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Hep C Discussion Forum -> On Treatment -> Viekira Pak-side effects unknown?
Post Info TOPIC: Viekira Pak-side effects unknown?
bubble


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RE: Viekira Pak-side effects unknown?
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Welcome 203412 !  Dont work to hard for em. Good luck for your SVR. Stay in touch.



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60 yrs. Geno1b 2001. 9mil. VL. �Failed Post Riba/Peg tx. 2006 46 weeks. Diagnosed 1A 2015(?) F3 fibr. 225k VL. Vikera/Riba 12 weeks 3/20/2015. "Undetected" start to finish. Undetected 1yr post tx.
lonewolf


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Hi to you bubble! Love that name. Looks like you started treatment around my time as well. I had this weird rash on my knuckles starting about week 2 so its funny you should mention hands. Not bad though and is going away. I think most of my side-effects are because of my job which will end on Apr. 10th because I quit. LOL I've worked for this huge Auto trim manufacturer about a year now. Hot and nasty work made for young people not a 55 yr. old. I love the people there but the management treats you like your a number and not a name. I am number 203412. LOL. I was going to quit anyway. I want to work for a small company on first shift like I always have in the past. Never had a problem finding work. Sounds to me like we are all on our way to being Hep C free.  My Dr. told me 2 years ago these new drugs were on the way and now he tells me even more are on the way. He oughta know. He's the head infectious disease specialist for the VA in the state of Michigan. Good luck and hope to hear more from you!

#203412 signing out. Need to get ready for work. I think I'll leave early today. What are they going to do, fire me?  Take care_Greg



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55 yo male-Genotype 1A  Started treatment 3-5-15 Viekira Pak+Ribavirin 12 weeks. Less than stage 1 fibrosis.  Previously treatment naïve. VL- SOT-21.8 million/ml  Log 10IU/ml-7.34, VL-4wks-UND, VL-7wks-UND

Greg
bubble


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Hi !   By all means get to the gym. I find eating more than increased  water intake helps after taking it. No sleep problems, no head ache, some Riba moments but.......it's only 12 weeks, not 48 !  My hands get red when I have a bowel movement....Lol.  My nurse says the Riba increases it's effectiveness with the other drugs . They must all be in sync that's why it cures I figure. I am 1a too. 1st week on.



__________________

60 yrs. Geno1b 2001. 9mil. VL. �Failed Post Riba/Peg tx. 2006 46 weeks. Diagnosed 1A 2015(?) F3 fibr. 225k VL. Vikera/Riba 12 weeks 3/20/2015. "Undetected" start to finish. Undetected 1yr post tx.
lonewolf


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Your very welcome. I should have been more specific. I think the fat issue has to do with the Ritonavir component of Viekira Pak. Ritonavir is not new and has been used for years to "boost" the effects of HIV anti-virals. Without getting all technical its like grapefruit juice only stronger and boosts the levels of many drugs which accounts for the majority of the drug interactions listed for Viekira Pak. Now abbvie is using it to boost the plasma levels and effectiveness of Paritaprevir which is one of the three new anti-virals in Viekira Pak. It is known to cause increases in lipid panels of both cholesterol and triglycerides . What I've read says that these effects go away upon dis-continuation of Ritonavir. So I think we'll both be just fine and here's to wishing anyone on Viekira Pak a swift SVR. For the last 3 months I've been studying Harvoni but when my Dr. saw a VL of 21.8 million he decided to go with a different approach. We should finish around the same time. Your 1b and as you may know, Viekira Pak in clinical trials is extremely effective alone for 1b. Good luck!



__________________

55 yo male-Genotype 1A  Started treatment 3-5-15 Viekira Pak+Ribavirin 12 weeks. Less than stage 1 fibrosis.  Previously treatment naïve. VL- SOT-21.8 million/ml  Log 10IU/ml-7.34, VL-4wks-UND, VL-7wks-UND

Greg
zavr


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Thank you so much for clarifying!

 

That is interesting, and a little scary that the sides don't correspond across the manufacturer and the VA. Yikes! 



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Gen 1b, 33yo. Started 12wk Viekira Pak on 2/28/2015. 

Baseline: VL=517K, AST=34, ALT=56. 

Wk4: VL=<15, AST=16, ALT=14.

Wk8: VL=UND, AST=17, ALT=14.

Wk12: VL=UND, Fibroscan: 3.4kPa, F0.

--->Viekira Pak financial and nurse support<---
lonewolf


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Actually, I get it straight from the veteran's administration so I believe it is a print-out from the federal government and not the manufacturer. It is like the kind you would receive from a pharmacy with my name, address and so forth at the top. Not really a package insert but a VA pharmacy print-out. It also states, "This product can commonly cause a rash that is usually not serious. However, you may not be able to tell it apart from a more serious rash that may be life threatening." This is on the Viekera Pak and separate from the one I get that comes with the Ribavirin. Not trying to scare anyone here. I'm just making an observation and typing exactly what's stated on this particular patient information print-out. I should have been more specific on that. I didn't see these listed on the manufacturers package insert either. I had to google that one.



-- Edited by lonewolf on Thursday 2nd of April 2015 05:32:06 AM

__________________

55 yo male-Genotype 1A  Started treatment 3-5-15 Viekira Pak+Ribavirin 12 weeks. Less than stage 1 fibrosis.  Previously treatment naïve. VL- SOT-21.8 million/ml  Log 10IU/ml-7.34, VL-4wks-UND, VL-7wks-UND

Greg
zavr


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I am also on package #2, week #5. I just dug up the patient insert from the 2nd package, and the side effects read: "nausea, itching, sleep problems." This is on page 3 of the insert from ACCREDO. Could you tell me which section the "changes in fat" is located in? I might have just missed it.

I got the same information on my 1st shipment as well. Yours was left blank? How strange!! That might have been a mistake on their part! (FDA approved medications should provide information on side effects).



__________________

Gen 1b, 33yo. Started 12wk Viekira Pak on 2/28/2015. 

Baseline: VL=517K, AST=34, ALT=56. 

Wk4: VL=<15, AST=16, ALT=14.

Wk8: VL=UND, AST=17, ALT=14.

Wk12: VL=UND, Fibroscan: 3.4kPa, F0.

--->Viekira Pak financial and nurse support<---
lonewolf


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I just picked up my next 2 week supply of Viekira Pak, starting on week 5 now. I see that now it has a patient information leaflet that was previously left blank. I guess because its so new none was available. I see one side-effect listed that's very interesting. "Changes in body fat may occur while you are taking this product (such as increased fat in the upper back and stomach areas, decreased fat in the arms and legs). The cause and long-term effects of these changes are unknown." I suspect these brand new drugs could cause any number of side-effects, both known and unknown. Not that I'm trying to discourage anyone from taking it. I know I won't stop unless my Dr. tells me to. So its always a gamble to take multiple brand new drugs that were given break-through status and hurriedly approved by the FDA. The side-effects of HCV are well known so I'll keep popping these new drugs. I believe I'm going to start some weight lifting though.



__________________

55 yo male-Genotype 1A  Started treatment 3-5-15 Viekira Pak+Ribavirin 12 weeks. Less than stage 1 fibrosis.  Previously treatment naïve. VL- SOT-21.8 million/ml  Log 10IU/ml-7.34, VL-4wks-UND, VL-7wks-UND

Greg
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