my life is at stake and I have to listen to my body, not just keep on keeping on because a drug company tells me to. When I asked Gillead (maker of Harvoni), they can't give me any straight answers on long term cure rates. I know this is a new drug, but that's what studies are for. Harvoni has been out for 2 years. Why can't they give one year cure rates?
Im grateful for this site and you people,
peace,alex
Tig said
Aug 4, 2015
Hi Alex,
I went through two interferon protocols and felt like total crap through both of them. The new DAA treatments are difficult for some, but their range of side effects aren't even close in severity . Our rates of success were far less than yours, but we wanted to get better, so we dealt with the grueling side effects in hope we could stop the beast from destroying us from within. Some of us succeeded, many didn't, because a lot of luck was also involved. While luck is always part of the equation, these new DAA's replace luck with proven results. We have members here that didn't get treatment in time and are now dealing with end stage liver disease and hepatic cancer. I don't think they are something that anyone wants to consider. Certainly not now that the rates of success for those completing the new treatments are nearing 100%. Why would you want to risk that?
There are certainly some people that have failed the new protocols, but to date they are rare. With a success rate of 96-98% (eg), there will be 2-4 people out of 100 that don't succeed the first time. I think those are some mighty good odds, don't you? Instead of the 18 pills per day and 3 injections a week for 28 weeks that I had to take, one pill per day would've been a dream. We have some that went through years of it, only to fail repeatedly. But they kept trying and succeeded, because it's worth it to get your life back. When you kill this beast, the damage stops and recovery begins. Yes, the liver does begin to regenerate, it takes time, but at least it has the opportunity to do so. If you give up, things go right back to where you began and the disease continues to progress.
I hope you choose to tough it out and continue. I do understand the difficulty that these treatments can bring upon you, but there are ways these issues can be reduced or even eliminated. Discussing it with us and your doctor will make a big difference, but you're going to have to bite the bullet some days and take care of them symptomatically. You will have good days, bad days and just "days" until you reach the end of treatment and that day will come sooner than you think. If you stop now, getting re approved can be difficult. There are a lot of people that would love the opportunity to treat, but can't get that difficult approval to come through. Please consider this decision carefully.
I'll climb down off my soapbox now and hope I haven't sounded too harshly. This can be a life and death decision for us and I want you to consider your options. Good luck...
AlexJ said
Aug 4, 2015
hi all,
I ned to hear people's experience after harvoni. I am struggling on day 12 and considering stopping.
Do any of you that were cirrhotic had HCV for over 35 years, did interfron or similar and failed, feel physically better after the 24 weeks?
also, have any of you had a zero viral load after 3 months post treatment been tested 6 months or a year later, only to have the dragon rear it's head again?
can harvoni treatment actually regenerate the liver if you are cirrhotic?
I didnt see in your post what you are struggling with. I saw no discription of why after a very short period of time on this med that will likley cure you want to stop. All i saw was a rant against a cost of a pill (which was not correct in the states)and the company who makes it
You give no resonable reason to your position. Hope you do take it. I have not seen anyone, anywhere saying that early tside effects (please post them) made them quit in 12days. Something else is the issue here
My opinion
Alex...stick with it. I had 2 failed trials with interferon and interferon/ribaviran for a total of 70 weeks back to back. I'm now 1/2 way through 24 weeks of Harvoni. There were some off and on side effects the 1st couple of weeks and then they went away. The last few weeks I've had a lot of fatigue and it's been harder. But these side effects have a way of suddenly disappearing and you feel great. They may come and go but it's all worth it because Harvoni works. Sometimes you have to remind yourself how difficult the alternative can be if you don't clear the virus at some point...so stick with it and don't despair because your 24 weeks will pass soon enough. Havrvoni has as success rate of 98% for cirrhotics who get 24 weeks.
-- Edited by Jaded on Wednesday 5th of August 2015 05:01:44 AM
-- Edited by Jaded on Wednesday 5th of August 2015 05:02:28 AM
Alex ask yourself what you'll say, when they say, we are sorry there is nothing else we can do for you, and the choices are no longer available to be made, please finish out your course of Harvoni. I did the Sovaldi-Olysio combo and other than fatigue and joint pain I'm SVR 14 months EOT . After 30 yrs with the virus
The sooner you irradicate the HCV the better your chances of not getting even worse conditions that have no cures.
Good Luck you can do it....think of doing it for others and not you...because everyone has someone that cares about them so fight for them they'll be proud of you!
Duane
Alex,
it's almost been a year since I finished Sovaldi (one of two Harvoni drugs) and Olysio. Supposedly Harvoni is an easier treatment than the combo I took and my combo wasn't bad at all.
That said, it does take time to get the drugs out of your system (six months min) but it's way harder to live with the virus in my opinion. I only had HCV for ten years and I notice a world of difference one year post SVR. Today, I feel great and would take the meds in a second if I were to go back in time.
Furthermore, I'm one of those people that won't even take an Aspirin. I hate taking any pharmaceutical as I almost died from an antibiotic reaction one year prior to treatment. my point is that Harvoni is the real deal. It's worth the risk personally. I hope this helps?
-Rob
Alex,
Harvoni was approved by the FDA on October 9, 2014. It is a relatively new drug combination. Clinical studies were done several years prior to the approval. The results thusfar have been very good. I'd been thru 3 prior treatments without success. No one can say with total certainty if problems will occur years down the road. We do know that left untreated, hcv has a terrible affect on the liver and leads to numerous other, sometimes very serious health issues. When I stop in mid-sentence my wife jokingly tells me to focus :) I did the 24 weeks of Harvoni, you are fortunate to have already started. Every day is one closer to being rid of the virus.
hi Tig,
I hear you......but the ends don't always justify the means. There is a huge amount of money to be made by the pharma companies. $1460 a pill. That's just insane. I need to speak to one person who is post tx harvoni after a year. just one.
If you know of such a person, please put me in touch. So many people have been permanently screwed by pgeinterferon, riboviron.....10 years ago everyone said that was a miracle drug. I'm sorry to be such a skeptic, but my life is at stake and I have to listen to my body, not just keep on keeping on because a drug company tells me to. When I asked Gillead (maker of Harvoni), they can't give me any straight answers on long term cure rates. I know this is a new drug, but that's what studies are for. Harvoni has been out for 2 years. Why can't they give one year cure rates?
Im grateful for this site and you people,
peace,alex
Hi Alex,
I went through two interferon protocols and felt like total crap through both of them. The new DAA treatments are difficult for some, but their range of side effects aren't even close in severity . Our rates of success were far less than yours, but we wanted to get better, so we dealt with the grueling side effects in hope we could stop the beast from destroying us from within. Some of us succeeded, many didn't, because a lot of luck was also involved. While luck is always part of the equation, these new DAA's replace luck with proven results. We have members here that didn't get treatment in time and are now dealing with end stage liver disease and hepatic cancer. I don't think they are something that anyone wants to consider. Certainly not now that the rates of success for those completing the new treatments are nearing 100%. Why would you want to risk that?
There are certainly some people that have failed the new protocols, but to date they are rare. With a success rate of 96-98% (eg), there will be 2-4 people out of 100 that don't succeed the first time. I think those are some mighty good odds, don't you? Instead of the 18 pills per day and 3 injections a week for 28 weeks that I had to take, one pill per day would've been a dream. We have some that went through years of it, only to fail repeatedly. But they kept trying and succeeded, because it's worth it to get your life back. When you kill this beast, the damage stops and recovery begins. Yes, the liver does begin to regenerate, it takes time, but at least it has the opportunity to do so. If you give up, things go right back to where you began and the disease continues to progress.
I hope you choose to tough it out and continue. I do understand the difficulty that these treatments can bring upon you, but there are ways these issues can be reduced or even eliminated. Discussing it with us and your doctor will make a big difference, but you're going to have to bite the bullet some days and take care of them symptomatically. You will have good days, bad days and just "days" until you reach the end of treatment and that day will come sooner than you think. If you stop now, getting re approved can be difficult. There are a lot of people that would love the opportunity to treat, but can't get that difficult approval to come through. Please consider this decision carefully.
I'll climb down off my soapbox now and hope I haven't sounded too harshly. This can be a life and death decision for us and I want you to consider your options. Good luck...
hi all,
I ned to hear people's experience after harvoni. I am struggling on day 12 and considering stopping.
Do any of you that were cirrhotic had HCV for over 35 years, did interfron or similar and failed, feel physically better after the 24 weeks?
also, have any of you had a zero viral load after 3 months post treatment been tested 6 months or a year later, only to have the dragon rear it's head again?
can harvoni treatment actually regenerate the liver if you are cirrhotic?
thanks for any replies, I need some answers.
alex