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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Hepatitis / October 2007What makes treatment so difficult?
I have read that treatment is very difficult, but what makes it so? Also, how many weeks must one be on before the doctor knows if it is working or not? Thanks. >I have read that treatment is very difficult, but what makes it so? The treatment drugs *can* have significant side effects. Among the rather long list of potential issues are reduction in red and/or white blood cells and/or platelets that leave the patient breathless and/or prone to infection and/or prone to spontaneous bleeding, respectively. And that's just the blood - it *can* also cause the immune system to attack various organs, it can cause various skin issues ranging from trivial to out-of-control. And it sure can mess with one's hair ;-) >Also, how many weeks must one be on before the doctor knows if it is >working or not? Good question. "Working" isn't a binary proposition - some folks have what is called a "super-response" to treatment and will exhibit profound loss of virions within mere days of initiating therapy, and within a few weeks have cleared the virus from the blood stream to the point that even the most sensitive tests can no longer detect it. Near the other end of the spectrum are the so-called "slow responders", where the viral load drops only an order of magnitude or two after many weeks on the typical treatment regimen, and continues to drop through therapy until finally testing clear around 24 weeks in to the treatment. Also, when the determination can be made is dependent on how the doctor is monitoring progress. The typical monitoring scheme used today is to test just before starting therapy, then at 12 weeks. If the 12 week test is "clear", the doctor may not order any further tests until the End Of Treatment test; otoh, if the 12 week test still shows virions another test is performed at 24 weeks. What happens next is dependent on genotype. Some doctors will add a viral load test at 4 weeks into treatment, but that's not the common case (and patients should request this test anyway, imo!) Cheers - and hth... /greyhackles > I have read that treatment is very difficult, but what makes it so? > Also, how many weeks must one be on before the doctor knows if it is > working or not? > > Thanks. I started tx on 09/28. I have had plenty of days in the past when I've felt as tired as I do today, but never have I felt so consistently exhausted for so long. If I were able to spend this year under general anesthesia, or confined to bed, no worries, but to go to work to support myself while feeling this drained---for an entire year---will be...difficult... Soon I may discover that I already have anemia...or perhaps I don't, perhaps my body simply responds this way for reasons unknowable and untreatable... > I started tx on 09/28. I have had plenty of days in the past when I've > felt as tired as I do today, but never have I felt so consistently [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > perhaps my body simply responds this way for reasons unknowable and > untreatable... Have your hemoglobin count checked, if it is below 11 deciliters you may be able to go on Procrit which will give you some of your energy back. My hemoglobin count is 12 so I have been dragging my sorry a.s in to work for 9 months, it's been tough. There have been days I simply could not work, too dizzy to drive and add fatigue and nausea to that and I just couldn't do it. I went on "Intermittent FMLA " and that has allowed me to keep my job, I have been sacrificing financially because I do not get paid for those days but hopefully it will work itself out, always does. For me at least, the sides were worse in the beginning, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Another thing I found difficult was controlling my rage. But you just started, hang in there and check this group often , there are some very helpful people here. Oh and one more thing................ Good Luck :-) >> I started tx on 09/28. I have had plenty of days in the past >> when I've [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > are some very helpful people here. > Oh and one more thing................ Good Luck :-) re: the dizziness thing... have you tried drinking lots of water when you start feeling that way? I found that the dizziness meant I was getting dehydrated, and slamming down a 16-20 oz water helped every time. Helped with the nausea a bit too, for me. I know I sound like a broken record, but drinking huge amounts of water (half of my body weight in ounces of water every day) really helped me a LOT thru tx..... I think it even helped with the dry itchy skin thing. a little :) Sara > >> I started tx on 09/28. I have had plenty of days in the past > >> when I've [quoted text clipped - 56 lines] > > Sara Sara, I drink constantly at work and home, water and green tea. > > I started tx on 09/28. I have had plenty of days in the past when I've > > felt as tired as I do today, but never have I felt so consistently [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > are some very helpful people here. > Oh and one more thing................ Good Luck :-) Thank you for the tips/kind words;) >> I started tx on 09/28. I have had plenty of days in the past when I've >> felt as tired as I do today, but never have I felt so consistently [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] >are some very helpful people here. >Oh and one more thing................ Good Luck :-) 12 g/dl isn't all that low. Have you had your thyroid function checked lately? Got TSH? /greyhackles |
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