Hep C Discussion Forum

thanks for your input guys. I have removed that sentence from my thread. My viral load was taken on 01/08/16 so still dont know results.

I will post again after I have seen the specialist on Thursday to run by you her opinion on the ascites and fluid intake. She should have the abdominal ultra sound and another blood test to look at on Thursday too. 

With regard to the depression - I think I have suffered from it my whole life which of course leads to risk taking behaviour and lots of other problems. I only used intravenous drugs for about three months in 1969 on a weekend to weekend basis, but one needle was enough.  I am currently taking a pretty effective anti depressant - at least it had been until my cirrhosis diagnosis. I'm not sure whether it was a sign that my liver was no longer processing drugs in the normal way or whether I was forced to confront something i had been basically in denial about since my official diagnosis in 1994. I had a full time job, was a single mother and my youngest child was two. I couldnt die. I also was a teacher in a very conservative middle class school and I couldn't deal with the shame and the stigma, in my own head, let alone in public.

So even before I went on Ribavirun I wasn't in a jolly place. But it probably has got a bit Worse since I began treatment. I just don't want to go outside. It doesn't make sense when I am so frightened of dying but only half living the life I have been given.

sorry, that turned into a bit of a prolonged emotional spew. I have just watched Ricky Gervais' monologue at the Golden Globes which made me laugh a lot. And thinking too about David Bowie and how much he did for all of us with his brave creativity.

thanks for taking the time to help me.

Syd. 

Hi again Syd.

 I was looking over your previous post and a memory came to mind from my experience. It is that you should limit your dietary sodium intake to no more than 2 grams per day, which can have a big effect on treating / managing your ascites fluid issue. I haven't thought about it until now but I want to be sure that you have discussed this with your doctor and are aware of it. As Tig56 explained you are responding well to treatment. But you have some concerns that your doctor is obviously monitoring closely if you have an appointment with her on Thursday. So please let us know how that visit goes.

 You've mentioned a couple of times already about feeling "alone" and being "depressed". These feelings are very familiar to me and many others who have taken Ribavirin. It was the most significant Sx for me last year during my 24wk Sov/Ribavirin Tx. Some of our members, including myself, were prescribed anti depressant medication to adjust to this better. I would suggest making sure you mention this to your doctor Thursday. It is a known common Sx of Ribavirin and if your doctor can help you with it then your Tx road will be a bit smoother. 

 And know that nobody is alone in this group. If you get lonely and just want someone to talk to then you are welcome to start a new thread in any appropriate section at any time, with whatever subject is on your mind. If you get depressed and need a smile on your face then Brownie and a few other of our 'clown' members can likely accomplish that in the Share A Daily Funny! thread.

Hang in there Syd. Success is in your future - You'll get there, one step at a time.

Hi Syd,

Sorry for the confusion regarding your post placement. We like to keep the threads on topic when started by a member seeking personal information. Like this thread, it's yours and will always reference your information unless you choose to include others in it. You (and us) will be able to refer to it for info if needed. It saves a lot of looking sometimes.

Your newest results are much improved! You still have several items that are high though and I'm sure your doctor will address them with you next visit. We'll try to provide knowledgeable opinions but we don't diagnose. When possible, we try to point out things so you can discuss them with your healthcare team. 

The liver function tests are so much better. The AST, ALT, and ALP are values we watch most often. As you can see your previous tests were very high and are now just slightly over high normal. Compared to what they were, your newest results are great! We see this happen to everyone once they start treatment. The liver releases these enzymes when it's in distress and they are generally the results that doctors first notice are elevated that prompts them to test for HCV. As the drug (Harvoni) begins it's attack on the virus, the first sign that it's working will be a reduction in those values. You should be very pleased to see them dropping rapidly! There are results that represent kidney and liver function, so tests like the Creatinine, Urea, GFR can represent things affecting both systems and since you've got other health concerns you are working on, your doctor will have a better understanding of why they are elevated.

When you have labwork done at different labs, be sure to pick up a reference sheet explaining their high and low ranges of normal. Different labs can and do vary, so be sure to get that information. If possible, try to have the labwork performed at the same lab for the sake of continuity.

When your liver and/or kidney function is impaired, they aren't as efficient at filtering out some of the impurities. Because of that, you will see higher than normal function tests like the creatinine and urea, because they aren't being removed like usual. As your health begins to improve and that can be through treatment, diet, etc., these levels begin to normalize. Yours are improving and I expect that with continued treatment and your physician's attention to specific details, you will see continued improvements. It all takes time, so when you hear us say you're "improving" is a good thing! Just be aware that these levels fluctuate when you're being treated for some abnormality, don't be alarmed if you see some initial up and down variance in their totals. You are taking some powerful medication and your body is at war with your virus. These tests simply give your doctor a picture of the battle going on. Things improve over time, never over night.

I hope I've been able to help you understand things a bit better. If you have a specific question, ask and I'll do my best to answer. I also want to tell you to be absolutely sure you are hydrating properly. You need to be drinking at least 3-4 liters of good quality water everyday! Your kidneys will appreciate it and it will reduce or eliminate some of the side effects from the Harvoni.

Hi Syd,

Here's a link to some information that is posted on the forum that may help explain that. If you need additional help, don't hesitate to ask.

http://hepcfriends.activeboard.com/t61027790/posting-attachments-and-url-links/?page=1#comment-61027790

Hi Sydhanrahan.
 Your ALT dropping from 220 to 41 is excellent and a sure sign the medicine is doing it's job. Geno 2 is easy to cure and your acites will resolve as time goes by. Have you had a paracentesis done yet to pump the ascites fluid out of your abdomen? I went from having multiple paracentesis procedures for ascites in 2 months time to not having any problem with it now. I don't even have to take diuretics any more. Keep doing what your doing and your condition will also continue to improve. The ribavirin does cause side effects but staying compliant with your medicine schedule will be well worth it in the end. Staying adequately hydrated, eating healthy and getting adequate rest will help with the side effects. If you can post your lab results we will be glad to explain them in understandable terms. If you need help on how to post the results to the forum just ask and we will help you with that. You are on the road to recovery but it will take some time and perseverance so hang in there and keep SVR as top priority. Keep us up to date on your progress.