Hepatitis Community

Week 24 results = not detectable… I continue on for the full 48 weeks.



The struggles encountered with treatment have been tolerable and to some degree manageable. For instance, I found riba-rash can be managed with a mild steroidal topical solution in combination with over-the-counter antibiotic ointment ( applied daily for 5 days and stop until itching becomes noticeable again).



Interferon sides last a couple of days, are unpredictable from one week to the next, yet the severity can be controlled through over-the-counter anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen 600-800mg every 8 hours for two days following injection). Anxiety associated with constantly feeling like dirt and wishing it was over has had the edge taken off through the use of Buspar 10mg/day).


What's been found to be difficult to keep moderated is medically-controlled; white blood count (get a shot of Nupregen, sp?, every 7-10 days just to keep it above 2) and hemoglobin (Procrit shot once so far and a second on the horizon 10 seems to be the threshold).


The things the doctor cannot completely control are the fatigue associated with low hemoglobin or the catching of everyone's cold this season because of the low white cell count.



Then there's the sleep apnea issue where some nights are just plain uncomfortable using the cpap, which of course leads to lowered blood-oxygen saturation; those are the really tired days.



Someone once told me that the current treatment isn't for sissies… maybe, maybe not, but it definitely will challenge a person willingness to go the distance. I'm just thankful for a non-detectable reading at this point and the fact it hasn't taken me out of work.