Suggest Treatment For Hepatitis C

Posted on Tue, 18 Nov 2014

Question: My physican is new. I have spent 2 plus years with a dr that felt I was not a candidate for the latest medication, I am going into my 4th year, I an failing health wise. Without the test I knew I was going to get bad results, I cannot find someone help me now. I have Hep C 1b or b1 ?? Viral load way over 350,000. Producing too much iron, lacking VIt D. Lost a lot of weight, I am tired,

Answered by Dr. Ivo Ditah (49 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Please, you deserve to get treatment for this!

Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for this query.

I am so sorry that you have not been considered for treatment up to this point. With the symptoms that you have reported and the results showing a very high viral load, you meet every reason to be treated and so without wasting much time for hepatitis C. Hepatitis C treatment has great improved in the last years with minimal side effects and great success rates in as little as 12weeks using oral agents. There is no reason why you have not been considered for this.

I will recommend you follow up with a gastroeneterologist/hepatologist for this.

I hope this helps. I wish you well. Feel free to ask for more information and clarifications if need be.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Ivo Ditah (6 minutes later)

I begged for treatment and was told my genotype was rare. Based on the type I read it is common. The newest drug sounds hopeful. I am curious if I have been denied treatment for over 4 years? I was not feeling any effects before now. I am desperate. I can’t understand why the denial. I am not without insurance nor lacking ability to pay..Is there a “rare” form that I was told? I was also told I was rare being a caucasian when my genotype was almost always limited to XXXXXXX Americans?

Answered by Dr. Ivo Ditah (53 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Have you been seen by a gastroenetrologist?

Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for this follow up information.

I am surprised at this piece of information. Even difficult to treat in no ways means that it cannot be treated and precludes treatment. Let the doctors use the recommended drugs and report failure rather than doing nothing. Doing nothing is not better than doing something even if it should not yield the expected results.

There have been recent reports of great success rates treating patients with genotype 1b. Talk to you doctor and get to see a gastroenterologist. If he is not willing to try you on medications you should be willing to change the doctor. This is my recommendation.

I hope this helps. I wish you well. Thank you so much and feel free to keep the discussion going if need be.

Note: For further follow up on digestive issues share your reports here and Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar