Heptimax questions! What do the numbers mean?

[DeborahLawrenceHale]

I finished my interferon and riboviran treatment November 2011. Looks like my doc kept forgetting to order after treatment tests. When I last saw him he said he was waiting for the Heptimax results. He's not in today so a nurse returned my call and gave me the results, but she didn't know what they meant. Does anyone?

The first number she gave me was 108,000 IU/ML. She said it said "high" next to it. (Sounds high!)

Then she gave me another number: 5.03 IU/ML.

Does anyone know what these numbers mean?

[Dee1956]

Hi you mentioned sugar problems, I have diabetes but when I am on Interferon my sugar is normal.  It is very odd, the first time I was advised to stop the Metformin, then I learned a little, the second time I stayed on Metformin which I think helped me.  There is a lot of discussion int eh archives regarding IR Resistance.  Before Metformin my VL was over 7M one month later it was 355K which I thought was a huge difference.  It is just anecdotal information.
Good luck

[uncledudeness]

Deb, i also relapsed one month post treatment, 3 months ago. it was my first round. i am going to start round 3 in august. i will be doing triple treatment; that is interferon, ribavirin and incivek. the last one is the new drug that was released last year, along with victrelis which is the other new drug. they are similar. i will be taking incivek for 12 weeks and continuing with the interferon and riba for 48 weeks. my liver specialist told me that if i can finish (i have a problem with anemia) my chances of clearing are 80%.

you should be seeing a liver specialist and not a PA. is there a teaching hospital around you? they usually have a good digestive diseases dept. with a liver specialist. good luck to you.

[DeborahLawrenceHale]

I gave them a little leeway about not knowing what was going on because the nurse who actually works for Clinton, the one I know (Amanda), had to go home because her child was sick. I wasn't expecting a call back until Monday because for some reason somebody told me he was out of town on vacation or something. So the woman who called me works in the "Digestive Health Department", but not directly with my docs. Then my doc, who isn't really a doctor anyway, called me yesterday (Friday).

I want to look for a gastroenterologist who is not associated with that clinic and who's actually a doctor. I don't think it had any effect on my treatment, but I'm already furious with the clinic and that particular department in particular. The next time will be my third attempt at treatment. I want a real doctor. Thanks for your advice. I agree.

We live in Spokane and our daughter, Alice, has gastroparesis with a gastric stimulator (I call it a pacemaker) placed in her abdomen as well as Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction and and she is trying to find a better gastroenterologist too. Not the same doc, but perhaps the same practice. The clinic recently sold themselves to a particular hospital, thus shaking up a lot of people and practies and patients.

Thanks everybody for your advice.

What would happen if I checked the "Add to watch list" that's right below this sentence (at least as I see it)? Thanks

[Idyllic]

Sorry to hear about your relapse. Once you get your thyroid under control perhaps you will be able to consider treating with one of the Protease Inhibitors (PI's). The treatment plan or SOC is a little complicated and involves weekly labs for the first couple of weeks. I am wondering if your current doc is up to the task. Plus it seems a little odd his nurse did not know how to interpret a standard HCV lab result. I had a similar experience and I found there was no way I was ever going to trust that particular doctor's office.

I don't want to freak you out and there is always another side to the story but since there is a possibility you may treat again maybe starting fresh with someone who has experience with the PI's might be the way to go.

[DeborahLawrenceHale]

I'm definitely talking to my doctor. I'm having a hyperthyroidism thing going on that my doc doesn't understand and then today my GE called to tell me that I have indeed relapsed. So I've got the Hep C to treat and I guess the new treatment is better. But we can't treat that until we get a handle on what's going on with my thyoid. And my blood sugar measurements have been weird. I've stopped taking insulin because I don't need it, but I still check my blood sugar a couple times a day.

Everyone is so helpful!!!!! I'm grateful for all the responses I've gotten.

[Dee1956]

Hi I am so very very sorry that you have relapsed, I did that and it was devastating.  On the other hand I would think that you need to talk to the doctor for the best information.
Dee

[DeborahLawrenceHale]

The only drugs they treated me with for the Hep C were Interferon and ribavirin. I don't remember taking anything else. Clinton said that if this didn't work there's something new out there. Do you know anything about it? Well, thanks again. Good night again.

[DeborahLawrenceHale]

Thanks! I've been so exhausted that I don't know what's up. Insomnia. I'll check back after a night's sleep -- or not. Thanks again.

[DeborahLawrenceHale]

I just posted a comment to myself. Accidentally. I'm too tired to try to figure out how to delete it. I'll check back when I wake up in the morning. Didn't mean to cause chaos. G'night!

[DeborahLawrenceHale]

oops! Anyway, the hyperthyroidism is another issue, but I'll think about it tomorrow (Oh! A little Scarlett O'Hara!) because I'm too exhausted to continue today.

Thanks for all your help. I really appreciate it. I shall return!! Thanks again and good night or morning -- whatever.

[DeborahLawrenceHale]

Genotype A1. I understand that's a hard one. I'm so confused about my blood tests and what was done when! I saw Clinton, the hepatologist who treated me. Well, he's really only a physician's assistant, not really a hepatologist, but that's his specialty at a major clinic here in Spokane, Washington. When I saw him last week he said, with a great deal of surprise, that all the tests hadn't been done. I'm a little annoyed that he dropped the ball on that one. I don't trust him now. And I had to call THEM to get the results. Frustrated and tired. I've had insomnia for some time.

Also, since December I've had hyperthyroidism. I

[Sentinel13]

Hi Deb, Yes, I know what these numbers mean.

108,000 is your viral load/concentration in the units specified (IU/ML). 5.03 expresses the 108,000 in logarithms (base 10). So, if you raised 10 to a power of 5.03 you would get 108,000 (or close to it due to rounding).

Are these are your 6-month post treatment viral load test results? If yes, what was your viral load test result at the completion of treatment? Cheers, GB