Overweight (high BMI) and Treating...

[Kathy73]

I'm 1 month post treatment with SOC.

What is so wrong about people with a high BMI being encouraged to try treatment? If it doesn't work by 4 or 12 weeks they can just stop the way any other treater can stop. Why can't we be encouraged too? The reason I'm putting this out there is because I don't feel that there is a whole lot of support for the individuals who have a high BMI and are thinking of treating. In fact I've seen them discouraged!

[jessiejames1973]

you lot honestly

NYGirl is not out of order she said nothing wrong, just stop bitching now for gods sake

[Kathy73]

Thanks for all the great information! You're the best!
Kathy

[Marcia2202]

Great information. It's good to see that you were able to find the reason to this problem and offer an approach to tackle this negative predicator.

[comeagain]

Allthough very long post it wasn´t too long at all ( this time ) very good post thx a lot
for making an effort!!

God bless !!
ca

[sunqueen]

I'm staying out of most of this hot mess.

First, good luck to you Kathy. I hope you acheive SVR.

I always toss in the part about being a porky g3 when I've talked about my journey on many threads. I was ignorant. Information freaked me out so I resolved to remain ignorant and then take a leap of faith into treatment.

Please note: I do not recommend this approach.

I arrived here two weeks after I started tx. People asked me if I was on weight-based Riba. My response was "huh?"

I did not know that weight impacted SVR.  I did what any good treating hepper would do in their third week of tx when I got the news that my outcome would probably be bad - I pooped my pants.

Then I went to see a hepatologist, especially since I didn't clear in 4 weeks. Close, but that only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

Fast forward to today. I'm SVR. I'm healthy as a horse except for debilitating arthritis. Arthritis has been my biggest demise factor n the last 12 years. Up until I was 40, I ran 20+ miles a week, played racquetball and  went skiing when I could. It came on so suddenly that everything became a challenge. I also (stupidly) quit smoking around the same time that my activity level plummeted and I packed on the poundage.

I worry about two things - all of my joints are totally shot and I may have cleared HCV but I still have fatty liver.

I'm not unhealthy but I am at risk for a big boatload of other health problems if I don't get some of this weight off. The orthopedist who gave me a shot in the hip a few weeks ago suggested that I use the time to MOVE MORE since I don't look like I belong on a poster at the moment.

And now I'm off to run the halls of a local hospital for the next 8 or 9 hours. This weekend I will swim or bike or do something to raise my heart rate.

I wish you all a beautiful sun-filled day.

[Trish77]

I don't know how overweight you are but being Stage 3/4, I would not let it keep you from treating.  There are other people here treating with risk factors that are different than yours .. or the same as yours.  That does not mean you won't be successful.  It means you need to be aware of how to tailor your treatment to improve your chances.  

There's no getting around it .. if you can lose some weight it will most likely decrease your risk factors.  By how much, I'm not sure the studies bear that out sufficiently as it seems to be dependent upon which co-existing condition exists as a result of you being overweight that would introduce extra risks for you when undergoing treatment.  

If you can't lose weight right now - and you would not be alone in that, then learn as much as you can about what the conditions are that can create extra risk for you and get tested for those.  Your treatment drugs may need to be adjusted accordingly.  Make sure you have weight-based ribavirin, etc.  Get tested for IR - not a subject I know alot about but others here certainly do.  The key is to learn as much as you can about your risk factors, be aware and choose the best strategies you can.  However, at stage 3/4, I personally would go through treatment but with eyes wide open.  I would also make sure you have a doctor - a hepatologist - who really knows his stuff.  If your doctor hasn't brought up weight at all and you are, as you say "REALLY overweight" then...I'd wonder a bit on his experience level.  When you are at Stage 3/4, you really want a hepatologist who knows what they're doing, who is up on the latest treatment protocols and will give you the best shot possible.

Trish