Guest guest Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Actually the biopsy tells you how much damage you have and weather or not to do treatment right now..You do need to quit drinking..I had to use Antabuse to help me stop. There is also a new med out there that helps with the cravings I forgot the name tho..thanks geri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 My doctor actually didnt do the biopsy it was the radiologist??? and I wouldnt want another one..ouch..now when I got my bloodwork done, after 2 weeks they tell me that they didnt use the right tube which they dont have, so they never sent it..thanks for telling me now..geee. I could have gotten it done 2 weeks ago..now I will be at 14 weeks ..geri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Hi wow, I'd be pretty angry that your doc did NOT get liver tissue in the biopsy and I'd probably find someone else to do the next one,, sheesh,, didnt he have it ultrasounded first and have the spot marked? No honey, the biopsy will not tell 'how much' medicine you will need... the biopsy will show how much damage you have or do not have. The blood test that shows what genotype you are will tell you how long you will have to treat. Geno 1 and 4 treat for 48 weeks and geno 2 and 3 only treat for 24 weeks.. thats the basics but some docs believe that IF you have a lot of damage, say stage 3 or 4, then you should treat for 48 weeks AFTER you become undetectible for virus so it could actually be up to 72 weeks of tx. I did 54 of 60 weeks we had planned. I was/am genotype 1a and had stage 3-4 damage with early cirrhosis. I had had hep c for 23 years when I found out that I had it and so I had a lot of damage. but I know others who have had hep c MORE than 30 years and have no damage so they have chosen NOT to do the current tx because it has a success rate of only 50% overall.. but if you are a geno 2, the success rate is somewhere around 80%... so you need to gather all the info and learn as much as you can about hep BEFORE you go jumping into tx (treatment) as sometimes the tx can cause the virus to mutate and make it worse. I know you must be scared but remember that this virus moves in DECADES,, not weeks or months but DECADES... and most of us will die WITH this disease NOT FROM it... you have time ,, so take a deep breath and let us help you learn as much about this disease as you can... Janet our owner is a nurse, Liz and myself have years of experience as paramedics so we have a lot of medical background here on this forum... Take care and keep us up to date how you are doing and ask as many questions as you have,, we are not doctors here but we will do our best to help you find the answers... jax moderatorValarie <flap85274@...> wrote: I learned just last month that I have hep c through routine blood work. I had a biopsy on August 21st which was unsucessfull due to the fact that is was muscle and not tissue. I am having another biopsy done September 8th. My guess is the biopsy will let my doctor know what dose of medicine I need. I am also having trouble with not drinking although each day I don't it gets a little easier. I can use all the advice anyone may have to give me. Thanks for being here for support.Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Thanks for the info. My next biopsy is going to be under ultrasound and by someone else. I do know I am geno type 1. I have read about the treatments and how sick they make people so I am debating on that route still. So you did go through treatment? Did it help? This has all been very overwhelming and I appreciate the info. Valarie --- Jackie on <redjaxjm@...> wrote: > Hi > wow, I'd be pretty angry that your doc did NOT get > liver tissue in the biopsy and I'd probably find > someone else to do the next one,, sheesh,, didnt he > have it ultrasounded first and have the spot marked? > No honey, the biopsy will not tell 'how much' > medicine you will need... the biopsy will show how > much damage you have or do not have. The blood test > that shows what genotype you are will tell you how > long you will have to treat. Geno 1 and 4 treat for > 48 weeks and geno 2 and 3 only treat for 24 weeks.. > thats the basics but some docs believe that IF you > have a lot of damage, say stage 3 or 4, then you > should treat for 48 weeks AFTER you become > undetectible for virus so it could actually be up to > 72 weeks of tx. I did 54 of 60 weeks we had > planned. I was/am genotype 1a and had stage 3-4 > damage with early cirrhosis. I had had hep c for 23 > years when I found out that I had it and so I had a > lot of damage. but I know others who have had hep c > MORE than 30 years and have no damage so they have > chosen NOT to do the current tx because it has a > success rate of only 50% overall.. but if you are a > geno 2, the success rate is somewhere around 80%... > so you need to gather all the > info and learn as much as you can about hep BEFORE > you go jumping into tx (treatment) as sometimes the > tx can cause the virus to mutate and make it worse. > I know you must be scared but remember that this > virus moves in DECADES,, not weeks or months but > DECADES... and most of us will die WITH this disease > NOT FROM it... you have time ,, so take a deep > breath and let us help you learn as much about this > disease as you can... Janet our owner is a nurse, > Liz and myself have years of experience as > paramedics so we have a lot of medical background > here on this forum... > Take care and keep us up to date how you are doing > and ask as many questions as you have,, we are not > doctors here but we will do our best to help you > find the answers... > jax > moderator > > Valarie <flap85274@...> wrote: > I learned just last month that I have hep > c through routine blood > work. I had a biopsy on August 21st which was > unsucessfull due to the > fact that is was muscle and not tissue. I am having > another biopsy > done September 8th. My guess is the biopsy will let > my doctor know > what dose of medicine I need. I am also having > trouble with not > drinking although each day I don't it gets a little > easier. I can use > all the advice anyone may have to give me. Thanks > for being here for > support. > > > > > > > Jackie __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Geri MAKE them give you conscious sedation when you have the biopsy,, it doesnt hurt at all and you wont ever remember anything about it.. IT's IMHUMANE to have a biopsy without it... I would refuse to have one without conscious sedation! hugs jaxus4heavenbound@... wrote: My doctor actually didnt do the biopsy it was the radiologist??? and I wouldnt want another one..ouch..now when I got my bloodwork done, after 2 weeks they tell me that they didnt use the right tube which they dont have, so they never sent it..thanks for telling me now..geee. I could have gotten it done 2 weeks ago..now I will be at 14 weeks ..geri Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Oh Geri, I didnt know but I am very very proud that you stopped drinking,, Im not sure what the name of that drug you are talking about so when you find out, please post it here for all of us to learn,, ok? My son is starting on antibuse this week,, he needs to stop drinking but he does not have hep c tho,, thank God for that,, Im surprised after all the years he did IV METH,, he is one lucky man! hugs, jaxus4heavenbound@... wrote: Actually the biopsy tells you how much damage you have and weather or not to do treatment right now..You do need to quit drinking..I had to use Antabuse to help me stop. There is also a new med out there that helps with the cravings I forgot the name tho..thanks geri Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 5, 2006 Report Share Posted September 5, 2006 I have gone without drinking for 9 days now. The med I believe you are talking about helping with cravings is Librium. My doctor put me on it but I am also on antidepressants and the Librium seemed to be making me depressed so my doctor said to stop taking it which I did and now I am not as depressed nor do I have such strong cravings to drink. --- us4heavenbound@... wrote: > Actually the biopsy tells you how much damage you > have and weather or not to > do treatment right now..You do need to quit > drinking..I had to use Antabuse > to help me stop. There is also a new med out there > that helps with the > cravings I forgot the name tho..thanks geri > > > > __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 My doctor put me on Librium to help with the cravings. I had to stop taking it though because I believe it was making me depressed. What determines when to start treatment? Valarie --- us4heavenbound@... wrote: > Actually the biopsy tells you how much damage you > have and weather or not to > do treatment right now..You do need to quit > drinking..I had to use Antabuse > to help me stop. There is also a new med out there > that helps with the > cravings I forgot the name tho..thanks geri > > > > __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 Congrats honey,, that is a GREAT start! Sounds like the Libruim was not helping you and Im glad you were able to stop ,, hang in there,, and just remember,, we are all here for ya!Valarie Page <flap85274@...> wrote: I have gone without drinking for 9 days now. The med Ibelieve you are talking about helping with cravings isLibrium. My doctor put me on it but I am also onantidepressants and the Librium seemed to be making medepressed so my doctor said to stop taking it which Idid and now I am not as depressed nor do I have suchstrong cravings to drink.--- us4heavenboundaol wrote:> Actually the biopsy tells you how much damage you> have and weather or not to > do treatment right now..You do need to quit> drinking..I had to use Antabuse > to help me stop. There is also a new med out there> that helps with the > cravings I forgot the name tho..thanks geri> > > > __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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