This is a wonderful piece of information by Nicole Cutler L. Ac from Hepatitis Central that confirms what we’ve been advocating here at Asknod. Why put yourself through a three-drug cocktail when just one (Interferon) will maim you for life? It’s like getting to wear a “I went over Niagara Falls in an innertube, Dude!” and being  a mushroom sandwich after all the neurological damage. So much to tell- so little capability. This is way past a prefrontal lobotomy. Common sense demands a second look and a third opinion.

Every single one of you I have helped who went through this disgraceful “experiment” has some form of physical or mental scar. It’s revolting. Interferon has been trotted out for every new viral disease that came down the pike for thirty years now and it continues to maim new ones yet. Adding Boceprivir or Teleprevir into the mix may have upped the percentage of cure but in no way addressed the underlying damage wrought by the rat piss.

Kiedove (naturally) spotted this batch of goodies and promptly sent them to me. It discusses new “-previrs” I’ve never heard of. Some must emanate from Europe as they are no strangers to this epidemic.

Epidemic,indeed. We are now more numerous that people with HIV/AIDS. Who gets the research dollars? Come on. Remember the early years of AIDS? Sympathy was in short supply for gays and junkies-right up until it started popping up in the heterosexual population. The hemophiliacs were getting creamed , too. We’ll always be junkies and drug crazies to the majority of America (and VA) because nobody such as Tom Cruise has it.

We’ll see this in VAMCs within 10 years. The problem right now is VA went long on Vertex/Victrela futures and got caught with about ten trainloads of this three-drug death cocktail. They’ll be pushing it like they did the Alloderm until the available stock runs out.  Their sotto voce Field of Screams motto is “If we hand it out for free, they will come“. Many have and continue to do so as we speak. I just lit a fire in a gal Vet down in Missouri who was getting ready to drink the improved Mai Tais they’re handing out. She found Gilead Sciences and is on the road to the Interferon-free ones.

As most know, I’m headed into this new cattle chute via the generosity of Gilead Sciences as well.  The GS7977 trial is reputed to be Sofosbuvir/ribavirin @ 12/16 weeks with SVR at 4. There is also the chance that I may be on the Daclatasvir solo or a Daclatasvir/Ribavirin combo. Being autoimmune challenged and genotype 3A, my success is quoted at 63%.

Here’s a new one that old style, through-the-ribs needle-core biopsies can’t detect. The latest is to send in a pressure sensor with the biopsy probe when doing the transjugular biopsy technique. It’s like checking tire pressure. The results tell you if there is portal hypertension. This, as most know, is what provokes ascites. When the liver turns into a peach pit and gets hard, blood can’t get through. That is the essence of cirrhosis. The harder the liver gets (fibrosis), the higher your portal pressure  which causes ascites when the blood can’t get through. Nasty business, this disease.

This is why you want to keep yourself healthy and grow nice, clean, organic stuff with goat poop on it instead of Miguel’s and Monsanto’s. You can actually neutralize the bad effects to a great degree and get into a holding pattern. Gilead has already said they’re going public with this next year. A body would be well-advised to ante up and “see”  their doctor for a referral to the head witch doctor with all the feathers on his hat. This  gentleman will be glad to get rid of you by now. Remember? He’s the one who told you the pegintron was cutting edge medicine…in 1996. And the one who said pegasys/ RIBA was the last word in eradication in 1999…and again in 2003…and again in 2008 with Teleprivir.

Sit tight. If you live in some unreal medical situation/state and have no access to or haven’t heard about this yet, it’s time to start beating the bush closer in. It’s going to be right off the edge expensive due to all the research into polymerase inhibitors alone. Finding the combo to combat each genotype is pure genius. This disease has lost and doesn’t even know it’s days are numbered. Just be sure you don’t destroy yourself on Vertex when the Holy Grail of HCVets is visible on the horizon.