Aa
Week 12 Viral Load.....
Hi Everyone! Been a while, but I am hanging in there!
Well, just got results back from week 12 viral test and now at 122, 299 which is down from where I began at 14,800,000. So I have dropped 2 log..... I am assumming that this is good news. I would love to be undetected, but.... My doctor is retesting after 4 more shots..... Is this normal? From what I have read so far is that one needs 'undetected' or drop 2 logs at week 12 to continue.... Since I would be considered as 'partial' then I will continue until 24 weeks.... and viral load tested once more?????
Has anyone experienced the same? If so, what steps did your doctor take?
I am meeting with my doc on the 27th, and I just want to understand what I have read is the norm or not......because I feel that 7 additional shots (total 24) could impact the results of viral detection especially if one has met requirements at week 12 to continue...
Thanks for any suggestions or advice!!!!
Whit
Well, just got results back from week 12 viral test and now at 122, 299 which is down from where I began at 14,800,000. So I have dropped 2 log..... I am assumming that this is good news. I would love to be undetected, but.... My doctor is retesting after 4 more shots..... Is this normal? From what I have read so far is that one needs 'undetected' or drop 2 logs at week 12 to continue.... Since I would be considered as 'partial' then I will continue until 24 weeks.... and viral load tested once more?????
Has anyone experienced the same? If so, what steps did your doctor take?
I am meeting with my doc on the 27th, and I just want to understand what I have read is the norm or not......because I feel that 7 additional shots (total 24) could impact the results of viral detection especially if one has met requirements at week 12 to continue...
Thanks for any suggestions or advice!!!!
Whit
Thank you everyone! I definitely understand and weighing the options can agree.
I was diagnosed back in sept 2010. We did do a biopsy whch came back grade 2, stage 2..... Both my mom and I rrceieved tattoos in 1997. She wasdiagnosed in 1999 and in 2000 I was also tested to reflect I had been exposed. No further test until last year. Therefore morethan likely I have had this for approx 13 years. I am young and healthy, with good job and insurance, And no family to take care of, therefore decided that now I was in a stable position to move froward with hopes and prayers that tx would be a success!
Yes, I definitely agree with you all ..... 48 weeks of tx is LONG enough for me! And Anything less would be a blessing!
I will keep you all posted!
Whit AKA Sunshine :-)
I was diagnosed back in sept 2010. We did do a biopsy whch came back grade 2, stage 2..... Both my mom and I rrceieved tattoos in 1997. She wasdiagnosed in 1999 and in 2000 I was also tested to reflect I had been exposed. No further test until last year. Therefore morethan likely I have had this for approx 13 years. I am young and healthy, with good job and insurance, And no family to take care of, therefore decided that now I was in a stable position to move froward with hopes and prayers that tx would be a success!
Yes, I definitely agree with you all ..... 48 weeks of tx is LONG enough for me! And Anything less would be a blessing!
I will keep you all posted!
Whit AKA Sunshine :-)
Sunshine / Whit,
I want you to understand that there is no reason to *rush* into treatment after a diagnosis of Hep C. Some doctors tend to do that - go immediately from diagnosis to treatment - I don't know if your doc is one of those. There is no reason to rush it unless your condition warrants it and that's not viral load, it's extent of liver damage. So please don't be too concerned that this didn't work this round - some docs might have suggested that you wait to do treatment in the first place until the newer more effective drugs come out.
Have you had a biopsy or know extent of liver damage? If you stop treatment, you'll simply need to monitor that with blood work and also a biopsy every few years approximately until you are ready to treat again and in the meantime you can take a breather and educate yourself on what your options are.
Good luck with this.
Trish
I want you to understand that there is no reason to *rush* into treatment after a diagnosis of Hep C. Some doctors tend to do that - go immediately from diagnosis to treatment - I don't know if your doc is one of those. There is no reason to rush it unless your condition warrants it and that's not viral load, it's extent of liver damage. So please don't be too concerned that this didn't work this round - some docs might have suggested that you wait to do treatment in the first place until the newer more effective drugs come out.
Have you had a biopsy or know extent of liver damage? If you stop treatment, you'll simply need to monitor that with blood work and also a biopsy every few years approximately until you are ready to treat again and in the meantime you can take a breather and educate yourself on what your options are.
Good luck with this.
Trish
Hi sunshine,
I am sorry for the disappointing response, I know this must be difficult for you. The PIs will very likely be much more effective for you. I agree that you should stop and wait for the new drugs rather then put your body through more tx with little chance of success.
Good Luckl,
Dave
I am sorry for the disappointing response, I know this must be difficult for you. The PIs will very likely be much more effective for you. I agree that you should stop and wait for the new drugs rather then put your body through more tx with little chance of success.
Good Luckl,
Dave
Looking back and having done 72 weeks because I was not UND at 12 wks I feel I should have discontinued treatment at that point. My viral was 798 at 12 weeks which means I probably cleared within the following 2 weeks and stayed that way right to the end. My response was slow which lowered the odds of SVR and that held true in the end because I relapsed. I think for any possible chance of SVR you would have to extend but you would be going into it with around a 30% or less chance of achieving SVR. You may be one of the lucky ones and get that SVR. I sure hope so. If I knew then what I know now I would have stopped and waited for the PI's.
Trinity
Trinity
Not really wanting to be the bad guy here but just having a 2 log drop by week 12 is not that great and kinda outdated. While all is not lost if you do get und and extend tx to 72 weeks (guessing you are a geno 1?) People have still made it to SVR although the odds are not that great.
Your results sound like my first tx, just did have the 2 log drop by week 12, went on to do 86 weeks of tx and relapsed...... But the good news is i retreated with one of the PI"s and now i'm SVR.
If at your 16 week pcr your still not und i would talk to the doctor about waiting and re-treating when the new drugs come out......... Sorry to sound like a downer here but hate to see you go thru all this with these odds and new drugs that should be out later this year.... Really do wish you the very best.
cando
Your results sound like my first tx, just did have the 2 log drop by week 12, went on to do 86 weeks of tx and relapsed...... But the good news is i retreated with one of the PI"s and now i'm SVR.
If at your 16 week pcr your still not und i would talk to the doctor about waiting and re-treating when the new drugs come out......... Sorry to sound like a downer here but hate to see you go thru all this with these odds and new drugs that should be out later this year.... Really do wish you the very best.
cando
Hi Whit,
First the sort of bad news and then the good news - so hang in there with me to the good stuff, okay? :)
Current school of thought on a 2 log drop at 12 weeks is that you would need to extend to 72 weeks to have a reasonable chance at clearing the virus. It would really be recommended at this point that you stop treatment - that might sound like a bit of a blow and I'm sorry on that - however that's NOT as bad as it might sound.
I read your profile and you were diagnosed only a month ago and you are 30 years old. I would guess your liver damage is not very far advanced at all? Have you had a biopsy? You're in the best part of life to be able to wait for a good amount of time. You're at least ten to fifteen years ahead of the point in time - around 45 years old - where a woman's risk factors for clearing the virus start to increase. Combine that with what I would guess is very minimal liver damage, you're in the enviable position of having time to wait and there are some very promising new drugs coming into the market in the next couple of years (more likely sooner than that) and other promising drugs coming along behind them that will shorten treatment time and promise much higher chances of SVR - cure.
So you have put in 12 weeks to find out that these current drugs aren't necessarily the best for you. And you are in the enviable position of having the right combination of factors that says you have time to wait. And you will likely be able to treat with drugs that allow you to do treatment for potentially half the time and with much higher chance of success.
Would be nice to get rid of the Hep C NOW I'm sure. It will happen and with shorter treatment times, higher chance of success for you. Hope that helps to balance out any disappointment you might feel that this first go at it didn't quite work out.
Trish
First the sort of bad news and then the good news - so hang in there with me to the good stuff, okay? :)
Current school of thought on a 2 log drop at 12 weeks is that you would need to extend to 72 weeks to have a reasonable chance at clearing the virus. It would really be recommended at this point that you stop treatment - that might sound like a bit of a blow and I'm sorry on that - however that's NOT as bad as it might sound.
I read your profile and you were diagnosed only a month ago and you are 30 years old. I would guess your liver damage is not very far advanced at all? Have you had a biopsy? You're in the best part of life to be able to wait for a good amount of time. You're at least ten to fifteen years ahead of the point in time - around 45 years old - where a woman's risk factors for clearing the virus start to increase. Combine that with what I would guess is very minimal liver damage, you're in the enviable position of having time to wait and there are some very promising new drugs coming into the market in the next couple of years (more likely sooner than that) and other promising drugs coming along behind them that will shorten treatment time and promise much higher chances of SVR - cure.
So you have put in 12 weeks to find out that these current drugs aren't necessarily the best for you. And you are in the enviable position of having the right combination of factors that says you have time to wait. And you will likely be able to treat with drugs that allow you to do treatment for potentially half the time and with much higher chance of success.
Would be nice to get rid of the Hep C NOW I'm sure. It will happen and with shorter treatment times, higher chance of success for you. Hope that helps to balance out any disappointment you might feel that this first go at it didn't quite work out.
Trish
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