Hepatitis C tx

[Cory255]

From what I understand, I have the option to go thru a 2nd round of tx.  I'm considering waiting for the Protease Inhibitors.  I'm genotype 1a, diagnosed 17 months ago.  I've got three months of medication sittin around.  I'm delaying it as long as possible.  Why shouldn't I go through it again?

[virgocharm]

HI CORY

[portann]

Hi again, Corey,

It's so great to see your new profile, living life again!

If this means you decided to wait for the new combo, then you just made my day.

As I said earlier, that's what I'd pester my son to do, even though the decision would ultimately be his.

What's important is that you worried a bit, asked many questions, thought a lot and (possibly) decided to enjoy life until a better combo comes along that will be more effective.

In the meantime, enjoy yourself!  Twenty-six was such a  good year for me, traipsing in the Andes (with HCV).

I hope you have a very good year and remain confident that you will beat this, too, and soon enough.

I'm rooting for you.

Susan

[WriteItDown]

I agree with the above posters. Wait for the new treatments.

[portann]

Hi Corey,

I see from your other posts that you've been wrestling with this, as many of us do.

With three months of meds sitting in your fridge, no other health issues and youth on your side, chances are good that SOC would turn out to be a winner for a treatment-naive person. YOU ARE NOT TREATMENT-NAIVE, THOUGH.

Since YOU ARE NOT TREATMENT-NAIVE, this fact, IMO, should strongly influence your decision-making process away from re-treating right now. In the 'old days' (last year?!), people could go the tweaking re-treating route because of lack of real alternatives but now there are excellent alternatives if you CAN wait.

I don't think you should feel pressured to re-treat right now and hope your doc isn't doing that.  

FYI, my hepatologist discouraged me from treating and I had HCV for over forty years.
When I finally did recently treat, the improved protocol offered me a much better chance than when I was diagnosed fifteen years ago.

And now the emerging protocols (PI's, etc.) should up chances substantially.

Even though I SVR'd, I definitely could have waited, based on my profile, had I known how close a more effective and shorter treatment would be. My hopes would have been higher and the endless days of treatment and isolation might have been halved.

(Heads up, though - I think shorter treatments may only be available to treatment-naive patients, not relapsers BUT I haven't been keeping up.)

So best of luck with your decision. If you were my son (you're his age), I'd make a real pest of myself trying to influence him against re-treating with the current protocol.

And one question I had: If you were diagnosed with HCV seventeen months ago, how did you also treat for forty-four weeks and then relapse? Or did I miss or confuse something?

Regards,
Susan