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12 Weeks Harvoni +/- Ribavirin - NEED UPLIFTING COMMENTS

Hi.

I'm have cirrhosis, a 16.2 kPa Fibroscan with a history of varices and of course portal hypertension. I am treatment naive. I was put on 12 weeks of Harvoni + Ribavirin since that's the recommended duration, and all prior authorization forms only approve for this.

I'm afraid I won't SVR and that I needed 24 weeks instead. I need good and uplifting news from those of you who were in similar health and treatment regime and reached SVR.

I feel I would have been in a much better position if I would have tried IFN+RBV treatment in the past. There are new studies coming up showing that TX history, if no DAA was involved, is irrelevant since results are the same on the 12 weeks for those cirrhotics with or without TX-history, except if you had DAA TX and failed. Most prescribers don't seem to make the distinction, and approve 24 weeks even if you didn't have any DAA previously, and just IFN+RBV.

Back to the point:

12 weeks Harvoni SVR F4 cirrhotics, post here!
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Avatar universal
That was supposed to say '....like newsy stuFF'. Not stud.  P
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Avatar universal
I agree with Mac.  he has been there and knows why he is talking about.  Further, do your part!  Eat a healthy diet, drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water each day, stay far far away from alcohol, illegal drugs, make sure you Dr has approved every prescription med you are on as okay to take with Harvoni, don't eat grapefruit or Seville oranges, and don't smoke - if you are, quit, or at the very least, start reducing your smoking, cut out refined sugars and reduce sodium.  In the last two I am talking about what you add, plus processed foods, desserts, candy, etc.  Oh, and on Over the Counter meds and vitamins,  get your Dr's okay on those too, or stop them til treatment is over.

These things take added stress off of your liver so that it can concentrate on getting well.

Being treatment naive is a plus for treatment.  They have you on Harvoni plus Riba - a great combo.  

Like Mac, I believe you will reach SVR on this.

Sorry, you asked for cheering up and I pop up with dos and don'ts, but I believe that IS uplifting - as it helps!

Finally, keep a positive attitude!  Easy to say, harder to do, but it truly helps!  And since you are on Riba, read or watch funny, comical things, listen to pleasant music, stay away from sad, tragic, or like newsy stud - depressing, and, on RIBA, you don't need that.

My husband, found, jokes, cute sayings, puppy and kitten/cat, videos, on the Internet and tube, to show me, and every smil, or laugh helped!

Blessings, you are on your way!

Pat
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
That's very, very uplifting and re-assuring! I loved it! Please, keep them coming!
Helpful - 0
1961140 tn?1450738712
Hey, I have Stage 5, no varicies but lower limb circulation problems, discoloration, poor toe nail growth, etc...   The fact you are Stage 4 is of no matter. Harvoni alone will knock that sucker out of you in 4 weeks. Bet on it. I'm assuming of course that you are genotype1/1a? If it were simply Sovaldi, I might agree 24 weeks would be better. The only other drug that works as well as Harvoni is the Merck clinical trial drug I was on last summer. SVR was achieved by 97% of cirrhotics, and 95% of non-cirrhotics. Relapse rate of less than 1%. In 7 days it knocked my viral titer down from 585,000+ IU/ml to 396 IU/ml, By week three I was undetectable. As you will be. Just take the meds as directed, and obviously don't ingest anything that is hepatoxic. Keep us posted, but my money is on SVR for you. Even 12 weeks is probably overkill, they are looking at reducing tx periods. The Merck combo was grazoprevir 100 mg and Elbasvir 50 mg. in 1 tablet, but all these new generation HCV meds work in the same manner, nucleotide replication inhibitors, combined with pangenotypic second gen protease inhibitors. Not even in the same ballapark as Interferon; Ribavirin was the grand daddy of these new protease inhibitors.   mac  
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