To treat or not to treat, that is the question!

[truredhead]

I am so unsure about whether to treat the hep c with the interferon. I already received my first 3 months medicine from Roche. I have been reading so much about the side effects that is scares the heck out of me. All my blood tests are good so far as levels except the viral load is very high. I am a 1A geno, I do not drink and have been on methadone for 15 yrs. I have fibro and irritable bowel syndrome which seems to be better in last few months.My biopsy showed F1-F2, I am not sure when I aquired it, could have been a tattoo or former IV use. Just found out I had it year and half ago. Should I wait or treat? I just need some feedback I guess. My viral load was 24 million and that is the only bad thing I see on the blood tests. I know we addicts always expect the worse, but some of those sides never go away and I hate any mental probs starting, Its a wonder I am not goofy now! I sure you can tell how great I am at making decisions!

[jepperone]

Bill what was the purpose of your statement? I am curious at to why the statement was made in the context you have used. Do you have something to counter the statement made?

Thanks in advance…

[jepperone]

If you have been on methadone for 15 years and are cleared by the doctor to go forward with treatment then just go for it. You know how the methadone reacts with you and have done the research between the two so get on with it. Hey! your going to get you butt kicked just like the majority who have treated no doubt a bout it, it’s not a cake walk but it is going to relieve the stress on your liver. Even if you wait it is still just soc and a little turbo added and the side effects are the same with or with out. Good Luck with what you decide.

jep

[Rockerforlife]

"24,000,000 is very high and at that level you are at far greater risk of liver damage than someone with a count of 400,000 or so."

VL count has nothing to do with live damage.

[merryBe]

by blather I assume you mean the reference to methadone.

I have a spinal cord injury and had to research pain killers to find the most liver friendly ones.  Both tramadol and methadone are touted as liver friendly, but if you go to pubmed you'll find they truely are not. Their chemistry is similar.

the proof in the pudding was when I stopped the tramadol, my Alt/ast went down by 1/2.

I'll stick with the research....you may call it blather, but maybe you should do your own homework first.

YOUR remarks Bill are what are abusive here, I neither smoke, nor do I address that which I have not researched.

I am trying to save someone's liver not scare them, and not get them in a fix where they will be in trouble with their doctor and insurance for not using the treatment they have agreed to try.

[Rockerforlife]

I dont think merryme is trying to frighten anybody,she is just helping.

[Trinity4]

AD's can also be unfriendly to the liver but thank goodness we have them. The advise to take an AD is handed out like candy around here.
If methadone is keeping someone from relapsing back into IV drug addiction than thank goodness for methadone too.
You were on a cocktail of drugs most aren't on when treating and when you were questioned about it your reply was always I couldn't have treat without them so why is it different now. Just because your enzymes were high from whatever helper drugs you were taking doesn't mean everyone will be affected that way.  Have you read the many studies that show successful treatment while the patient is on methadone maintenance and there was no adverse effect on the liver.