Aa
Start treatment and have surgery
My husband is seeing doc next week to hopefully start treatment with the newly approved Sofo with RBV and INF. he has issues with his shoulder and thinks he can get surgery for that while starting this treatment. I do not know yet if his doc will prescribe this regimen and even if his insurance will cover it. (Express scripts). From all I have read, for his Hep C genotype 1a, he is going to have to get the INF regardless. Sooooo.....what do you all think. I am so worried about him, when he had is liver biopsy it said he was at a 3/4 ?? Not sure what that means.he has a lot of sensitivity in the area of his liver, and to me, has also appears to have fluid buildup. He looks 8 months pregnant to me, and the way his stomach bulges, i can't believe it is just fat. If it were you would you attempt shoulder surgery while on treatment. When he had his other shoulder done a few years ago, it was a living hell....please please ....tell me what you think. I can't stand to see him in all this pain. He also has much fatigue and sleepless nights and joint pain in general, I try to watch how much Advil he takes, because I know that is not good for the liver.
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We go tomorrow to see the doctor. Will let you all know the outcome.
Thank you for your support!
Thank you for your support!
I'm so sorry that a delay arose, but I'd bet it won't mean a major change. I hope not! As for the Zoloft, I have to disagree quite strongly. Its true it is horrible to stop it abruptly - I did that by accident once when I forgot to pack my Zoloft for an extended camping trip, and it was a monstrous experience. However, if you reduce the dose very gradually it is not hard at all. I took Zoloft for about 20 years and quit last fall with no ill effects at all. I was on 150mg a day for many years, and dropped it to 100 for a week, then 75 for a week, then 50 for a week, then 25 for a week, then just for good measure I took 12.5 for a final week. It involved a lot of careful cutting of pills but I had no side effects other than a very slight increase in irritability. My husband didn't even notice it, so it clearly wasn't very bad. I didn't have any of the horrendous nightmares I got the time I did the accidental abrupt stop. I've been off it completely since Thanksgiving and have done just fine! I think if the time in the med was shorter, the withdrawal could probably proceed more quickly too. I couldn't say whether Zoloft will help you, but if it might then it really makes no sense to hold back for fear of the horrors of quitting it. Good luck!
It's hard to say. It could be something so simple as they want to do updated blood work or EKG or something to get started on treatment. Also, information in this field is changing so rapidly, it could be that your husband's gastro has changed his mind and is planning to recommend a different course. Or maybe it's just to review how to take the medications. So, do you have an appt for him to go back in to see the gastro? Let us know what he/she says.
Advocate1955
Advocate1955
Update..well, here it is mid Feb and I am still trying to help my husband get on treatment. We got really far and now all of a sudden his gastro wants him to come in next week to discuss the plan. You see, he wrote a script for Olysio and Sovaldi. We have the bottle of Sovaldi sitting here on the table. The Olysio is at his insurance company just waiting for us to call to have it shipped!!!!!!! The plan was to have him checked for Q80K and then decide. So after waiting for 4 weeks for results (and of course me calling them every few days to see if results came in) GUESS WHAT? He is negative. So what could be the problem? He is genotype 1a, has a major accident last year, over 8 surgeries and still has issues. He is in early stages of cirrhosis. Do you think he is considering going to Sovaldi, RBV and Interferon. I am so upset. I need advice and support. My husband can't understand all this science and gets very confused when I try to explain. His accident also caused two bleeds on his brain, so he has some cognitive issues. I want to cry....I can't see him going through the interferon with all he had already gone through. We have a prescription for Zoloft that he was going to fill if he was to go on the interferon and that was before we got the doc to write a script for the off label combo. However, have you ever gone on an antidepressant and then come off? The withdrawal from that stuff is horrific. Help!!!! I am at my wits end.
Pamelajean, thank you for all of this info. I am sorry they found the Q80K. As you said, if the results are comparable to or BETTER then RBV with or without Interferon, it has to be the best choice! I will pray that you get the meds now without any wrenches!!! I will keep posting our journey, please do the same okay?
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However....I've decided to ask my hep dr to let me treat regardless. Results show a 15/20% less effectiveness with Solvadi/Olysio if positive with Q80K but as far as I can see from other (AbbVie) trials that makes them pretty much comparable. I'm dead set on not treating with RIBA much less inf.
I have appt tomorrow so will see what he says...