Newly diagnosed with HEP c geno type2b

HC...welcome to the Healing Well forum. We are a group of patients and loved ones of those affected by various liver diseases.

Feeling bad with Hep C is pretty typical...but these new meds can be the difference between being tired and being at death's door with End Stage Liver Disease. Those who can get these meds early before cirrhosis is diagnosed may live out their normal life without facing transplant or worse, premature death.

Most on the med cocktail you have been prescribed have done well...some have complained of fatigue (but who with Hep C isn't tired?), headaches, and some have anxiety.

Those with anxiety have had that before and there are meds that can see you through. Talk to your treatment doc or supervising nurse practitioner.

We encourage our folks to drink a lot of water...as much as 1/2 your body weight in ounces. My partner is 180 lbs and he drinks at least 90 oz...about 3 liters of water every day...even now post transplant, post Hep C treatment, and post liver cancer. It keeps away the headaches it seems, flushes toxins out of your body (good by Hep C!), and keeps you hydrated. This is very important.

Some are eating a fatty snack with the Riba...not a gallon of ice cream...but maybe a nut butter with some crackers, or cheese.

Some complain of the crankies on the Riba...it has been called by some "Riba Rage"....the propensity to snap at folks who are not doing things quite the way you might prefer. It is a wonder I still have a face with the ragefullness sent my way in 2003 when my normally kind partner took Riba and Interferon. Maybe it was the INF...who knows. The docs can medicate some for that if you are getting feedback that you are crankier than your normal sweet self!

But please keep this in mind...Hep C is a terminal disease...and like a cancer tumor, it is better GONE. Take the meds, be tired for a few weeks/months, and get rid of this horrible virus without the hair loss and puking! Then...Live your life.

AND, if for some reason your liver is already in bad shape, the prognosis for those WITHOUT Hep C at transplantation time is WAY better than going into that surgery WITH Hep C. It comes back, you see, and wrecks a nice new liver! That happened to my partner, and the meds were not availble until 4 years post TP when his viral load was through the roof already. He has Stage 3 fibrosis and hopes that post treatment his liver might heal some.

By the way...many many folks on here have been through your same treatment with your same genotype. REad back through the posts or use the SEARCH bar on the blue line and put in some key words....Ribavirin and Sovaldi and it will point you to some of the older posts. some have given a blow by blow...spend some time and read their stories.

Oh, and I forgot something really important. Folks are seeing their Viral loads go to "<15 Undetected" in just 4 or 5 weeks..depending on when/if your doc checks it before end of treatment. When that viral load goes way down like that they start to feel better....so a headache or two and some tired days are totally worth it. Mike went from many millions to the thousands and then less than 15 in just a few weeks. Amazing. He was Genotype 1 and took Sovaldi and Olysio (No Riba or INf after last time!)

Good luck,
Mama Lama

Getting Hep C from sex is unlikely as it's a blood borne disease. Not impossible, but...

I had Hep C for 40 years when it was found in a blood test.

Does anyone know if this viral load is considered high

HCV, RNA, QUANTITATIVE REAL TIME PCR 5.57 log iu/ml?