are swollen feet always bad news for sb with hep c?

[hope1315]

I read some things and got panicked!my sister with hep c suddenly has swollen feet for the last week while she didnt have such a problem b4 not even in summer...is this alws a bad sign of the liver state?i am really afraid...

also can you pls tell me what is the latest treatment you can take and which is the most successful for gen 1?

i'm sure these questions have been answered b4 but you would help me so much if you could give some info
thanks a lot

[hope1315]

thank you all for your answers and the courage you give me!you are all amazing people here!
lynn your answers were so enlightening!loads of thnx!
god bless you and take care of yourselves and the people you love!
i hope there were such forums in my country as well but still i'm lucky to know some english

[Dee1956]

Everyone has given you wonderful advice. I understand your sister not wanting to take the interferon. The good thing is she would not have to take it.  As Lynn said since it didn't work she could try one of the new shorter treatments.
She really needs to be seen by a doctor. My friend was experiencing swelling of the feet along with a lot of coughing and she found out it was her heart.
She changed her diet, was put on diuretics and is doing really well.

Before I treated my HCV 4 years ago I had slight swelling in the bottom of my feet.  That is now gone.

Good luck to you and your sister!

[hope1315]

thank you very much editor !the article about the new treatments is very helpful!
how long  ago was harvoni avaliable  to people in the US?
Does SVR remain after two yrs time?what are the statistics of relapsing?
do non-responders to previous txs take ribavirin as well?
pls answer if you know

[flyinlynn]

Hi Harvoni was appproved in the US in October 2014.

Yes SVR is the defination of cure. Most doctors are calling 12 weeks post treatment and not detected (SVR12) cured. I asked to be tested at one year post treatment because of my prior treatment history and cirrhosis and was still not detected so for me no further testing will be needed.

Once people achieve SVR 12 the odds of being permently cured are at 99.8%

There are essentiall no relapse once SVR 12 has been achieved. The odds of making SVR12 depend on prior treatment and severity of liver damage. My understanding my odds of cure with having treated 3 times previously with interferon based treatment  and having cirrhosis those odds were about 85%. For people with no liver damage and no prior treatment the odds of treating successfully are about 95%

What treatment is appropriate depends on your genotype and treatment history but there are many options that don't include ribavirin.

I was treated with Harvoni for 24 weeks but a normal length is 12 weeks. I discussed with my doctor about adding ribavirin to give my treatment a boost and she agreed so I did take ribavirin for 15 of those 24 weeks but I was not originally prescribed the rivavirin

Hope that helps

[MHEditor]

As flyinlynn mentions, things have changed A LOT with Hep C treatment in the past year or two. Hep C is curable, even if you've been treated before, and I'm sure these benefits extend to Europe as well. Get your sister to a specialist and have the swelling looked at and ask about Hep C treatment. Here is a guide to common treatments from MedHelp.org as well. It doesn't include Epclusa, the newest treatment, but side effects are on par with Harvoni and the manufacturer is the same.
http://www.medhelp.org/hepatitis-c/articles/Your-Guide-to-Common-Hepatitis-C-Treatments/2260

[hope1315]

thank you both for your answers!
the news for the new medicines are sooo great!
I 'll try to conveince my sis to go  to the Dr but its not easy since as i told before her psychological condition is no good .
i'll also try to find some info about new medicine and their cost in my country.
i really admire your courage and strength!
keep on being strong and i wish you all the best!

[flyinlynn]

I have some mild edema and mild ascities as a result of my liver cirrhosis for which I take a diuretic. I cured my hep c last year in May when I finished my 24 weeks of Harvoni treatment. However so far I have seen no improvement in the condition of my liver.

I was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis 9 years ago so maybe with more time I may also see a reduction of the symptoms of my liver disease.

[virt111]

After 35 years of having the virus, my feet suddenly began to swell. A manifestation of HepC can be Glomerulonephritis which causes inflammation in the kidneys and impairs their ability to perform their filtering capabilities.

This was my case. After I treated with Harvoni, and my subsequent SVR, the swelling went away. Removing the insult to the kidney was key.

I would strongly suggest consulting with a physician. There are simple tests to determine kidney troubles. Whenever the kidneys are involved there is a time component to prevent permanent damage.

Good luck

[hope1315]

thnxs a lot flyinlynn for your answer!
my sister is 48 now and has had hep c for about 30 yrs.
she had two treatments so far but not cured.
she had the last treatment with interferon 12yrs ago.
she had a very hard time during the treatment ,lost a lot of weight,anaemia,depression and her mental state got worse.she hasn,t seen adoc or had any tests since then.

now her feet are swallen and i don't know what to think.is this alawys a sign of cirrosis or is it another symptom of hep c???pls answer if you know anything

another problem is that in my country in Europe the new treatments for hep c are given for free only to people with fibrosis stage 3 or 4 or chirrosis.if your disease hasn't advanced they only give you the previous treatment with interferon which is out of the question for my sister.
the medicines are really expensive to buy aren't they?
sorry for the long text
pls answer  if you have any idea or information
thanx

[flyinlynn]

What you may be describing is edema

Edema is a swelling, usually of the legs, feet, and/or hands due to the accumulation of excessive fluid in the tissues. The edema that occurs in diseases of the heart, liver, and kidneys is mainly caused by salt retention, which holds the excess fluid in the body.

Your sister needs to see a doctor to have this symptom evaluated for what the underlying cause may be.

Hep c in general does not have symptoms although many people with chronic hep c do report being tired.

If it is related to liver damage that could make it much easier to get treatment.

I did 3 treatments with interferon in the past and had no response to treatment. I was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis (F4) with a liver biopsy in Jan 2008. I was treated and cured with Harvoni. I completed treatment in May 2015. I still have cirrhosis and take a duretic for edema which I developed in late 2008. But other than some edema and a low platelet count I am fine.

You sister needs to see a doctor and get evaluated get treated and get cured of hep c

I don't know what treatment costs in Europe as I am in the US my insurance paid for the cost of the medicine less $30 and Gilead pharmaceuticals covered the copay less $5 so I paid $5 for each refill.

I don't think they are prescribing interferon at all anymore in Europe for anyone and certainly not for someone who treated with interferon before as it would be a waste of time.

The new medicines can be just one pill a day for 12 weeks depending on her genotype and most people have little to no side effects cure rates are around 95%.

The only person who can answer your questions is a doctorplease get her to see a doctor and good luck to you both

[flyinlynn]

Is your sister seeing a doctor? Has the condition of her liver been evaluated?

There are many new meds to treat genotype 1 hep c

Some names are
Harvoni
Eclupsa
Viekira Pak

These new meds have about a 95% or better cure rate depending on prior treatment history and extent of liver damage. But even those like myself who have treated multiple times in the past and have advanced liver disease to include liver cirrhosis are being cured.

Your sister needs to get a referral to at least a infectious disease specialist. If she does have liver damage she should see either a gastroenterologist or better still a hepatologist (liver specialist) but whichever doctor she sees they should have experience in treating patients for hepatitis c.

Best to you both