Hep C Discussion Forum

Hello 11,

Welcome to the forum, I'm glad you found us. First of all, don't let yourself get worried sick. It's okay to be concerned, but worry, not so much. I will try to explain why.

The old Interferon/Ribavirin protocols weren't very effective at all. They proved to be more mid evil than anything. Long and difficult side effects with poor SVR rates. Some of us made it through by the grace of our favorite higher power. The new all oral treatments are incredibly effective and quick to complete, usually with low if any side effects. Certainly manageable, where the Interferon backbone treatments were difficult at best. So don't let you or your wife fear these new medications.

If she has been receiving annual checkups since diagnosis in 2006, I assume they must be conscious of her liver health and will advise you both accordingly. What types of testing has she had done recently? A biopsy or Fibroscan should be done occasionally to determine her fibrosis score, biannual blood tests, such as a complete blood count (CBC), and a liver profile. The liver enzymes listed in that test, the ALT and AST provide a window into the liver function. They help to indicate the health and inflammatory process going on. The RNA viral load test is also important to have completed. It provides an actual blood viral level and can help determine treatment length. It can vary on different factors, but is good to know. Her genotype you already know. The testing protocols are fairly standard for all HCV patients and a liver specialist, like a Board Certified Gastroenterologist or Hepatologist's advice should be sought out.

The new all oral treatments like Sovaldi and Ribavirin, Harvoni, or the Viekira Pak, are all the current rage. There is another one on the horizon, still in final studies, is Gilead's Sovaldi and their new investigational drug, GS5816. It will cover all genotypes and is going to be very effective indeed. It will probably be released by year's end. They are all expensive and I honestly don't know anyone that can afford them out of pocket. That's nearly impossible unless you're a millionaire. Insurance companies are coming around, as are Medicare/Medicaid. They were hit hard this year and have spent more time declining coverage than providing it due to costs. I think next year, after they have had the chance to regroup, we'll see some coverage improvements.

If you need some payment assistance options, the red "Payment Assistance" link in my signature line will provide you with many organizations that will cover all or most of the expenses for treatment once you qualify. Gilead and Abbvie both have excellent programs that have helped many here. There are other good options as well and if you need help navigating them, let me know.

There are some generic programs coming available in some foreign countries, like India and Egypt, but those programs are still questionable and importation is impossible in most countries. Many offers like that are hard to get if you aren't a resident of the offering country. We have a couple members looking into that and it has been quite difficult to do.

The cure you speak of is what is called SVR or Sustained Viral Response. Once you have achieved an undetected viral load at the end of treatment and stay that way for the next 12 weeks, they consider it cured in most circles. It is the bodies ability to keep the virus at that undetectable level indefinitely. It appears that relapse after SVR is less than 1/2 of 1% and may continue to reduce further. So it essentially is a "cure". We like to think so anyway!

I guess I should post this so you can relax. It's really a good time to treat and if your wife wants to treat now, the time to do it has never been better! Good luck...