Hep C Therapies: To treat or not to treat ...
There is a lot to think about when making this potentially life-changing decision. Among the considerations that can, understandably, be a bit overwhelming:
- Will it work?
- Which treatment?
- Side effects: Will I make it all the way through?
- Can I still work?
So ... will it work? Data out there - sloppily cited here - is that ya have about a 50-50 shot (pun intended, as there are injections involved).
You can check out the manufacturers' sites for their clinical trial data. I've added these to the links section.
Choosing a treatment - can be a pretty simple choice. There are 2 FDA-approved treatments out there that require only one shot a week: Pegasys, & Peg-Intron .
Finally ... one very important consideration:
NO TREATMENT AT ALL IS AN OPTION.
The straight up is that this may be one of the most life-changing decisions you’ll ever make.
So remember: it’s your decision – not your doctor’s, your friend’s, your Harley mechanic’s, your family’s, the mailman’s.
Let me know what you think - and till next time, take it easy.
posted by Hep C - the straightup at 3:19 PM
3 Comments:
Howdy Preacher.
Sounds like you're a genotype one, like i am. It also sounds like your doc wants to put you on the Infergen study. I'm wondering if it's a study or is your doc just helping ya out?
If it was me ... and i had a pretty advanced liver disease (like cirrhosis or something), i'd definitely give it a shot. Pun intended.
But if i didn't have advanced liver disease, i'd hold off and wait the few years for some of the new stuff to make it to phase III and IV trials, and hop on one of those.
As a matter of fact, that is my plan. :) i'm a geno 1, but at my last biopsy (about 6, 7 yrs ago), i was in pretty good shape.
oh! p.s. ... i forgot to say why i'd wait.
Well ... as a treatment veteran, you know that crap about "mild flu-like symptoms" is ... well, CRAP. The symptoms are no different ... except they'll be daily.
With that said, it's also true that everyone experiences them differently. There's more variables that are different in every situation with every person.
Me? i'm a wimp. :) straight up, man. i dislike pain - 'specially since i'm sober. But that's another story....
Take'r easy.
kath
My nephew is in prison, he has genotype one and has 7 days to decide to take treatment or not. He has not had a biopsy and being in the system is probably not a good place to get one. The doctor there told him he didn't think he would responde to the treatment. I have read about as much as I can on the web about hep c and I'm as confused as I started. I just need others opinion about their expierences, he's relying on me for info to help with his decision and I am lost as he is about it all, and pretty scared on top of it, I don't want him to develop liver disease. Please give any advise, it is deeply appreciated. Suez
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