good article!

Yes affirms the possibility of one year or two for new Rx..
It's a no brainer for non responders as Peg just don't work but everyone needs to be aware.
I find it hard to hear new folks here, treatment naive and not too far along starting SOC.

Wait if you can!!

I feel sure that I should not wait that long. I've had hep c for probably over 30 years. It seemed to be dormant most of those years or not very active at all. Then 3 1/2 years ago, it speeded up fast and quickly led to early Cirrhosis and liver cancer. As most of you know, I then had a liver transplant in July of 2010. Now, the hep c is very active in my new liver and may have already led to cirrhosis again. I'll know for sure when I have a biopsy in May. My VL at last count was 12,000,000. I'm having symptoms that indicate cirrhosis.
Since I'm 1A, TT, am 68 years old, and am post-transplant, I wonder if the triple treatment they want to give me will work, but I'm pretty sure I better try as soon as my kidney functions get under control. In 3 weeks, my labs will tell if the kidney functions are better. Wish I could wait. (Then sometimes, I'm just tired of the whole thing.) If it were not for my dependence on Jesus Christ and the strength He gives me each day, I wouldn't be able to go on. I hope most of you can wait for the new stuff, and my prayers and love are with you all. Marilyn

I am currently on my 4th Tx/study. I started treatment attempts 3 yrs ago. In the last 3 yrs. 3 attempt/failures which included interferon. Never reached UND until this 4th attempt with Gilead sofosbuvir/gs-5885/riba trial and having little to no side effects. I am geno 1a stage 5 (of 6 ishak scale). I went from a stage 2 to a stage 5 in 3 yrs. I blame the rapid advance on the 3 attempts WITH INTERFERON...though I have no evidence to back it up with. I am on the 12 week arm of the gilead study and went und at 4 weeks. I have one more week to go and hope and pray for SVR. I AM BY NO MEANS A DOCTOR...but...if I knew 3 yrs back...what I know now...I would have waited. The side effects of the interferon were terrible...no side effects on this current regime. I know some people are to advanced to wait for the drugs to become approved in a year or two. If not so advanced...i would DEFINETELY wait :) All IMHO

WAIT if you can. If I could, I would hit the black market and send Tex and Hank the drugs they need.

No brainer--wait. Newly DX wait. Blood work normal except for ALT/AST and physical exam shows no guarding and edema, wait. EASY! No BX nec.

WAIT!

Can I preach this enough--WAIT--Plus for those who don't have time, it makes the medical comm. push the drugs further along. If you can wait you should for your fellow heppers!

reneesunflower, you just said 'for the ones of you who don't have time, if you can wait you should, for your fellow heppers.' I see that you were lucky enough to get in on a trial. There's not one available to me. I have never taken treatments in all the years I've had hep c, so I HAVE been waiting, and will wait as long as I can, and not any longer than that. And considering that many here have done treatments under far less threatening circumstances than me, I won't feel guilty if I decide, along with my doctor and my God, to do the triple tx. Just saying. Marilyn

Oh Marilyn, it should have read 'for those who have time.' You should never have to do triple with what is out there. NEVER. Yes, I understand you have to take what is available. If I won millions, you would be treated with 'kitten gloves.' But for those of us that have the power to turn down interferon, we should, to uplift our brothers and sisters. Yes--I turned down 12 week of interferon. I am CC and had the chance and said no. Fingers crossed for you my love!

Oh ok Thank You Kramer. Now this one makes sense to me of course it cahanges nothing for me ,maybe it will to some of you. I Hope so anyeways :-) I felt i was taken the bait a little too sonn on that 100% cure thing.
Good Articla Kramer
Thank you again my Friend

I would definitely WAIT and if my virus comes back I would undoubtedly wait. One time at the interferon rodeo for me.

I think tx with interferon and riba is a very individual thing.... i am in week 17 of tx with incivek, peg, riba and I gotta say now that i am off the incivek, i feel almost normal--- tired from the anemia, some dry mouth, an occasional resdual itch from the incivek rash, bad dreams the nt after my injection BUT
i can taste food. i am back to working full time with gusto. I went out 2 nights this past week to speakers. i am doing yoga and walking-- albeit at a much reduced rate than before tx. i feel positive, optimistic, and hopeful. and my joint aches are gone, my migraines stopped, digestion is much better--- undie since week 4. I feel as much healing as i do negative sides--- we are all very different in our response to these txs