This could be the result of treatment alone, and a number of other items as well. Before you get stressed out by reading too much into it, do as Huey suggested and see your doctor. Some simple diagnostic tests will be able to provide you with an accurate determination. It takes months for your lab values to recover, so don't read too much into your results at this early stage. Good luck!
Tig
When i was in the hosp. I was off the meds for three days, I was getting complete bloodwork done every two hours, The results shows a spike in my sugar right as the ATL's went down and it was right on the 28th hour since my last sovaldi, Sovaldi has a half life of 26 hours. and this spike happened even though i was under constant iv glucose control , You should never get a sugar spike in a state like this,The sugar went back down , a spike and drop just like at the start of tx.
Isiscat2011 said
Aug 18, 2014
Thanks, MOM. So far so good as my glucose levels are not getting worse and have improved a little bit. I feel hopeful that SVR plus my low glycemic diet will keep me off diabetes meds. If not taking Metformin wouldn't be the end of the world.
It can be a bit more complicated for cirrhotics to take medications, and I am hyper-sensitive to all meds, so I'm trying to avoid it. I was terribly conflicted about whether to begin taking Metformin because it was my PCPs first choice for how to manage this and I would normally defer to his medical judgment. Since he later said I can wait, and we will continue to monitor it, I feel better about my decision.
Pre-diabetes is when your glucose levels are consistently higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetic. Here is some good information about the diagnostic tests used: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diagnosis/
Yes, your doc can perform a physical exam and do blood work to determine if your thyroid is misbehaving. Might as well check it out. I would schedule a full physical exam (so doc has plenty of time) and let him/her do the works.
Tig said
Aug 18, 2014
Hey MoM,
I would follow Malcolm's recommendation. It can take several months for your lab values to return to "normal". I watched things fluctuate for 6 months after EOT. Don't spend too much time searching the Internet for explanations, it can keep you awake at night and serves to confuse more people than it calms. As your body clears these medications, you'll notice fluctuations in many values, so expect these changes to occur and allow your doctor to do the doctoring! You've done your job and now you need to relax and let your body recover. It has just been subjected to a round house punch and it knocked everything silly! In a few months things will improve and you'll be back on top! Hang in there!
Tig
mindovermatter said
Aug 18, 2014
Thanks Mallani,
I saw your post, after posting my reply to Isiscat, tig and Huey. Thanks.
Yes, the internet is a dangerous place to be. I will stay of the internet now.
Thanks.
mindovermatter said
Aug 18, 2014
Thank you Huey, Tig and Isiscat.
Isiscat, sorry to hear that. But what is pre-diabetes? Hopefully, low glycemic diet is working for you
Huey, thanks for showing the graph. How are you doing now? Are your glucose levels normal now?
@Tig, I did a cbc 1 and a half month after treatment. My lymphocytes were at 19% (normal is 20-40%). while neutrophils were at 74%(normal). WBC was at 7.1 During treatment WBC was as low as 3. But the lymphocyte percentage was always between 30 to 40%. Is this normal after treatment? On an average, how much time does it take for CBC to stabilize?
Also, do you suggest that I get checked out for thyroid? Apparently the treatment is known to throw that out of gear as well.
Please advise
mallani said
Aug 18, 2014
Hi MOM,
Don't get too excited by something as trivial as 'Terry's nails'. Get your fasting blood sugar and Insulin done if you're worried about diabetes. A GTT will be ordered if these are borderline. Too much internet research!
Isiscat2011 said
Aug 18, 2014
Hi mindovermatter:
Both the HCV virus and Interferon therapy have been linked to diabetes. Interferon therapy is thought to "trigger" diabetes is some patients. My glucose readings were always normal before tx. During tx they became elevated placing me in the "pre-diabetes" range. Post treatment my glucose levels remained high and I was considered "prediabetic."
I was diagnosed with full on type II diabetes several months ago. I am attempting to control this without meds via a low glycemic diet (I am not overweight, btw). My PCP has agreed to let me continue this approach since my glucose and AC1 readings are now back on the cusp of pre-diabetes and diabetes. We are going to reconsider whether I should take diabetes meds after tx. (He is a big fan of Metformin which does appear to be a good diabetes drug.) I am hoping that SVR will stabilize my glucose as that has been known to happen.
The only way to know for sure how your glucose levels are doing is through blood tests. Interferon can cause or trigger many conditions including the ones you listed. Talk to your doctor.
Tig said
Aug 18, 2014
This could be the result of treatment alone, and a number of other items as well. Before you get stressed out by reading too much into it, do as Huey suggested and see your doctor. Some simple diagnostic tests will be able to provide you with an accurate determination. It takes months for your lab values to recover, so don't read too much into your results at this early stage. Good luck!
Tig
Huey said
Aug 18, 2014
insulin resistance is well documented among all geno-types however us geno 3's are different in one unique way, The insulin resistance goes to the point of hypoglycemia. Thus we feel it more. It is most likely the drugs kicking in, you need to have this checked by a doctor if it keeps up for more than four or five weeks. What should happen is it will spike, then drop, here is mine from my 24 week Tx.
This spike also happens at the end of treatment as the virus stands on it's feet and our body takes over knocking it back down"hopefully" then it drops, but on a smaller scale.
-- Edited by Huey on Monday 18th of August 2014 05:51:45 PM
-- Edited by Huey on Monday 18th of August 2014 05:58:16 PM
It has been 9 and a half weeks after completion of my 24 week interferon and ribavarin therapy for GT 3.
Today I noticed that my nails were half pink and half white (white at the base). I have researched on the internet and this is mentioned as Terrys's nails. Amongst other things, it could be a symptom of diabetes, liver cirrhosis, kidney failure and hypothroidism.
I am wondering if I acquired diabetes from the treatment. I do not have any other symptoms. However my nails were normal during treatment.
My lymphocytes were 1.9 two months after treatment ended.I am worried.
Although I have gained 3-4 pounds after treatment.
When i was in the hosp. I was off the meds for three days, I was getting complete bloodwork done every two hours, The results shows a spike in my sugar right as the ATL's went down and it was right on the 28th hour since my last sovaldi, Sovaldi has a half life of 26 hours. and this spike happened even though i was under constant iv glucose control , You should never get a sugar spike in a state like this,The sugar went back down , a spike and drop just like at the start of tx.
Thanks, MOM. So far so good as my glucose levels are not getting worse and have improved a little bit. I feel hopeful that SVR plus my low glycemic diet will keep me off diabetes meds. If not taking Metformin wouldn't be the end of the world.
It can be a bit more complicated for cirrhotics to take medications, and I am hyper-sensitive to all meds, so I'm trying to avoid it. I was terribly conflicted about whether to begin taking Metformin because it was my PCPs first choice for how to manage this and I would normally defer to his medical judgment. Since he later said I can wait, and we will continue to monitor it, I feel better about my decision.
Pre-diabetes is when your glucose levels are consistently higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetic. Here is some good information about the diagnostic tests used: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diagnosis/
Yes, your doc can perform a physical exam and do blood work to determine if your thyroid is misbehaving. Might as well check it out. I would schedule a full physical exam (so doc has plenty of time) and let him/her do the works.
Hey MoM,
I would follow Malcolm's recommendation. It can take several months for your lab values to return to "normal". I watched things fluctuate for 6 months after EOT. Don't spend too much time searching the Internet for explanations, it can keep you awake at night and serves to confuse more people than it calms. As your body clears these medications, you'll notice fluctuations in many values, so expect these changes to occur and allow your doctor to do the doctoring! You've done your job and now you need to relax and let your body recover. It has just been subjected to a round house punch and it knocked everything silly! In a few months things will improve and you'll be back on top! Hang in there!
Tig
Thanks Mallani,
I saw your post, after posting my reply to Isiscat, tig and Huey. Thanks.
Yes, the internet is a dangerous place to be. I will stay of the internet now.
Thanks.
Thank you Huey, Tig and Isiscat.
Isiscat, sorry to hear that. But what is pre-diabetes? Hopefully, low glycemic diet is working for you
Huey, thanks for showing the graph. How are you doing now? Are your glucose levels normal now?
@Tig, I did a cbc 1 and a half month after treatment. My lymphocytes were at 19% (normal is 20-40%). while neutrophils were at 74%(normal). WBC was at 7.1 During treatment WBC was as low as 3. But the lymphocyte percentage was always between 30 to 40%. Is this normal after treatment? On an average, how much time does it take for CBC to stabilize?
Also, do you suggest that I get checked out for thyroid? Apparently the treatment is known to throw that out of gear as well.
Please advise
Hi MOM,
Don't get too excited by something as trivial as 'Terry's nails'. Get your fasting blood sugar and Insulin done if you're worried about diabetes. A GTT will be ordered if these are borderline. Too much internet research!
Hi mindovermatter:
Both the HCV virus and Interferon therapy have been linked to diabetes. Interferon therapy is thought to "trigger" diabetes is some patients. My glucose readings were always normal before tx. During tx they became elevated placing me in the "pre-diabetes" range. Post treatment my glucose levels remained high and I was considered "prediabetic."
I was diagnosed with full on type II diabetes several months ago. I am attempting to control this without meds via a low glycemic diet (I am not overweight, btw). My PCP has agreed to let me continue this approach since my glucose and AC1 readings are now back on the cusp of pre-diabetes and diabetes. We are going to reconsider whether I should take diabetes meds after tx. (He is a big fan of Metformin which does appear to be a good diabetes drug.) I am hoping that SVR will stabilize my glucose as that has been known to happen.
The only way to know for sure how your glucose levels are doing is through blood tests. Interferon can cause or trigger many conditions including the ones you listed. Talk to your doctor.
This could be the result of treatment alone, and a number of other items as well. Before you get stressed out by reading too much into it, do as Huey suggested and see your doctor. Some simple diagnostic tests will be able to provide you with an accurate determination. It takes months for your lab values to recover, so don't read too much into your results at this early stage. Good luck!
Tig
insulin resistance is well documented among all geno-types however us geno 3's are different in one unique way, The insulin resistance goes to the point of hypoglycemia. Thus we feel it more. It is most likely the drugs kicking in, you need to have this checked by a doctor if it keeps up for more than four or five weeks. What should happen is it will spike, then drop, here is mine from my 24 week Tx.
This spike also happens at the end of treatment as the virus stands on it's feet and our body takes over knocking it back down"hopefully" then it drops, but on a smaller scale.
-- Edited by Huey on Monday 18th of August 2014 05:51:45 PM
-- Edited by Huey on Monday 18th of August 2014 05:58:16 PM
Dear All,
It has been 9 and a half weeks after completion of my 24 week interferon and ribavarin therapy for GT 3.
Today I noticed that my nails were half pink and half white (white at the base). I have researched on the internet and this is mentioned as Terrys's nails. Amongst other things, it could be a symptom of diabetes, liver cirrhosis, kidney failure and hypothroidism.
I am wondering if I acquired diabetes from the treatment. I do not have any other symptoms. However my nails were normal during treatment.
My lymphocytes were 1.9 two months after treatment ended.I am worried.
Although I have gained 3-4 pounds after treatment.
Would someone shed some light.