...

This was my first thread I created to introduce myself as a new member on this forum.

I have started a new thread which continues this thread, over in:  On Treatment.

Here is the link:

https://hepcfriends.activeboard.com/t64545550/mavyret-ziggy-starting-in-april-2018/

Yes, a routine abdominal ultrasound looks at generalities, size, shape, blood flow and potential foreign bodies, like stones and masses. A Fibroscan is a specialized ultrasound test that is used to specifically diagnose liver elasticity and stages of fibrosis. 

Fibroscan

Abdominal Ultrasound

Sheesh Nanuck,

Now I'm freaking out.  DOES THE MED MAV MAKE US SLEEPY???????

If so, then maybe it's better I take it at night with supper.  But, I only have 20 minutes to decided.

I don't eat the same time everyday except in the morn at 9:30 when I'm going to work so I figured that would be my best time for consistency.  But if it makes me sleepy, I don't want to be sleepy at work.  Dang... Now, I don't know what to do. 

If it DOES make us sleepy then perhaps I should take it at night and make myself eat a dinner the same time everyday for 2 months, because I am having issues sleeping as it is.  My Dr didn't say the med made me sleepy.

Oh shoot, now I am all stressed and only have 15 minuets to make a decision I need to have in place for the next 2 months.  aaahhhhhh

Hey Zigs,

Remember to move over to the On Treatment section and start a new thread. That way you’ll have your own spot to document your journey. The end of that nasty Dragon and the beginning of your new Hep C free life!!

Good luck, Warrior!  

Yay for Apr 11! Happy "day one" tomorrow. Hey, that was nice your doc phoned you. How (in what ways) did she help set your mind to ease? So, the plan is to take the Mav with breakfast everyday? Or, you could choose lunch or supper, up to you, makes no never mind really except perhaps preference/convenience and the all important "same time everyday" with food. With a moderate fat content meal is ideal. I think we had (only one?) gal here lately who preferred to take her Mav with supper, as she got sleepy in the evening (I'm not sure, if she was sure, if it was an effect of the Mav, or not) but it worked out convenient for her to dose at supper as it was easier sleep or nap in evenings versus during busy days. 

BTW - do you happen to be, or have you in the past, been supplementing with regular or frequent dosings of Vit C supplements and/or iron, or both, or multi-vits? Just wondering. If you have not had this discussion with your doc, ask her about dropping all of them for now (if you were taking them). It is to avoid accumulating any more iron than is necessary until your iron load decreases. You can also try to limit your own intake of bloody red meat/organ meats (if you normally consume large amounts of these) for a while and substitute more, with other lessor iron-content meats/proteins, and, you could also try separating your high content VitC foods away from a meal that also happens to contain high iron content - that will help you absorb/accumulate less iron - but discuss that with your doc.

Has there been a discussion/decision yet, as to whether you might be on 8 weeks of treatment or if you will be on 12 weeks, or did your doc say/suggest she will still be determine that?

It's the irrefutable stellar success rates we see with these "super" new DAA's, which instills the confidence, the facts and stats don't lie. Get ready to celebrate, you are about to dump this HCV forever!  C.  

...

Yes, TAR = Treatment Authorization Request.....thanks lamassu.

The insurance I have usually has to submit a TAR for approval before any expensive things like MRI's or CT's or certain medications and/or procedures.

I just got off the phone with my Hep C Dr., amazed that she called me at home so late. I told her I wasn't going to start the treatment tomorrow morn until I spoke with her again. Long story short, I guess she put my mind at ease so I can sleep tonight and start treatment tomorrow morning.

She, and all you guys seem to have SO MUCH confidence in this medication. I know that once I drink them down tomorrow morning there is no going back for 2 months.

Thanks for all your support, thanks for all your advice, thanks for letting me vent.

Here are my current bloodwork results that were abnormal:  (Although I don't know what all of it means).

• VL 9,400,000
• Fibrosis F2
• ALT 136
• AST 64
• Ferritin Level 360
• Iron Level 240
• % Iron Saturation 60
• FibroMeter Alpha 2-Macroglobulin 502
• FibroMeter Alanine Aminotransferase 128
• FibroMeter Aspartate Aminotransferase 66
• FibroMeter Gamma Glutamyl Trans 64
• Fibrosis F2
• RBC 5.74
• HGB 17.3
• HCT 50.9
• Auto Eosinophil Percent 10.4
• AFP Total Carcinoma 19
• ANA Anti Nublear Anitbody Screen Positive
• ANA Antibody Pattern Speckled
• ANA Antibody Titer 1:80

TOMORROW IS MY START DATE FOR MAV. 4-11-18.

Zig

Ah! "TAR"! Thought it might have been sumpin like that. Thanks lamassu. I should have realized the similar "sticky-ness", to what we have up here, we call it "SAR", same kind of gunk, just different Canadian alphabet.  Heehee (NOT funny, really.) SAR, up here, comes with pages and pages of stuff stuck to it, simply complete forms A-Z and voila, you "might" get what ya need (maybe), often not.  ... I was facing a exercise in futility when I researched how i could possibly ask for dac please (versus sof/riba) early on pre-treatment, ya rght - never!, (you can't get there from here) was going to be the answer, even though it was "technically" a drug acceptable to be on our formulary at the time of my pining for it! Have to read the pages of fine-print! Oh, the provincial bean-counting powers that be.

Up here (on the "public" system), the biggest obstacle can be geting the docs themselves to submit the too often self-defeating, go no-where, get denied SAR's. The influence of penny pinching via our public system has reached (domino effect) from government right down to the bottom lines of GP's and specialists, I can't speak to those who are lucky enough to have experienced private (2-tier) coverage added to their public coverage.

Alas, I rant, and digress on Ziggy's thread tho - suffice to say ...  I bet, one way or tother, Ziggy IS going to get her MRI, and/or other imaging/U/S's, or other good ways to observe and follow her to the best of her health care providers ability!   C.

TAR = Treatment Authorization Request usually but also TAR syndrome.

What's "TAR" again?? 

Don't sweat the hemochromatosis thing too much, let them explore it - it's good if they are exploring it further - that pleases me (if that instills any confidence in you about their attention to your welfare) if nothing else they will follow it and your saturation levels now, and now that you know your iron load, you will follow it too. My pre-treatment iron load was about 540ish (not sky high) - this weirdness can just happen for kinda mysterious complicated reasons, just because - can happen in chronic hep and/or assocociated with many other conditons/situs that have an effect on the liver and how one's body is dealing with iron, that's good if they end up doing genetic testing on you re: your iron load - it's due diligence to rule things out. Mine was certainly NOT genetically caused, they did do some genetic testing on me, my HCV cure simply began the decline in my ferritin levels. Normalized, just like many of my prior altered bloods normalized.

You ARE on an assembly-line!, that is one way to look at it - you would not have enjoyed the place I utilized for my drug trial either - too many folk filing through needing treatment, not enough staff (and sometimes not enough personable/kind/attentive staff to instill calm or confidence) - it's a "process" alright, BUT they ARE (although it does NOT always feel like it) on your side, they try to get all the right boxes ticked (with or without you) and push you through to cure, their main focus.

If your first drug allotment arrives tomorrow, place it on a shelf shrine tenderly to honour and admire it. Very good to have the drugs in hand, ready like!  C.

This lab work is from the hospital online medical records that I found and registered for the other day. I cut and pasted the red result numbers onto a word doc then saved as a PDF.

I also have a print out that seems to have more info on it, that I got from the walk in medical records at the hospital.

Yes...still waiting for MRI. Probably waiting for TAR.  I think she is trying to find out if I have hemochromotisis.

Gonna' work on my bio and sig.

WOW...TY for that link.

Hi Z,

Great you got that posted, I probably would have never been able to do that! I'm not good with those ways of using computers! Hardly good at using ANY parts of  computers, truth be known! Why delete your lab image?, you can if you want to of course, but if you put the elevated bits into your sig line for future ref, most of the data will be there anyway.

I like lots of info! My sig. line would be about 10 pages long!, but alas, there is only so much space allotted to a sig. line, so, I always just stash and store up all my ongoing labs in my bio page.

I am now second guessing the accuracy of some our first attempts to draft ALT/AST/ALP numbers for your sig. line (perhaps there was some transposing of numbers happening when you first reported some of them to us?). I am now (instead) just going by the labs you post today as they can be verified by the lab paper. Still a few blanks to fill in, but you have lots of your lab info now, so that is good - no bili, no AFP, nor an alkaline phosphatase (ALP) on this lab though. You will see I "struck out" the original numbers that I now question.

  ... 52 yr old, female, Dx 2007, GT1b, Pre-treatment VL 9,400,000, F2 (by fibro-meter?), ALT 64? 136 to 128, AST 360? 64 to 66 , ALP 136?, GGT 64, alpha2mac 502, + ANA titre 1:80. Elevated eosinophil, iron, hgb, hct, rbc, ferritin 360, iron sat 60%, U/S perhaps shows some fatty liver, AFP ___, bilirubin ___. Tx 12 weeks Mavyret SOT Apr 11, EOT Jul 4 ...

I am only making a suggestion of what to include in your sig. line, you only need put what you are comfortable with. You would be able to alter/add/delete anything as you go along through treatment, to highlight the progress/improvements! 

Do not be overly alarmed at the abnormals you see on your labs right now - we see a lot of abnormal/elevated (or slightly out of wack labs), often just like these, when one has chronic hep.

In quite short order, once the miracle of Mav is in you, you are going to see them start magically normalizing! I too had many similarities to you, hct, hgb, iron, ferritins, and on, many things, just like you, all a bit out of wack, mine are all nicely normalized again with cure and since cure. Your U/S report is short and sweet, possible indication of some fatty liver (but you and your doc already went over that didn't you).

Funny, your lab report, in that (most often, the "normal reference range" is also written on the same page, right beside your result) so it is easier for you to know what "normal" is, compared to your result. Here's a link to some "normal reference ranges" BUT every lab can have their own ranges that they go by AND sometimes they also use dif units of measure (so, you do  have to go by the ranges your lab/doc considers "normal"):  http://www.ccpe-cfpc.com/en/pdf_files/drug_lists/normal_values.pdf

So, did they say they were going to book you for your MRI, or is that still up in the air? Later, C. 

...

Having such a difficult time trying to upload an image.

Please let me know how to read some of this.  I think there is more as well.  Or what do I need for my signature?  What does all this mean?

Still, so many questions that my hep c dr never has time to answer.  I was still trying to figure out my bloodwork results when I got a phone call that some med was shipped.  Who gave the approval to ship it?  Who said anything about April?  This has all been rushed and I feel like I'm on an assembly line.

I left a msg for my hep c dr stating that I am not starting the med on Weds until she calls me first.  If she gets mad when I ask for an apt to get my questions answered, thus makes me feel very uneasy.  Very non professional.  Man....breast cancer was so much more........calming.  You guys, it REALLY makes a difference to believe in your dr and have faith and trust them.

Sorry guys....I'm not freaking out and still plan on starting it.  I am just mad and disappointed that it was shipped without my approval and before I was even ready.

Hi ziggy,

Don't let us add more to the stress and the demands that are being made of you right now - we never mean to - we all know this pre-start period can be a very stressful time - we only wish to be helpful, not too demanding of you. Be assured WE are ALL on your side, fer sure! It CAN be quite a stress-filled period, in all this "getting ready" just to start treatment, it all being so new and such a foreign a thing to most people. Never mind the added pressures you have been having with the Champix and quitting smoking! Just take everything as easily and methodically as you can muster - one thing at a time, if you can. It's going to be OK!, it' going to turn out good. It will feel a relief to get started on Mav, you'll see. You are doing the right thing! Expect to have doubts, only just because all of this is inherently unnerving, unknown territory to you - it's going to work out fine - wait and see!

Good to know your Champix dates (length of course) and your cig quitting dates, not a very long course of Champix, all in all, but good to know it was longer a course than I had been trying to guess at. These "anti-depressant type" drugs (which also happen to be popular for smoking cessation) - drugs like "Champix/Chantix" (also called varenicline) and/or "Wellbutrin/Zyban" (also called bupropion) can be introduced in a "ramped-up fashion AND stopped ALSO in a ramped-down fashion, so as to get used to the drugs and to get used to NOT being on the drug as well. There are also other kinds of anti-depressants or anti-anxiety drugs that are taken simply, and solely for the purpose of depression or anxiety, not for smoking cessation per say, that are also ramped-up and ramped-down for starting and weaning-off purposes. Just a note, in case you have a need or wish to use these kinds of drugs, in future, for any reason. (You probably did experience a ramped-up dosage regime with the pre-packaged Champix) - when a doc follows you, while being on any kind of anti-depressant or an anti-anxiety medication, they can and might recommend ramping-down, some do, some don't. Off hand, I would side with the ramping-down idea, particularly if it was a drug you were ramped-up on, just on principal, just as a precaution, in case one can "feel "dose adjustments (up or down).

EVERYONE is dif on these kinds of Champix/Zyban drugs. What is not effective or not nice for one person on the same drug, can be great and perfect for another - you just never can tell, if you have not experienced them before - hard to know what will work best for you without trying them. Worth the try, for a justifiable need. You will find all kinds of good and bad stories about the same drug, dif people, dif experiences. The "talk" out there is that the Champix drug "might" be thought to be a little more effective than Zyban, but specifically in regard to smoking cessation, but who knows! (for sure) - whatever works!

While you were on the Champix, did it (or did it not) help (to any degree) in the "lessening" of the want for a cigarette?   

Be assured, it makes no-never-mind whether you are GT1a or b, see my old post to you:

... Recommendations for specific GT1b's - https://www.hcvguidelines.org/treatment-naive/gt1b/compensated-cirrhosis

Recommendations for specific GT1a's - https://www.hcvguidelines.org/treatment-naive/gt1a/compensated-cirrhosis 

Virtually identical for a's or b's with compensated cirrhosis ...

Don't sweat fighting with your scanner for imaging all your labs or reports right now if this is hard, only if and when you get that worked out ... BUT, it probably would be a good idea to include the most current "pre-treatment" labs (that you have already shared with us), and incorporate them into your sig. line (for future ease of ref):

ie ... "Pre-treatment ALT 64, AST 360, ALP 136" ... (and if you DO have the labs there to read) you could also add other "pre-treatment results" to your sig. line as well, such as "billirubin, iron/ferritin, AFP" ... and any result that has been flagged as "abnormal". Once you do get that first pill down your gullet, then (if your "Tx is 12 weeks of Mav") you should also post to your sig. line - "SOT Apr 11, EOT Jul 4".  Have they already suggested to you that your course will be 8 weeks versus 12 weeks??

That is good news you are going to get an MRI - an expensive and very informative test, jump at the chance to have one, if they have offered it. It's a good test to have. Another good way to view all things abdominal! But still, it was good they did the U/S as well, those are also very helpful infomation. The more thorough the assessments and testing the better I say! 

Thanks for sharing about your breast Ca ordeal, I am glad you were lucky and had a good outcome. Interesting to me (what you had to do), just because I am a gal, and just because I recently had to get checked out for a suspicious tid-bit too! So, good to know, and even better to know you did so well. 

Hey, Tig's right, you could start a new (and your very own) "On Treatment" thread, and call it  ... "Mavyret - by Ziggy!" Catchy title - it'll be a best-seller! heehee

Deep breaths!  C.

We have some existing Mavyret threads in the On Treatment section. If you want to start a new one, please title it something besides ”Mavyret” we’re overloaded with similar titles! They tend to get discombobulated when there are so many similar threads. Lots of posts get lost in the shuffle that way. It’s up to you! 

It’s not too late to start the Wellbutrin, ask your doctor. It can still help reduce those cravings. if you can get down 100+ ounces of water, and you’re not having any of the issues I mentioned, play it by ear. The one gallon rule has worked for years with these newest DAA’s. So do what works!

To answer all your previous questions:

TIG -
Thanks for all your attentive support and concern. I was hesitant to post my bloodwork and ultrasound results due to privacy and being so new on the forums. I will as soon as I uninstall and reinstall my scanner. lol. It's giving me issues. I'm not getting all the answers that I want from this (so called) Hep C nurse Dr.  I can also view them online as well. I will see if I can copy them from there.

I wish I would have known about the Wellbutrin before the Chantix. I did the difficult thing to myself which was stopping all together, at the same time, ciggs AND Chantix, on the same day. I was on Chantix for 2 months (first day was Feb 3rd). I am done with all that now..... it's in the past... but I should have weened myself off of it slowly. I just wanted to be DONE with it all. My last cigg was March 29th after smoking a pack a day for YEARS. Going through the Nicotine AND Chantix withdrawals at the same time are.........horrible. WOW, why did I do that to myself. lol...  The withdrawal symptoms from that pill Chantix landed me in the emergency room till 2 am with an outbrake of shingles on my face/cheek last week.  Yeah, I guess I'm stressed out.  But I am done smoking now.  In 2 days, I'm suppose to start Mavyret so that is my main concern right now.  I wanted at least a few weeks for my body to go back to normal before I started another major drug.  Oh well...  Someone approved it to be shipped and then before I knew it, it was at my house.  BAM!  I wasn't ready yet and still have so many questions.

CANUCK -
No, your not probing. I had a lumpectomy, lump mass 3 centimeters in size, (not mastectomy) IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Breast Cancer) Stage 2A at 41 yrs old in 2007.  I had 3 sentinal lymph nodes removed during lumpectomy and all three were negative for cancer. I only did 4 rounds of AC chemotherapy (every three weeks), then some radiation, then was done with the whole thing. It really was a breeze for me due to having THE BEST doctor in the world for breast cancer. Literally!!!

I did a Hep A and a series of Hep B immunizations during my BC chemo, so my Hep C Dr just did a Hep B booster and says I am good to go.

My fibrosis results came from my blood work results even though I did an abdominal ultrasound as well.

Thank you for all your support and .... everything. I really would like you to view my blood work results. I don't trust my current Hep C Dr. that much. I feel that they are in a RUSH to get me started on this treatment because she they will get a brownie point or a kudo from it.  Plus, they want more blood work and an MRI of my liver.  I am a firm believer in having faith and trust in your doctor has an impact on positive healing vibes.  That is very important to me.

Also, the Dr that diagnosed me in 2007 said I had GT1A and my Hep C Dr now says I have GT1B.  Should I be concerned about this???

WENDYO -
Thanks for the beef jerky tip !!!!! I also grabbed a bag of lollipops for when I'm driving to work instead of reaching for a smoke. And yes, I DO pray. :)

RLS -
I hope 3's a charm for you!!!

DHARMABUM -
Thanks for the Chantix humor jokes.

Sorry for ranting everyone and thanks for all your advice.

PS EVERYONE -

I normally drink a half a gallon of water per day now, so I will have no issues with that.  (I hope).  My Hep C Dr says I only need to drink 10 8oz per day.  But I will go for the gallon.

Start Date:  April 11th, 2018.

Finish Date:  June 6th, 2018.

Cured Date:  Sept 5th, 2018.

MAVYRET - First time ever taking any kind of a Hep C treatment.

I will probably start a new thread such as; (Ziggy starting Mav in April 2018), ???  in another part of the forum...soon?

-- Edited by Ziggy65 on Monday 9th of April 2018 12:10:07 PM

Canuck brings up a good point, there are other medications that work very well for smoking cessation. My wife used Wellbutrin and had absolutely zero problems quitting her long term smoking habit. When I was on treatment the last time, Interferon, Ribavirin and Victrelis, one of the most awful side effects I feared was the profound depression. The first time I attempted treatment in 96 with Interferon injections 3x/week, the depression was horrific. I talked to my doctor ahead of my second go at it and we decided to start Wellbutrin a week before I started the Hep drugs. It worked very well and is a super easy drug to discontinue when you no longer need it. It’s an excellent drug for smoking cessation and treatment associated depression/anxiety. That’s something you can ask your doctor if that sounds like an option.

Poor dear to have to be struggling with the unpleasant smoking dilemma. Aside from the hypnotist, or accupressure ideas I was desperately trying to dredge up for you, as some kind of possible ideas to help - I was also firmly of the mind that you should not let this smoking issue dictate when you start your HCV treatment ... 

... Don't let the stop-smoking-thing overly stress you,  no matter where you are at with the quitting while on HCV treatment. Don't be afraid, to the point of post-poning your HCV treatment, due to where you are at with your smoking cessation. Everything will happen in it's time. Your HCV may turn out more easy to cure than the smoking! ...

... Was it helpful on the time you were on it? Was it your doc who suggested you go off the Champix before your Mavyret start, perhaps she would not find Champix contra-indicated for you whilst on Mav? There have been others here, who have been on various meds. (anti-depressants) and/or otherwise, drugs which were not contraindicated for them whilst on DAA's - check with your doc...

Hooray! the Mav has arrived!  Yay to the Apr 11 start! Sorry for the difficulty and stress you have been going through, we all want you to be feeling good about starting your Mav instead! It's going to be all OK in the end, you'll see - no matter how it appears to be going down or how it may be feeling right now.

If you have lots of questions, just keep firing away, we will try to help with them as best we are able. C.

Hey Zig,

Chantix isn’t contraindicated with Mav, so I wouldn’t let that stop me from starting treatment. You don’t need the additional stress. If your doctor approves you taking it, do it. I never tell someone to keep smoking (ex smoker here), but last I heard, smoking isn’t contraindicated on Mav either. It’s more important in my opinion to stop the Hep C now, you can work on stopping cigarettes thereafter. You do what will assure success with your HCV treatment. 

Hi there Ziggy,

I also want to welcome you (better late than never).  Quitting ciggies with Chantix is a good thing, if it takes. Here are two silly Chantix stories.

My mother, 95,  was prescribed Chantix by her surgeon because he refused to do her hip revision surgery if she was still smoking.  A week after starting nicotine withdrawal she kindly posed for Tig's new avatar. My sweet little mother was breathing fire!

And another friend (big blond surly Russian hacker)started Chantix and then lost track of the pills he was taking.  He just kinda slept through the whole nicotine withdrawal thing.

Anyway, I was on Harvoni for 12 weeks, and it worked out very well.  I have been SVR for three years and still cannot believe that these drugs have come along to save us.

Take good care,

Joann

You are doing the best thing you can for your body. It is not easy but it will be worth it. Start drinking the water needed for the Hep C meds now. It will help flush your system of the nicotine and Chantix. 

The hypnosis ideas is great. I used it successfully. Also chewed beef jerky to keep my mouth busy and that was a huge relief for me without a lot of calories. 

If you pray, ask for the willingness and strength to do all this. Meditate if you can as well. Just some quiet time. 

You can do this!

I agree - that IS GREAT news - help is on the way! (Yours drugs are soon to arrive, the stuff which WILL cure you - and put an end to this nasty hepc once and for all)! You ARE doing the very best possbile thing for yourself and your future health, by ridding your precious body of this very harmful hepc you are packing.

You are doing another wonderful thing too, quitting smoking, by whatever means works.

My only other thought on what might possibly assist you in the "I HAVE quit smoking", is to further enlist the aid of a "smoking cessation hypnotherapist" - they are out there - search for one and try one visit - they usually offer a "one-time smoking-cessation visit" for a fee, to make a suggestion or two to you, directly to the "non-analytical" side of your consciousness. There are hypnotists out there who specialize in smoking-cessation.

Perhaps accupressure as well?, I see people in the process of quitting, walking around with thingies on their ears that they can tweek, when they find themselves thinking about cigarettes.

How long were you on the Champix and how did you find it? Was it helpful on the time you were on it? Was it your doc who suggested you go off the Champix before your Mavyret start, perhaps she would not find Champix contra-indicated for you whilst on Mav? There have been others here, who have been on various meds. (anti-depressants) and/or otherwise, drugs which were not contraindicated for them whilst on DAA's - check with your doc.

As far as timing for starting your Mavyret, perhaps your doc (if she feels ALL your labs and assessments have been done and are in good order for a start) will expect you start the Mav when you see her on Apr 5? Like many of the others we have heard from here, and the good feedback they have provided, I doubt the Mav is going to interfere with your plans, work, or otherwise. If your SOT is Apr 5, then your end of week 4 will be on May 3, and your 12 week EOT would be on June 28. The main consideration is to be available for lab blood draws on time if your doc orders them for just at the end of week 4, and then again at EOT.  

Your start, your "day one" is going to be a very good day!  C.

Hi Ziggy,

That’s great news on your upcoming delivery! Wednesday will be here quick. I wouldn’t waste any time getting started, it’s going to be a breeze. Mavyret offers you several benefits, and the two most interesting are the effectiveness and lack of side effects. I haven’t heard a single comment privately or professionally on any withdrawals from it. I know people in general, dislike having to introduce a drug into the body. You may feel some peculiarities after starting this or any medication, but you should be more than able to handle any that come along. Don’t let that worry you. Before you know it, you’ll be sweating to the oldies in a tent, feeling like a million bucks, with a healthier liver because of this excellent DAA.

Can’t help you with the cigs, but can tell you I did the same thing back in the 90’s. Did it cold turkey, too. Each day it gets a bit easier, just do your best to find some way to occupy your mind with other things, anything besides smoking. Changing your habits, finding a different way to follow up a meal and even getting up in the morning. Just changing simple routines and talking to a former smoker with some ideas will help. I did it when I was still drinking and visiting bars and smoking was still legal indoors! I learned that wasn’t the best location to get away from it. Fresh air and some exercise are a better option! Good luck...

Let us know what your blood work is and what your plans are for starting. Stay in touch.

Hi Ziggy,

Thanks for the report. Your results are par for the course for chronic Hep C. The AST and ALT elevations are expected. The viral load is high at 9.4 M, but that can rise and fall like the tides. It‘s a good decision to get your work up complete and get this train rolling. By next year, you can hopefully have this resolved and move forward with a healthier and happier liver. Just stay on it and you’ll be done before you know it!

Good luck stopping smoking. That was one of the best things I ever did. You can do it!

As Canuck said, if you want to post a redacted photo of your results, we could help you decipher it. I’d say from what you have already mentioned, you’re showing typical levels of someone with our disease. Treatment will resolve much of those elevations.

Great you got some results! and info to share. Good to know you are a GT1b. Good neg for HIV.

F2 for your fibrosis score - do you know how your doc came up with that, was that from a blood test or a fibroscan?

The indication of the "start" of some fatty liver, maybe came from your U/S results?

If you have the actual reports (labs results or test reports), you can always copy/paste/post them here, in their entirety, if you choose to (names re-dacted for privacy) and we can help you decipher anything you wish.

Not to worry too much about her noting the "start" of some fatty liver in you, many people do have fatty livers, even folk without HCV. Though there is a more direct co-relation between HCV and tendency for fatty livers, but this association is seen more in GT3's.

In your labs, look for things like, hbg, hematocrit, ferritin, if she is investigating further your "high" iron, perhaps as well things to do with "iron saturation", "TIBC's" and such. Or, you can always just post your labs and we will help you look for what tests she has done. She will be doing more checking on your "high" iron if it concerns her. Ask her what your "high iron" result is, if you don't have the actual lab results.

Same for kidney function, if you have the actual lab results at home, you may see she has done a kidney function "panel" or just a creatinine/albumin, maybe look for GFR.

The ALP, ALT,and AST you posted, yes they are all elevated, as we see with HCV. If you are looking at the actual lab result papers (for the ALP, ALT,and AST you posted), you will be able to see what your lab considers a normal level ("normal" reference ranges should be right on the paper, right beside your result).

Do you have a billirubin result?

Did your U/S report shown any kind of abnormality (except maybe for "start" of fatty liver)?

Any AFP blood test result?

Good your doc seems to be "on" your Hep A/B immunity protection levels. Let her continue advising you on what you need to do next on those 2 HepA/B immunity matters, or flu shots for that matter. Good she will look into your high iron. Let her do her due diligence. Did she ask you to get some further blood tests?

Aside from HCV, do you currently have any kind of chronic ongoing health things, diabetes, kidney disease or histories of issues like high BP's, etc.? 

Don't let the stop-smoking-thing overly stress you, no matter where you are at with the quitting while on HCV treatment. Don't be afraid, to the point of post-poning your HCV treatment, due to where you are at with your smoking cessation. Everything will happen in it's time. Your HCV may turn out more easy to cure than the smoking!

Thanks for the good report, let us know if we can try to help interpret anything.  C.

Hey Ziggy,

According to the Drugs.com interaction checker, there are no problems noted. Have you spoken to your doctor about this? While I can look it up, you should always seek your doctor’s advice.

Hope this helps! Good luck with stopping smoking, it’s a good thing!

Can we take Mavyret and Chantix at the same time?

Thanks in advance.

-- Edited by Ziggy65 on Tuesday 20th of March 2018 09:11:18 PM

Have you had it confirmed yet, whether you are a GT1a or a GT1b?, and what your levels of fibrosis are?

When you go through the many very good and recommended choices of drugs listed and available for you today (that will work very well), you can see slight nuances in what may guide a docs preference in choosing one particular regimen for you over another - GT (type and sub-type), level of cirrhosis, your kidney function, your VL (to a degree), RAV testing (if any had ever been done on you for some reason). 

You can see the regimes for GT1a's and GT1b's here, for treatment-naive, and with compensated cirrhosis: 

Recommendations for specific GT1b's - https://www.hcvguidelines.org/treatment-naive/gt1b/compensated-cirrhosis

Recommendations for specific GT1a's - https://www.hcvguidelines.org/treatment-naive/gt1a/compensated-cirrhosis 

Virtually identical for a's or b's with compensated cirrhosis.

There are further nuances in drug choices/treatment lengths, if you are non-cirrhotic, have a low VL, etc. 

Don't forget to ensure your Hep A/B immunization has been checked on (dealt with), prior to your HCV treatment start. 

Good you had the U/S done. Did you say you had a "Fibroscan" done, to help with determining your Fscore? Or was your Fscore determined by way of a blood test, in the the blood test results you are waiting for? C.

Hey Ziggy,

First of all, Mavyret is an excellent treatment, as is Harvoni, Epclusa, Vosevi, etc, but way, way less money. If you can get it, you should have zero qualms about using it. We have others here that used it during trials, as well as some currently in treatment. I have yet to talk to a member that wasn’t successful.

I would give your doctor and/or nurse a call and find out why you’re the last one to get your results. They get busy, but should never be too busy to maintain a channel of communication with their patients. It’s not like you went in for a flu shot and they forgot to schedule it. They most definitely owe you that. They should offer you a sit down appointment to go over every detail before starting. You should get a schedule for blood work during and after treatment ends, along with the results from your previous tests. Request copies of everything and keep them in a home file. That’s valuable information that can be useful years down the road. I missed an opportunity to start a Harvoni trial years back, because the doctor had destroyed his copies and the lab didn’t seem to know their way around a computer! You have the right to copies!

Stay in touch and let us know what you find out. You’re getting close! Good luck

Hey guys...I just got a phone call from a specialty pharmacy 3000 miles away from me saying they want to start me on Mavyret.

I am a bit upset for I have not heard from my DR re: my ultrasound and bloodwork yet.  I just called and DEMANDED an appointment with her.  I still have major questions.  I'm not going to run down to the pharmacy and start taking this just because they say so, without going over all my bloodwork and ultrasound results.  What is that all about?

I will post again later after I have seen her and update all my test results, etc...

Question:  Why do you think they want me to do Mavyret instead if Harvoni?  (I have been studying about Harvoni all month).  What a waist of time.  Could it be cause I'm poor?  Could it be cause my liver isn't that damaged yet?  These will need to be answered when I see my DR next week among other questions.

Just had to get this off my chest with you guys.  Cant wait to post my test results with you.

Be back soon.

Ziggy

-- Edited by Ziggy65 on Wednesday 14th of March 2018 10:16:48 PM

-- Edited by Ziggy65 on Wednesday 14th of March 2018 10:17:18 PM

I am of the mind that we could wait another 5, or 10 or 20 years for the retropsective studies to show little risk posed by the current newest DAA treatments, as opposed the already long studied and documented harms and havoc that continuing untreated HCV can cause us. It will take more years for further, anecdotal info and studies to materialize. I am thinking it will likely be found, in time frames like that (years), that the harms of carrying the HCV (which has already been documented so well, for many years) will far outweigh any risks to be found from HCV treatment drugs. HCV will also wait 5, 10, 20 years, all the while doing it's damage, for the newest anecdotal info to come out about any long term bad effects from HCV drugs. They have already been pretty quick on the draw about bringing to our attention the necessity of being safe than sorry and checking our Hep B status's prior to starting Hep C treatment, just to further minimize that very small known risk. I have a feeling, that in these 5, 10, 20 year time frames, we are more likely to see a Hep C vaccine materialize which would be great to help wipe this Hep C scourge off the face of the earth, where no one needs to be "treated" for HCV, but until that day, modern HCV treatments are state of the art, the best that science is now able to offer us, mind boggling effective, and are necessary to prevent the harm HCV can cause us. Just thinking out loud.  C.

Hey Ziggy,

It‘s good to see your grasp of the importance of doing your own research and developing a personal plan. That’s so important! I’ve been associated with the medical community since about ever, so I agree with every observation you made. It’s not wise to assume the help behind the counter knows much more than medical terminology and cash register 101.

I agree with Canuck, there has never been a better time to defeat HCV. I understand your hesitation to subject yourself to any medication without the assurance that the rates of complication free success are on your side. I feel these new DAA’s are better than anything previously prescribed. The damage from Hep C is constant, that isn’t in doubt. I’m glad these new treatments are available. They have shown excellent results. Far easier and much more effective than the Drano I had to inject for 7 months! 

Looking forward to your updates. 

Hey Ziggy,

Very good, great actually! You are on it! That will help you no end. You are your own best friend in all health matters, and your own best advocate, that is one thing I have tried to keep learning over the years. 

I am sure the breast cancer experience was hard education.

Good you have access to your labs and know the system, and that you keep files, question and research.

Whether is be the best Ca treatment you can find or the best Hep C treatment you can find, you will always find the "unknowns" that niggle you in wondering if you are jumping off into the deep end of the pool, over your head. This "taking on" of possibly unforseen risks is a daunting task for many. But the accepting is made easier knowing the irrefutable documented facts and outcomes surrounding "non-treatment" of things as serious as Ca or Hep C.

Stick with what you see, read, learn, know, and what facts ARE in front of you, and the path will be clear.

You could not have picked a better time to be treated for your Hep C! 

If you don't mind me probing, did you have to have surgery as well as chemo/rad for your breast Ca?? How much drugs and radiation did you have to put up with?

With your experience, I would emphatically agree with you that you will "handle" this Hep C treatment, just fine (understatement!).  C.

Hi Ziggy,

ah, so, down a quart eh? Know the feeling. Hope it was an "easy" draw session. Good (that you are getting the works)!

Have they already assessed where you are at (as far as immunity levels) and perhaps some required immunizations/or re-immunzations to Hep A, B, influenza?? 

In the interim, next time you able, ascertain if ALL of that HAS been completed - your Hep B status (your B immunity and/or B immunization start) has to be ascertained prior to Hep C treatment start. 

Likely some of the blood tests you had today will be back sooner than 3-4 weeks, specialized ones can take some time, but the more routine ones can often return quite quickly.

Do you have any means of receiving your own copies of lab reports, or will you be dependent on the docs office only to find out anything?

Some people know how to get their own labs "on-line", I'm not so savvy, I have to get them mostly via my doc's office, the slowest way!

Fire away if you have any burning questions.  C.

.

Wow... What a great welcome.  Thanks all.

I just had 12 vials of blood drawn yesterday and it was stated it would take 3 to 4 weeks to come back.

I'll let you all know then.

Thanks in advance.

Welcome from me too Ziggy and congrats on being a survivor. The new treatments will not ruin your summer and I suggest starting as soon as your doc and insurance says GO. Like the others have said about the new meds and drinking plenty o water, you will be fine. You have found a new support system and family here. 

Hi Ziggy,

Welcome here from me too.

Glad it sounds like your doc is ready to get you cured up of this virus, and that you sound you are almost ready for it too.

Tig is right, the new drugs are a breeze nowadays (comparatively speaking, to what was available to us ten years ago)! Some people, if you read through the sites a bit here, you will find some who have had virtually no sides, or who have discerned very, very few bad feelings. Some people have felt stuff, but really, the modern day drugs are very, very do-able, and hands down way more effective. You will be cured in a very short time.

And yes, like Tig said, having some further info on you will be helpful, for background/discussion purposes. Like ... I know you wrote you had a liver biopsy about 10 years ago, but do you have any other labs that were done on you to follow your Hep C, between 10 years ago and now?. Even any old test results would be helpful. Things like  ... liver function tests (LFT's) that include things like ALT/AST, etc.? Same for any current labs/tests you might be recieving, we would be interested in any "fibrosis" assessment bloods tests, abdominal ultrasounds, or "fibroscans"

At the moment, you said your current viral load (VL) is near 10 million, but any old labs you may have had done over the years might show some flucutations in that level (loads can vary and be higher AND/OR lower) at times. Mine was also over 10 million at one point, but the count level can fluctuate, all by itself, and sometimes in quite a wide spread. That was something I was not really aware of, until i came here. 

Over the years they have been revising how high a high load is, it is not quite such an issue anymore, very few drugs (nowadays, they are so effective) carry caveats about having a VL over 6 million. There are few conditions your doc wll look at when he chooses the best drugs for you, load may be one, but also if a person happened to be badly cirrhotic, or has severe renal disease (or other issues going on ) then these are things that will guide him to the right drugs for you.

If you want to explore drugs, try the "search" function button above ... just type in a drug name (or subject) and you will pull up many different informational threads. 

Or, just go to ... Hep C News ... where you will find monographs for "Epclusa" or "Mavyret" for example.

Many people are cured of their Hep C in a mere 3 months, some do 16 weeks, others in as little as 8 weeks. Don't fret too much about your start if you doc paves they way for you to get your drugs started next month ... it IS a good thing! There is NO good time when trying to decide "when" it "might be better to do 3 months worth of pills, the overiding guidance is that it is a VERY good day, the day you start your first day of treatment. Maybe, the only better day (to have started) would have been 10 years ago -  IF you had access then to the great drugs we now have today!

Welcome here, and just fire away with questions or share some labs when you have some.  DON"T WORRY!  C.

Welcome,

your Dr is right...dont wait

you may not feel like the Hep is affecting you but I bet youll feel even better once you get rid of it.

Tigs right, these new treatments are a walk in the park compared to the old school treatments. The most vital thing to avoid side effects is to drink a LOT of water.

(and then drink some more ) 

Cant wait till you get started Ziggy,

Alison

...

Tig:

Thank you so much for the welcome and warm message. I will keep you guys up to date.

Ziggy

Hey Ziggy,

Welcome to the forum. You found a great place and nice people. I’m glad you introduced yourself. RC cleaned up your edits. That stuff happens and we have a magic wand to make it go away, ha!

Once you get your results back we will have more information and our famous opinion forecasting, lol! Please feel free to share anything or everything. Set up your results (pre treatment baseline) and a brief bio in your signature section. Then your don’t have repeat it as you progress. We rely/refer to that a lot when you’re on treatment. Fibrosis stage is useful as well. I see you got yours started, thanks.

Aside from that, if you have any questions or concerns, please ask. We will respond as soon as we can. This is a great time to treat Hep C. Never before has treatment been so easy and so effective. The side effects profile is negligible. Most can be controlled by simplyion hydrating well. We recommend a gallon per day. Easy peasy. If your doctor says go, GO! It’s light years ahead of just 5 years ago and no comparison to when I was diagnosed in 96. Those were the dark ages, you didn’t miss a thing!

Take care 

...

Greetings:

I am new to the forums.

10 years ago, while I was being tested for breast cancer treatment at age 41, I discovered that I had Genotype 1 Hep C.  (I was fortunate and caught the breast cancer early enough and I am a 10 yr survivor).    I did a liver biopsy for the Hep C and doctor said, "You and Hep C get a long great, see you back in 3 years".  This was back when I was first diagnosed in 2007.

Now, it's 10 years later, I am 52 and it's time to think about my Hep C situation.

I am currently undergoing testing to see which medication is best suited for me.  I am still pretty healthy but....  it's time to start doing my research and thinking about it, etc...  My viral load is high:  9,400,000.

I was thinking I could start treatment in the Fall of 2018 so I can enjoy my summertime activities (camping, working at music festivals, etc), but the doctor wants me to start treatment ASAP like next month and says there are NO side effects for me to worry about.    IS THIS TRUE???

Looking forward to a welcome, comfort in knowing I'm not alone and any advice or info links on the meds:  Zepatier, Mavyret or Harvoni?  Thanks in advance.

Ziggy65

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-- Edited by Ziggy65 on Thursday 15th of February 2018 08:40:19 PM