Hey Canuck! Thank you for the encouraging reply and the info on ribavirin! I'm having lab drawn day after tomorrow and I'm going to ask what all of my results are. I hope this treatment cures me! After going through the failed clinical trial last year Im filled with worry

Hey, good for you digging through the paperwork and finding out what your GT sub-type was there! Good to know. So, you are just like me (or, I should say, the same as I WAS!), and, you will also be "just like me", in right short order ... no longer a GT3a! Cured. . As 3's go, we 3a's are common I am afraid, 3b's are some less so. Although we have had several 3b's here on this site too. The majority have been 3a's, so we had good company.

Here is a little data (excerpt) about taking riba with ecplusa ... "When administered with EPCLUSA, the recommended dosage of ribavirin is based on weight (administered with food): 1000 mg per day for patients less than 75 kg and 1200 mg for those weighing at least 75 kg, divided and administered twice daily. The starting dosage and on-treatment dosage of ribavirin can be decreased based on Gilead Sciences 4 hemoglobin and creatinine clearance. For ribavirin dosage modifications, refer to the ribavirin prescribing information."

So, they have probably given you this (total) 600 mg. of riba per day, based on your weight (but they do and can make dose adjustments based on other factors, so don't be suprised if they do change the riba dose) - just take it as they have prescribed, if they tell you to divide the doses or take them all at once each day, just be sure they clarify instructions and take them exactly as they said to. 

Hey, like you and Tig's Dad, my Dad too had Plavix experience (and stents). Good you got that taken care of. My Dad was eventually taken off the Plavix, he did well in the end with his cardiac issues - he's 90 now!

 Nice to see you updated your sig. line with that "a", but I am looking forward to soon seeing that 3a being accompanied by UNDs!!  C.

Hi Canuck! I just looked at some of my paperwork and found out I'm GT3a!!

Hi! Thanks for your welcoming and encouraging reply! I don't know if I'm a GT3!a or b , but I will find out for sure when I get my next lab results . I go on the 25th to have more lab drawn. The numbers you mentioned for the Merck trial sound familiar. But I know for certain I wasn't given ribavirin at that time.My ribavirin dose is 200mg tablets 3 tablets once a day.. Thank you again for the tips and encouragement! Glad to hear you best it! 

Hi Mary,

Welcome here.

Being that you are already 1 week into your 12 week epclusa/riba combo treatment, you are welcome to start up your very own thread in the "On Treatment" section where we can converse about your journey. 

I am very glad you have received epclusa, sorry about last years Merck trial attempt not working, you will do it this time tho, with the very effective epclusa/riba combo!

Good job figuring out the sig, line - I too was unfamiliar with how to do that when I first arrived to this site. You will be able to add more details about yourself as you find out more info and test results. Good to know you are a GT3, do you know if you are a GT3a or a GT3b?

I was a GT3 also, (a GT3a) cured on epclusa and a third drug (like you) but my third drug was not riba but vox (vox is still not quite yet available - I got this epclusa/vox triple by being in a drug trial last year.

You were asking WHY all the water? Very important to maintain contant AMPLE hydration and a great "flushing" of all these strong drugs through and out of your body. You excrete the by-products of the drugs via kidneys and through your GI tract, it all requires LIBERAL water to help the drugs be transported to every nook and cranny and cell in your body, to work in the most efficient way possible, and in removing waste products (aftermath of the drugs and this viral war you will win)! Water (strive for a gal of water per day, every day!) will prevent and/or minimze any side effects you might get (or might not get). Epclusa by itself (if you felt a negative) mostly people have reported headaches or generally not feeling well, but that these thing pass with making sure the water intake was adequate and mostly occurred just at the start.

Riba has it own set of potential sides tho, keep out of the sun! Be gentle with your skin. Report a rash if you happen to get one. Fatigue, sometimes anemia can be sides of riba. Not to worry, they will moniter you for things like that.

Do you happen to know what your riba dose started at? (Sometimes they start with a lower dose and increase it, sometimes they start with a full dose and keep it the same all along.)

Like Tig, I too was wondering what trial you were in last year - wondered if it might have been some of the drugs Merck have been working with, like ... (MK-3682, or MK-3682b , offered in differing combos, which may have been drugs called grazoprevir/ruzasvir - do those names/numbers sound familiar?? Some of those trials were called "Crest" and/or "Surge", in those trials some people also got riba additionally, or not.

Please feel free to inquire about anything you would like, if we can help in any way, we will. Sorry you are feeling fatigued - it will get better! You are doing the right thing!! Let us know how things are going.  C.

Hi Tig56,

i will get copies of my results the next time I see my dr. Thanks for the advice! The study trial was done by Merck. There were two different medications and they only had numbers not names. So I don't know what they were. But this was all done through the Texas liver institute. And they are treating me now, so they are aware of what they were.

Hi Mary,

If you look at the bottom of this post, below my name, is the signature area. You will see a link in red that will provide instructions on how to set things up. Every change can be made on your profile page. It's easy once you see how it's done. Keep it brief and update as necessary. Most of us have added some info to ours, that'll give you an idea. Let me know if I can help.

I'm very familiar with Plavix. My father has been on it since his stroke. He has awful clotting times. There are other ways to test your fibrosis level. There is a specialized ultrasound, called a Fibroscan, that's quick and fairly accurate. MRI and CT are good options too. There are blood tests that help to determine it as well. Ask your doctor if any of those options are available. It can make a difference in treatment. Be sure to always get copies of your test results. You have a right to them. 

Do you remember the name of your trial and the medication you were on? That's something good to know.

great! I found the signature box! Thanks Tig56!

Hi Mary,

Welcome to the forum! Epclusa is very effective and particularly so with genotype 3. It is one of the most difficult to treat. Until Epclusa that is. 

I see you're also taking Ribavirin. It has it's own set of side effects, which can be unpleasant. Epclusa has a very low incidence of side effects. We can help by suggesting some remedies that will reduce most of them. We have a lot of information on the forum that will help. Use our search function above. A keyword or two will open a list of conversations on the topic.

Treatment in general tends to make you tired. It's one of those side effects. The reason for additional water is to reduce or eliminate many of them. If you don't drink at least 1 gallon of water per day, you'll experience more fatigue, muscle/joint pain and sometimes severe headaches. If you have problems like that, you're not drinking enough water. These drugs can dehydrate you without knowing it.

If you could describe your history a bit more, it will help when replying. You mentioned Epclusa and Riba for GT 3, do you know what your fibrosis stage is? Have you treated before?  Do you know any of your blood work results? Things like your liver profile (ALT, AST) and your viral load are helpful. You can place them in your signature. Then we don't have to go back and check or ask you to repeat it. You can see what we have placed in ours for ideas. There's a link to directions (in red) in mine.

Others will be along shortly to welcome you. I'm glad you're here and look forward to hearing from you.

Hi there I've just posted a report regarding the drug EPCLUSA for combating Hep C, in the new drug information forum I have almost been cured of Hep C with the aid of this drug my viral load is now 59 which began at 5044467.