Hep C Discussion Forum

I've had 3 biopsies. The first was a 3 my last two were a 2, it's because my first time on treatment my liver began to heal.

However, even when I was a 3, I never ever had my ast and alt show high, nor ever. You can't always judge by ast, and alt, or even viral count. Only a biopsy can show the true amount of damage. Because my bloods had never ben off, they were shocked when my biopsy was a 3.

And I have heard on other forums, of someone helping someone else out when their shipment didn't come on time.

Rather than flush it, give it to your hepotologist, they can see that a person who needs it gets it.

I talked to mine last week, and am donating my procrit to him to help his patients that can't afford it. He was extremely grateful that I was willing to do so. He said many times, he has given the shot to someone that needed it, and they are expensive! Many times he gives them the shot there and then, and then their insurance refuses to pay for it, and he is unable to give them anymore, and my meds could mean the difference of someone staying on treatment or not.

So sorry but I have to disagree about flushing it. My hep said to donate it to his office.

Thanks and I guess your negative also now? I guess things change as I did have the liver biopsy before the TX started and if I remember right it was a 3. I was like a Geno 1A and my treatment was for 11 months or 48 weeks.

Having been a EMT/paramedic since 1972, we would just jumped in on many very bloody accidents, shooting, suicides and it never entered our mind that there was a risk. I could of easily got HIV/Aides which was a death sentence anytime pre 1990. The only thing that was checked at the time is the ER would test for tuberculosis and if a patient we transported was positive we would need to  get tested to see if it was transmitted. Who knows what kind of risk we may be taking now and are unaware until many years later we look back and think, Wow that was crazy. I a fireman also and wearing breathing devices while in a structure was optional and many of the older fireman would not wear a breathing device. In the 60's while in high school drinking and driving was just normal, nobody even thought twice about. Enough of the stories. I will take the left over meds to an emergency room and let them dispose of them properly.

Jim or Miniestate

Hi again Mini.

If your alt and ast are normalized, I don't know what a biopsy would tell you.  I'll bet your doc wouldn't want to do an invasive procedure like that. 

It is used pre tx to determine if there is cirrhosis, which can change the length of treatment, for early responders, from 24 to 48 weeks (for 3-drug tx, geno 1, )

Also, the liver can heal some, especially the grade (level of inflammation) vesus the stage (amount of scarring).

My gastro had me taking an interesting drug before I even started TX , for collitis, called sulfasalazine.  Well, interestingly enough, it has been shown in some (small) studies to actually help remove liver scar tissue:

http://www.indetails.com/297/fatty-liver-disease-treatment/

Lastly, you could retest for v/l, but odds are so good, they dont usually do it (although when I get to that point, I bet I'll want to get one too ;)  Plus, your general liver function test would most likely show elevated alt/ast.

And again, congrats on clearing.

Brad

Geno 1a, und @ wks 4 and 8. Awaiting wk 12 results)

While it would be nice if we could pass things like this on to others, the risk is too great. But a good thought.

LOL, while I know "just flush this stuff" is only an expression. Please don't flush it, rather dispose of it in a safe manner. The best is to dissolve it in an old ketchup bottle and get it into a waste system that incinerates, rather then uses a landfill.