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Hep C Discussion Forum -> On Treatment -> Pre-treatment lab results and my "marching orders"
Post Info TOPIC: Pre-treatment lab results and my "marching orders"
Hep-C Dragon Slayer


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RE: Pre-treatment lab results and my "marching orders"
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I agree with Tig.  Go slay that Dragon.

 

In essence the docs PEP talk is this:

During the 12 weeks of treatment your blood test (either PCR or TMA)  results will come back as Detected or UND.  You may also get a VL number like less then 15 or greater then 15 during these test. From other HCVers results on the new tx, between week 2 and week 4 or 6, you may get the UND, if so start celebrating!!!!

Then once you hit week four after treatment ends, and the blood test is still UND then you will have hit SVR 4. 

They will probably run the PCR or TMA test on a monthly basis after treatment and you will tell us that you are SVR 8,  SVR 12 and then 3 months later another PCR or TMA test and you will achieve SVR 24.

As soon as I got my first UND, I started celebrating.

 

 

I have not turned a blind eye on HCV but achieving UND on day 20 and VL of less then 15 was the first step for me, I am mentally now onto the next disease which is to clear Sarcoids. 

Many thanks to the new tx drugs in clearing this dragon in such a short time with almost ZERO sx.

My liver doc has already given a date to my autoimmune doc (April 21 ) for which my liver should be able to handle the heavy dose of PREDNISONE !!!!!

 

 

 

 



__________________

GT 1A:  VL: 4,695,000, started treatment 1/6/13 with off label Sovaldi/Olysio/Riba     No Interferon due to Sarcoid  in liver and lungs.  Recent biopsy shows Cirrhosis level 5/6.  EOT 3/30/14. SVR 8 on 5/30/14
Tig


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Hi Kristen,

That's great news that your Rx was approved so quickly! I believe the shining light of this Sovaldi process has been Gilead's willingness to provide and honor their patient assistance program and coupon offer. Without those coupons, the insurance companies would be out huge amounts of money. This is a feather in Gilead's cap for sure! I hope they continue the program, as well as reducing the costs of their medication for those not fortunate enough to get in the coupon program. A $1000 dollars per day per pill is a staggering price to pay!

I think your lab results are actually quite good. Even your recent ALT elevation is still within normal limits. I believe those values and your low viral load do indicate minimal overall liver damage and an excellent probability of SVR success. I would be very encouraged and stay positive going forward! Now go slay that that Dragon!! Good luck....

Tig



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Tig

68yo GT1A - 5 Mil - A2/F3 - (1996) Intron A - Non Responder, (2013) Peg/Riba/Vic SOT:05/23/13 EOT:12/04/13 SVR 9+ years!

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Enavigo3891


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Happy Monday Everyone -

As some of you know I went to the doc on Thursday afternoon to start the process on treatment. The specialty pharm called me the next day to let me know the Riba went through and they were forwarding a form to the doc for pre-auth on the Sovaldi. They told me to expect a call back "next Wednesday". Well my PA called today, said he wanted to call personally as mine was the easiest auth he's had yet. He got a fax this morning from Express Scripts that Sovaldi has been approved. He said the SP is ordering (and handling the coupons) and I should hear from them w/in the next few days to arrange delivery or pick up of my meds (i can get them at the transplant center). 

I told him I will start Tuesday 2/11 (Monday possibly if I get home from the Billy Joel concert at a reasonable hour). He said that my 2 week blood draw will be at LabCorp as it's right up the street from my job and I can do it on a lunch break. He said that way I also get my own results quicker as they have an online portal? I haven't looked yet, he told me to check it out. I'll see him once per month unless something comes up on interim lab work. I forgot to ask him how often I'm getting lab work, I figured if it's every 2 weeks I'll be doing every other at the transplant center. Can you guys weigh in on that?

As I will be one week and 1 or 2 days behind LTChaos on this crazy carnival ride... I already told her I look forward to her updates!

And finally, for my pre-treatment lab results (the important ones per my PA - he read them to me over the phone so I don't have the full list) ... Viral load is not in yet so I'll have to update when that's in. I found labs from 12 years ago and pulled last years for comparison:

DATE:                     1/25/2002          2/10/2013            1/30/2014

VIRAL LOAD:           448,000               305,756               PENDING

HEMOGLOBIN:           ---                         13                        13

ALT:                          18                         20                         33

AST:                          25                         18                         21

VIT D:                        ---                        17                          40

 

So this is what the PA said ... my "pep talk" as he put it; feel free to chime in with your own experiences/research.  He said that the current viral load does not indicate potential success in achieving SVR so despite the fact he knows that I want to know it for my own records - it doesn't matter right now (compared to the big picture).  He said that in everything he has read on geno type 2 on this particular treatment, just about everyone goes undetected DURING treatment. He said he is aware that as I get labs back I will want to celebrate (he's not saying not to) but the big goal is the 24 weeks after that last pill - for each of those and the 24 week-er to still show UND. He said that he loves my odds - 30 yrs old, positive since birth, treatment naive and all labs within "normal" limits. He said that despite my ALT making a jump over last year and being at the top of normal, he's not concerned because in Dec/Jan I got bit by my cat, contracted pastueralla and spent 10 days on Augmentin 875/125 twice per day and then about 2 weeks after stopping that I got a nasty ear infection and did another 10 days on Amoxicillin 875mg twice per day. He believes that is what elevated it. So ... I've got my marching orders... I've got my meds approved... now I just wait for the call that they're ready to be picked up and request any last minute advice or suggestions from the wealth of knowledge available (thankfully) to us all on this forum.

 



__________________

Born HepC + in 1983 ... diagnosed @ age 13 ... GT2 ... 12 wks of Sovaldi/Riba from 2/11/14 to 5/5/14  #ribazombie

1/30/14 - Starting VL 1,922,967 * 3/11/14 - UND @ 4 wks * 7/29/14 - SVR12 * 11/6/14 - SVR24 * May 2015 - SVR52 * MAY 2016 - STILL UND * FEB 2018 - STILL UND

 
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