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Hep C Discussion Forum -> On Treatment -> Can you tell if it's working?
Post Info TOPIC: Can you tell if it's working?
robertsamx


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RE: Can you tell if it's working?
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Welcome Miriam. As everyone has said, the 4 week blood work will tell you a lot about your response to treatment. Your ast or alt of 30 before treatment is good, you will clear the virus no problem!!   My wife has been SVR over a year and she feels about the same, she feels good. She had type 1b for over 30 years and always felt pretty good. Her skin dose look better though!   You have minimal damage to your liver, you got this just in time!   RC



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 M-68, 3 Treatments)( SOF-RIBA 2014)(SOF-RIBA-PEG 2016)(HCC 2016) (LIVER TRANSPLANT 8-2017)(VOSEVI-RIBA 2017)   SVR-12. 3-13-18   
Linuxter


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Hi Miriam,

Welcome to the forum, glad you're here!

"Do people all of a sudden "feel something"?"

Nothing in treatment is "all of a sudden".

With your Fibrosis score of F2, minimal damage has been done to your liver. HCV often presents no ascertainable symptoms and Harvoni is an excellent treatment with very few if any side effects so I very much doubt you will be able to feel any difference from before, during or after treatment. You may feel a bit more energy during the initial part of your treatment, some people say they feel a slight boost of energy and feeling of wellbeing on Harvoni and post treatment you may feel generally a little better but nothing sudden and even the feelings I describe above are subtle and it's unlikely you can really put your finger on what it is or to what degree it is presenting itself.

I'd say you are in for a nice smooth ride, kick back, enjoy the scenery on the treatment train and certainly enjoy getting closer to being HCV-Free.

You'll do great, I promise!

 

Dave



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63yy,HCV,2b,F3-A1, Sof/Riba,12wks Tx   SOT: 1/20/16, HCV-RNA 9,816,581, ALT 56, Hb 14.6

4wk: HCV-RNA <15 Detected, ALT 15, AST 17, Hb 13.6 EOT: 4/12/16, ALT 18 , Hb 12.9176a2f85d05d9c965eafe199f2ba9ba5.jpg SVR Achieved 7/8/16

 
singsong


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Hi Miriam, Welcome aboard.  I also was symptom free before, during and after Harvoni.  I even questioned whether they gave me a placebo.  I know they didn't, but I just expected a drug that was going to be that monumental in a cure, to at least show its face - but no.  I am one happy camper just waiting for SVR mid-September. Anna



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Age 66. 1988? Dx 1996. G1a.  Biopsies 1996/1998.  Mild inflam. Tx naive.12/2015-Fibro F3/10.5 kPa. VL 1.1m Harvoni 8 wks. 5/9 VL was 69.  EOT 6-13-16. ALT/AST 13/16. Platelets 325. UND.  9/4/16 EOT+12 UND & 1-10-17 EOT+30 UND!
JimmyK


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Greetings,

In that you are at 3 weeks, is it safe to assume that you are scheduled for a HCV RNA blood draw within a week?

That is of course the best way to determine if you are responding to treatment. That is also standard protocol so if you are not yet scheduled ask to be. The 4 week draw is important.

You will do fine!

 

JimmyK



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Harvoni TX 2 12 weeks. UND weeks 4, 12 and now EOT + 4 Weeks. SVR-12 09/29/16. All Glory, Honor and Thanks be to God.

"I go to war with the brothers I trust."
marjim48


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Ok. Figured out how to do the signature.  What other liver function tests should I list?



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Miriam

 

68 years old....Genotype  1a....did interferon/ ribaviron in 2002 (unsuccessful )....viral load before Harvoni 234,003.  Alt 30..fibrosis stage F2..  fibrosis score 0.48  ...started 12 week Harvoni 6/24/16. 

4 week bloodwork -undetected.  ALT 18, AST 20.

12 week bloodwork -undetected. 
Pablito


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Hi Miriam

Welcome to the forum.  And well done for getting on Harvoni, which is an excellent treatment.

In terms of how you feel a lot depends on how you felt before.  If you have limited damage to you liver and didn't feel ill before treatment then, simply using logic, one wouldn't expect a huge difference after starting treatment.  But that's not to say it's not working.

For me, I had 20 years of illness and a moderate amount of damage and I was able to notice a big difference fairly quickly.

But how we feel is subjective.  The acid test is the blood tests.  You'll no doubt have a viral load test done by your doctor after treatment (and possibly during too)...if the 12 week post treatment test comes back as undetected then you are have SVR (sustained virological response), or more simply put, a cure.

It would be really useful if you could provide us with more info like your genotype, pretreatment viral load, fibrosis score, liver function tests and length of treatment.  If you can put this in your signature even better.

Pablo



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44 y.o. male, HCV G4 since 1996, F-scan score 9, F2, Failed prior I/R, finished sof/vel/vox 8 weeks 5/16, pre-treatment VL 2 million, EOT UND, EOT+4 UND, EOT+12 UND.
marjim48


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I'm in week 3 of Harvoni. Are there any indications if it's working?  I don't feel  any different. Felt ok before  and feel ok now. Do people all of a sudden "feel something"?  I guess I'm just obsessing.



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Miriam

 

68 years old....Genotype  1a....did interferon/ ribaviron in 2002 (unsuccessful )....viral load before Harvoni 234,003.  Alt 30..fibrosis stage F2..  fibrosis score 0.48  ...started 12 week Harvoni 6/24/16. 

4 week bloodwork -undetected.  ALT 18, AST 20.

12 week bloodwork -undetected. 
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