Hi Billy!

My name is Hank and I'm post liver transplant 15+ years now and have been on Interferon & Riba multiple times since...

I have not and will not go on the triple treatment because of my own complications and I'm no longer responding at all to to both drugs I listed above... I can tell you this... The third drug in the triple treatment known as a protease inhibitor does some wicked stuff to folks like myself being on Prograf (Tacrolimus) and I'm not about to risk the 15+ years without any major rejection episodes on a drug that the medical community already knows isn't safe for folks like myself to be on and is very risky at best with negligible results...

Instead, I'm going to wait around (Like I have any other choice?) until these newer types of Direct Acting Antivirals (DAA's) that show promise of substantially better result so far from the many clinical trials that were completed and are presently ongoing without all of the nasty sides and for much shorter treatment time lengths...

Now, if you're on another type of immuno-suppressant drug like cyclosporin or any of the newer anti-rejection meds then, it's a totally different story for you and post-transplant patients because the risks of rejection of the liver as a result of being on any of the DAA's is far less because your doctor doesn't have to make such large adjustment to the anti-rejection drugs to compensate for what the DAA's do to the potency of your meds...

So do yourself a favor and scroll up top where the search bar is and type in "post liver transplant patients" know you'll find a whole bunch of posts and threads posted here regarding that topic and especially the newer DAA's coming down the pipeline and as well as the current triple treatments and the potential pitfalls of going on that treatment regimen...

Sharon is correct in asking you why you're not waiting for the newer drugs but, if you're not aware of all of the latest news covering HCV treatment then how could you know what's new and soon to be available for both you and I and Marilyn too who is also post transplant and doing better than she initially thought!

I'll try to post some more for you tomorrow after my journey East towards the Poconos - actually later on today already!!! I'm out.

Btw, Welcome to the GROUP!

Respectfully,
Hank

Many on this site have completed and are on Triple Therapy right now - I was undetectable at week 4 - completed 24 weeks - andrelapsed - I can tell you first hand this combo is some wicked stuff - but it is doable - Many have cleared - most of us (well I'd say all) experience varing degrees of side effects - I put myself in the "avg" group since I was never hospitalized or needed rescue drugs - still - wicked is a good term - but this site has many many suggestions for easing the discomfort - I don't think I would have survived without the support of this group - start reading older posts - and you'll get an idea of what to expect and how others have delt with it - search "side effects" and other key words to see others delt with the sides - there are actually lists - I had a box of creams (Eucerin for drug rash), shampoo (Nexium for thinning hair) Benedryl for drug rash, Zofran for vomiting (I suggest not starting Tx without it) - timers for making sure you take your pills on time (adherence to dose times is very important for success) great ideas for high fat foods - I was so sick I didn't feel like eating - didn't want to eat and finding something small to stuff down wasnt easy - if I ate anything between the 7am 2pm and 10pm doses I had to be very careful because at dose time I had to stuff down the fat meal - can't think at all (brain fog) - don't want to move - I could go on and on - out of 24 weeks - the first 12 were the worst - depending on how you respond to treatment will determine how long you treat - if you're undetectable at 4 weeks you treat for 24 weeks - if not you treat for 48 (that group has real warriors) - knowledge is everything - many (including myself) give credit to this site for the strength to complete treatment - your focus is to take care of your liver

Today I am on week 20 of a trial drug and it's like taking a vitamin - NO SIDE EFFECTS - my trial is a combo - one drug going for FDA approval this Dec - will be for geno 2 and 3 - Geno 1's will take w interferon and RIBA (for 12 weeks only with 95% cure) my second drug approval will be close behind - and Abbvie (for Geno 1) is very close to approval too - Good luck on your journey