Hep C Discussion Forum

Glad to see you post again Lyn, and glad our info made you feel a little bit better about things. Sorry you were feeling that badly. We do know what it is like, it is not a nice place to be, being faced with all the unknowns and fears and perhaps not having all the info you need on hand to even be able to comfort or re-assure yourself - so, you have landed in the right place! You will see, we will all try to help. And we can, what with sharing the most accurate info we can, and by showing you via what we have all experienced. I do think you will find, very much, hope. The info you will gather here will show you.

Help us get started by posting a sig line, with your lab data (if you know it and you can). Provide us some more details about your labs, your health, what specific tests you have had done (and when) to assess your fibrosis/cirrhosis. The more we get an idea of where you are at, the better we can provide info back.

... "Even a tiny glimmer of possible remission..."??!! Heavens! Many of the new daa treatment are near-approaching 100 cure rates!! (Psst - get ready girl, you about to get cured!!!)

It is great your doc is doing the extra testing for resistance, many have started treatment without it, she obviously is on YOUR side with this, she wishes to do her due diligence and ensure you get the right treatment you need to ensure your cure.

You are afraid of riba and of sides, but you should NOT be so afraid of not being cured of your hep c in right short order with the new daas! There are waaay less sides to these new daas as compared to the older interferon/riba days. Riba sides (and some people have NOT had too bad of sides from it) are NOT permanent, they are transient and you would get over them, and like I said before (don't get ahead of yourself), WAIT until you see what your doc finds out first, and what her recommendations may end up being based on your tests and all the choice of drugs that may be available for you. You may not even end up doing riba.

When you start hearing what we have gone through (with the new daa's) and compare it against what the folk went through in the old interferon days you will see how many of us have just about "breezed through" these new treatment to a quick cure with little sides. You'll see.

Fear, the unknown, sick of feeling sick, and feelings of hopelessness are the enemy! - I think we can soon help you in quite a few of those departments, by helping you in battling them with logic, familiarity, acknowledgement and hope (fer sure) - just by simply addressing the issues one by one.

Sit tight and write.  C. (What is kitties name?)

Welcome Lyn!

You have friends here that will support you every step of the way. I am not a G3, I am a 2. I finished Epclusa just about 2 months ago. I am glad that you will get it as well! I didn't have riba,so not helpful on that front. You do need to get trearment, whatever they give you. The HVC will be much worse in the long run. We will be here for you!

Hi Lyn,

Welcome to the forum from me, too! I'm glad you introduced yourself. We all help each other around here, so you're in a good place.

It sounds to me like you may have been given some dated info. There continues to be some use of Ribavirin, but there are other very good options without it. I took it for 7 months, with Interferon and Victrelis. I was one of the last on those awful drugs. But even knowing what I do and how awful it was, I'd do it again in a second. Oh, I'm unaware of any facts that show Ribavirin causes irreversible side effects. It does cause side effects, but they are controllable and transient. I had every single ugly one of them and other than making me look half my age and better looking, I'm experiencing no long term problems from it. You see, it's vital that you get treatment now. It's worth it, in ways you can't relate to yet. Your risk of HCC rises significantly once cirrhosis sets in. Stop the virus and start working on restoring some of that tough as hide, liver. You don't want to let things get worse. Insurance is approving treatment for people with cirrhosis, on demand. It's in the established guidelines. You'll get it, don't take no for an answer! 

There are some options without Ribavirin, Epclusa and Sovaldi/Dac come to mind. Both are excellent. I'm going to add a link to some current information on treating GT 3. It's a technical paper but full of good fact. If you have questions, just ask. We have tons of good information here. 

For now, relax. You are going to be fine, but you need to put the brakes on that virus, now. When you get your results back, please share them. We can't advise you, but we're pretty good at offering up knowledgeable opinion. The old cliche, One Day at a Time, applies. You'll get through it, promise!

Link: Genotype 3

Hey, welcome here Lyn, 

I am glad you found us and this place. There are lots of folk here who have been just where you are and can offer help - you'll soon see.

I am glad to hear you and your doc are considering and prepping you for an epclusa treatment, that may just very well be your ticket!! Good she is doing her due diligence and doing further testing on you - you may not even have to worry about having to do riba (being that you are treatment naive).

Wait and see, first steps first, one step at a time, don't get too ahead of yourself. Wait for what your doc finds out and says.

You are treatment naive, so (in a way) that is in your favour, (other than you have had the virus for 30 years), as epclusa alone, without an addtional third drug such as vox or riba, has been seen to work quite well for many treatment naive 3's (and most other genotypes too, and despite some RAV's). The epclusa studies have also shown good results regardless of the presence of some cirrhosis. Epclusa has proven itself pan and potent. 3's are lucky indeed epclusa arrived. Do you happen to know what level of fibrosis or cirrhosis you are at, and what methods/tests they used to measure how cirrhotic you might be?

Epclusa in the U.S. will soon be rolled out with an additional third drug (vox, an NS3/4A) added, the plan is to soon make this triplet available but this vox triplet seems to be only destined as salvage for treatment-experienced relapsers. Currently, until vox rolls out, if a relapser is looking to add a 3rd drug to their epclusa, then they are still using riba (at least that is what is still "on the books").

It may well turn out that you do not need a third drug anyway, sit tight and wait and see what your doc says. Riba may not be required, so would be a mute non-issue.

I am really pleased that epclusa is the treatment regime you and your doc are discussing!! That is very good news, very promising for you. It has made such a dif for many, just like you (and just like me!).

Try not to be frightened or bummed, your post and news sounds extremely promising to me. Sounds like you got yourself a good doc, a good drug plan, and are in just the right place and time to receive good treatment to rid yourself of this virus!

Ask away for questions.    C.   (Love that little furry faced avatar riveted on us!)