Weird liver test results

[Clay]

Well, I wrote a while ago. Ive had the rebetron and some peg.Didnt clear. I am 3a, under500k copies and 1-0 boipsy(2 years ago). Am on the lung TX list, so they want the virus clear. Did 2 months of immunosupression as a test. Virus went from400k to 11M, enzymes quintupled (ALT238, AST15?). 2 months later, I got a cold(bad for me) felt liver doing something, viral load went down to 40K copies, enzymes in half(twice normal) ALT113 ASt 69. Liver doc says it was a immunosuperssion driven clearance. the immune system comes back anf fights the virus. He wanted to put me on pegasys , buit I want to sell my business first, enough stress- What a roller coaster- Anyone have any such stories? Clay

[Clay]

BTW, "Goddam the pusher man"!-C

[Carolyn G]

Hey Clay,

Wow, you've definitely been going thru it, huh!?!  I haven't had experience of viral load fluctuation that you have ... kinda confused as to what treatments you've been thru up till now.

You're on a lung transplant list?  Have you been on cancer tx along with hep c tx?

I was just diagnosed Aug 2002 (geno 1a, biopsy 1-2, normal ALT's & AST's, viral load B4 tx 265k) Started Pegasys/Rebetol 1/31/03. -12 week bloodwork shows "Non-Detectible" - low WBC (but apparently not severe), normal RBC and platelets.  Right at same 12 wk time period, had oral surgery (for implant) -general anesthesia & pain meds 3 days ... then went into a depression (don't know if it is related or not). As soon as I noticed it, I went to a "real doc" /psychiatrist ... who's changing my anti-depressant meds - seems to be working, but Hep C doc just walked into room and said "We're taking you off tx".  Am REALLY angry ... DON'T want to quit now - especially since this is working! Will be calling around for other docs (will try to find a gastro now - made up a list yesterday ... was with Infectious Disease doc clinic - feel like unless I was HIV, was treated like this was no big deal).

Hope you can get yourself leveled out as much as possible ... soon ... so you can continue to fight this thing.

Hang in there ... thoughts and prayers for you and yours.

Sincerely,  Carolyn (cgammons@comcast.net)

[Shawn]

I sold my business recently (to my biz partner) - too much stress (as you said) I felt like it was getting in the way of my healing. If you're going to do that - don't use the time it takes to sell it as an excuse to procrastinate on treatment - if you jumped to 11 million copies at one time...that could not have been good for your liver - it takes longer to repair damaged/dead liver tissue than it does to kill off the virus, especially if the virus is still present. Plus if you're going to get a new lung then...you're going to need all your strength for that eventually.

I haven't had fluctuations like you're talking about, but I read about a guy on here "AL" who says on his blog that he jumped from 13 Mil to 140K by just changing his diet and taking a couple vitamins and herbs - the treatment should do the rest of the work. If you're down to 40K, you might want to think about striking while the iron's hot.

This has been my strategy - I walked into treatment with a count of 77K, geno 1b (damage 1-1), the doc said I probably didn't have to start treatment right then and could wait a year or two if I wanted. I told him no way - the best way to beat an opponent is to take him out while he's weakened, because you'll never know if you'll have such a great opportunity later. Then the odds jump tremendously in your favor.  According to a study I was reading - the Pegasys/Ribivirin will drop your count up to 90% the first month, then 90% each additional month - that will drop you to 4K in the first month and 400 in the second month and by the third month 40 - it sounds like your immune system is on a winning streak right now so you wouldn't think it would have too much trouble whipping 40 copies/ml on it's own?

Good luck
Shawn

[mrzoom]

Carolynn G, I'm confused...why would the Doctor terminate your RX if it was working and suppressing the virus???

mrzoom

[Carolyn G]

mrzoom -

Good question! -Said it was because of depression (even though as soon as I noticed it, I went to see psych ... and meds are being chg'd ... and working). - Really need to find doc who isn't afraid to work with Hep C, non-detectible, and actually honest bout sides ... and knows their body well enough to seek help quick if something seems "really wrong"! -I KNOW I'm not the only heppie experiencing depression!

Any suggestions (Florida West Coast)? -Willing to go out of town if need to!

Carolyn (cgammons@comcast.net)

[elizabethnv16]

carolyn, find a new doc