chances

[demonfighter]

Hi
Recently diagnosed hcv genotype 1b viral load 197000 IU/mL ALT and 67 AST 38 fibrosis stage 3
I am about to take treatment pgintr/ribiv
Somebody suggest me please what can I take beside ultra milk thistle
What are my chances for reaching svr according advanced stage and problematic genotype?
Thank you very much

[meki]

Wow Hector - you're awesome...

Demon fighter -- Check out the Supplement listing on the SOCIAL side ---- and read through the posts.

I'm neither for NOR against supplements.... and recently have been watching a few of the folks around here - who jumped on to the  supplements show an MARKED decrease in VL and other problems.

So tune into those discussions as well.

[HectorSF]

"What are my chances for reaching svr according advanced stage and problematic genotype?"

There are many factors that influence tx response. Dominant are genotype and VL. Most of us in the U.S. are type 1. Your VL is low, which is good. Liver status: "Fibrosis stage 3". It appears to be a good time to treat before your liver becomes more damaged.

Your chances are best known by how you responded to tx at the following intervals.
VL at week 4
VL at week 8
VL at week 12
Basically, the faster you lose virus the better chances of acheiving SVR.

For more details...
Source: New Management Strategies for HCV Nonresponders and Relapsers
By: Mitchell L. Shiffman, MD

"Approximately 65% of genotype 1 patients and approximately 93% of genotype 2/3 patients achieve undetectable HCV RNA during the course of peginterferon alfa and ribavirin treatment.

Most patients with genotype 1 who achieve undetectable HCV RNA do so after Week 4 of treatment. Previous studies have demonstrated that approximately 35% of genotype 1 patients achieve undetectable HCV RNA between Week 4 and 12 of treatment. Recently, these patients have been termed as having a “complete” EVR.
Another 15% of genotype 1 patients achieve undetectable HCV RNA between Week 12 and 24 of treatment and have been referred to as “slow to respond.” Virtually no patients will achieve undetectable HCV RNA levels after Week 24 if they have not done so already by that time point, regardless of genotype. Therefore, if a patient has not achieved undetectable HCV RNA by Week 24, treatment should be stopped.

It is critically important to recognize the point at which a patient achieves undetectable HCV RNA during treatment as this is directly related to the likelihood of achieving a SVR. In other words, the later a patient achieves undetectable HCV RNA during treatment, the higher the likelihood that the patient will relapse after treatment is discontinued following the standard duration of therapy (24 weeks for genotypes 2/3 and 48 weeks for genotype 1).

Three recent studies have now demonstrated that relapse can be significantly reduced in slow-to-respond genotype 1 patients—those who achieve undetectable HCV RNA after Week 12—by extending the duration of treatment from 48 to 72 weeks.


Best of luck with your treatment!

Hector

[smaug48]

I am no expert, I can only relate what I've read and heard.  Since there has been very little research on the interaction of supplements and peg/riba, it is often unknown whether a supplement could possibly negate the effect of peg/riba.

When I started tx, I planned to take supplements prescribed by a naturopath to reduce sx.  But after reading more on this forum and talking with my doctor, I stopped all supplements after about a week because what I perceived as the danger of a given supplement counteracting the peg/riba.  Of course everyone has to make their own decisions regarding their treatment.

One source of info I consulted was hcvadvocate.org; e.g.
http://www.hcvadvocate.org/library/herb_glossary.asp

Good luck with your treatment and let us know how things go.

smaug

[FloridaMouse]

Welcome demon,

I'm Missy, geno 1a, Stage 3/4, Grade 3 currently on my second round of tx.  Make sure you check with your doc before taking any any supplements, including Milk Thistle, while on tx.  My doc won't let me take Milk Thistle why I'm on tx but I will be taking it again once I'm done.

Your chances at SVR according to all the stats are about 40% which is typical of all genotype 1's.  The most important thing to try to remember is as bad as we want that SVR chip, as long as we are treating we are giving our livers a break.

Good luck to you.

Mouse