More Anemia
Just got back from doc. My HGH level is 8 and my white blood count is 1000 (normal is about 15 and 5000). He wants me to take a break for a week. No interferon tonight, no riba through next week. He wants me to build back up before resuming tx, possibly with a reduced dose (I'm presently taking 1200 miligrams, 6 tabs per day) and I'm pretty small, 5'-6" and 145 pounds. I've seen other people's dosages in the boards and I seem to be taking a pretty large dose. He also bugged me to stay out of the gym, saying I could go over the edge without realizing it. [Grumble] Never had a doc tell me to get less exercise.
I asked him about the risk of letting the virus adapt and he said that the meds will stay in my system for several weeks, so I'm still fighting the virus even skipping a week. Right now he's more concerned about the blood levels. Procrit is a possibility, but he wants me to take a break first. My friend Ken took it and felt much better, but the sides from that were also pretty bothersome -- diarrhea, headache. Everything has a price.
The grind grinds on.
3 comments:
Chris, this is very worrying. I think that stopping completely is highly unwise. It may have the desired effect on your blood, but what effect will it have on your chances of a cure? Surely a better strategy is to reduce dose and see if it has the desired result. Your current dose is high for your weight. Interferon even when pegylated has a fairly short life, and the levels in your blood will drop rapidly. With Pegasys they drop to half in 4 days, and with PegIntron around 2 days. It does not take long to reach the point where the virus starts to build up again, and it could mutate and become resistant. Ribavirin is less of a problem as the period is nearer 12 days. On the other hand, it will take longer to build up when you re-start.
I have a nasty feeling that your doctor is being far too conservative, and has not correctly assessed the effect that stopping will have on your chances. It would be wise to look hard at your neutrophil figure. Below 0.75 is the interferon reduction point (although some will allow it to drop to 0.5).
Likewise, haemoglobin dropping below 10 is the ribavirin reduction point. I think that if you were anywhere near these levels visits to the gym would not be in question. You would not be up to it!
Suggest you talk this through with your doctor as a matter of urgency, and get a second opinion if need be.
Best wishes,
Martin
Thanks for the note, Martin. You and the fellow denizens of the support boards have convinced me. Not to mention my saintly mother who tells me that if I don't make a call on Monday and get this straightened out, she will. As I've mentioned elsewhere, I lost my father to colon cancer over a year ago and he managed some pretty tough chemo thanks to Procrit.
Chris
What happened with the doctor on Monday?
Carol
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