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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Required Duration Of Pegasus And Ribavarin Treatment When Viral Load Is Less Than 12 IU/ml In PCR?

My mother is 52 years old and a chronic Hep C carrier since 15 years. Her PCR appeared positive a year back but liver enzymes and blood work plus ultrasound of liver was normal. She had no clinical symptoms of hepatitis. However the liver specialist suggested she start Pegasus and Ribavarin. Now after 14 injections (14 weeks) , her PCR is less than 12 IU/ml. She however has terrible depression ,insomnia , skin rashes , low Hb (10.6) and total RBC 3.2 hence a lot of breathlessness and weakness. We are hoping with the improvement in her viral load from previously 3 million IU/ml to less than 12 IU/ml in 14 weeks , they treatment would be only of 24 weeks??? Is that so? What do you suggest? Wouldn t 48 weeks be too much in her case since the viral load has gone down? Hope you reply soon as we are very worried and would be happy if she gets treatment free in the next 3 weeks and get back to normal.
Tue, 15 Jul 2014
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General & Family Physician 's  Response
HELLO N WELLCOME. THE SYMPTOMS U DESCRIBED ARE CLASSIC FOR INTERFERON N RIBAVIRIN. RIBAVIRIN CAUSES THE ANEMIA SPECIFICALLY. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT U COMPLETE THE 48 WEEKS, AS THE VIRAL LOAD FLUCTUATES N MAY MAKE A COMEBACK IF THE TREATMENT ISNT COMPLETED. PLUS I HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR U WHICH U SHOULD SERIOUSLY PERSUE. SOVALDI ( SOFOSBUVIR) PLUS OLYSIO( SIMEPRIVIR) IS THE NEW ORAL DRUG FOR HEP C. DEPENDING UPON GENOTYPE. IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE BUT DO SEARCH ABOUT IT IN UR PLACE IF U CAN ARRANGE IT FOR UR MOTHER AS TRIALS HAVE SHOWN 99 5% SVR COMPARED TO LOWER RATES WITH PEGASUS N RIBAVIRIN ALONE. HOPE UR MOTHER GETS RID OF HEP C. THANX....
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Required Duration Of Pegasus And Ribavarin Treatment When Viral Load Is Less Than 12 IU/ml In PCR?

HELLO N WELLCOME. THE SYMPTOMS U DESCRIBED ARE CLASSIC FOR INTERFERON N RIBAVIRIN. RIBAVIRIN CAUSES THE ANEMIA SPECIFICALLY. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT U COMPLETE THE 48 WEEKS, AS THE VIRAL LOAD FLUCTUATES N MAY MAKE A COMEBACK IF THE TREATMENT ISNT COMPLETED. PLUS I HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR U WHICH U SHOULD SERIOUSLY PERSUE. SOVALDI ( SOFOSBUVIR) PLUS OLYSIO( SIMEPRIVIR) IS THE NEW ORAL DRUG FOR HEP C. DEPENDING UPON GENOTYPE. IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE BUT DO SEARCH ABOUT IT IN UR PLACE IF U CAN ARRANGE IT FOR UR MOTHER AS TRIALS HAVE SHOWN 99 5% SVR COMPARED TO LOWER RATES WITH PEGASUS N RIBAVIRIN ALONE. HOPE UR MOTHER GETS RID OF HEP C. THANX....