BigPat hep C - REPEAT Trial Weblog

Pertinent Trial Weblog. Format will be reverse order, and only pertinent comments in a short and brief fashion. For days without an entry, you can assume medications are going as planned, and I just had nothing to comment on.

-Pat

10 Aug 2004 - I was admitted to Kaiser Permanente as inpatient of Fri. 6 Aug 2004, based on a high WBC count, that was at 32, with acceptable range of 4.0 to 11.0.

Consensus: Dehydrated, Pneumonia (some), Kidney/Renal failure, Sepsis - all starting with flu-like symptoms.

Corrective Measures: IV with saline solution, antibiotic combo that I don't remember name of, along with other antibiotic pills, and other combinations, a blood culture and many other CBC-DIFFs and a variety of other blood labs.

I am officially off Pegasys/Copegus, at a minimum, at least long enough to let my immune system recover.

25 Jul 2004 thru 6 Aug 2004 - A variety of negative issues. On the 25th of July I developed flu-like symptoms. I did what I could to nurse this in a better direction ensuring I was consuming proper amounts of water, and consuming Typenol PM or Advil, but not very successfully.

By 2 Aug 2004 I reported this to USC, and reported that I had a followup visit with Kaiser Gastrointerology Dr. Lee on on 3 Aug 2004. She asked me to request a CBC-DIFF blood lab.
Dr. Lee went along with this request just fine.

By 1:30p or so on on 5 Aug 2004 preliminary results were in, showing an extremely high white blood count. Based on that, my consumption of Pegasys/Capogus have been suspended until further notice. Until we can root cause, and define correct measures to correct this infection causing this very high WBC...

Already looking like cause is the Pegasys/Copegus, that has been suspended until further notice, as I'm starting to feel better already. But we'll still do a proper exvalution process. But if my guess is correct, I may quickly return to an herbal/natural program I had previously.

I also have a call ino Kaiser's Dr. Elperin to see if he can work me in to an ASAP appt. today, as a followup measure for my extremely high WBC count.

13 Jul 2004 - Down to see USC again to replenish medications, provide blood lab, load test scale, et at. I finally got results of my 12-week blood lab on viral load. I still show positive for HCV, viral load dropped to 24,635 is all, or, it's 2.8 times higher than it should be. (12-week blood lab draw was 16 Jun 2004 - took quite some time to get results).

03 Jul 2004 - Got one I've neglected to mention thus far. As with the PegIntron/Rebetol when I used it, Pegasys/Copegus helps generate sinus problems. Since my beginning 14 weeks ago, I'm now blowing nose a good 30 times a day - with much output each time.

25 Jun 2004- I went to dermatologist on 22 Jun to see about a skin irritation on my arm. Diagnosed as psoriasis (below scratching most likely the same). Medication was prescribed, with good progress being made. Strangely enough, a source I use for herbal/natural products has many hep C products listed as used for psoriasis (source: http://www.iherb.com/psoriasis.html). As well, sounds like psoriasis can well be related to liver disease, as my dermatologist has two more patients on hep C medications.

03 Jun 2004 - I've had lot of scratching of lower legs and skin sensitivities going on since last Friday's peg-interferon injection.

30 Apr 2004 - As of today, I've come to the conclusion two days in a row of only about 3.5 hours sleep isn't sufficient. Along with running pre-diabetic glucose numbers, having a diseased liver, and being on some strong medication, it all caught up with me... And the justification for leaving work at the half-day point yesterday.

29 Apr 2004 - After my USC report of pre-diabetic glucose numbers on 23 Apr 2004, I finally broke down and purchased a home glucose test meter, OneTouch Ultra, and a set of test strips. Good thing I felt wealthy today, this was much more expensive than I had guessed... Missed half a work day over not feeling too well also.

Also returned to prozac today, the wife and I have notived me getting a little extra irritable and moody here lately.

26 Apr 2004 - Received phone call from USC, last blood lab (also 21 Apr 2004) showed I was getting a lower than normal hemoglobin count, 12.9 this time (normal is 14.0-18.0), near-anemic numbers. We have reduced my ribavarin consumption to half of what it was (600mg instead of 1200mg). Hopefully this will get me back on track! And not a new issue, I went near-anemic last go-around on meds, and USC was not surprised by this.
Email explaining my research to family high glucose count and and low hemoglobin count (near-diabetic/near-anemic) here.

23 Apr 2004 - Received voicemail from USC that last blood lab showed me going near-diabetic. In follow-up call, based on a Random Serum Glucose Test (RSGT - done 21 Apr 2004) I showed a result of 173, and have contacted my general physician in regards to this. I'm sure next will be a blood lab for the near-diabetic part alone with fasting in advance - general care doctor notified.
Explaination of numbers is here, to some degree...

5 Apr 2004 - No reactions this injection weekend (injections are actually done on a Friday eve), other than feeling fatigued all weekend. Was still wide awake from midnight til about 3:00a Sat., but it was less than previous week.
So in theory, my body is getting used to the peg-interferon. For me, the theory behind feeling OK post injection is drinking lots of water, like I always do (actually, water with a splash of grapefruit juice, for color and flavor).

1 Apr 2004 - No fever or anything like that, still, feeling fine - no reactions to speak of
Other than since day 1 with these meds, my sinuses have been a bit irritated, nose a little stuffy, and blowing my nose many times a day.

29 Mar 2004 No more fever, feeling fine

28 Mar 2004 Still running minor fever (99.7)

27 Mar 2004 4:00p Feeling pretty much OK
Though slow and fatigued to some degree. Took temp as was running a low-grader of 100.5°.
Took two Advil, and fever finally went away.

27 Mar 2004 12:15a REACTION TIME!
All of a sudden I was wide awake, and freezing cold, shivering at an incredible rate.
I put on some wool-like pajamas, threw a heavy comforter on bed, and still shivered until around 2:00a. Dozed in just a few minute spurts, I finally went downstairs around 4:00a so as not to continue to wake the wife. By 5:00a I was finally sound asleep. And back up by 8:20a, feeling rather dazed (from my muchly interrupted sleep). Reported by email.

26 Mar 2004 7:15p Started medications this trial
Took 1 Advil and 3 Copegus (ribavirin) about 1/2 half hour prior. Took weekly Pegasys (peginterferon) injection. No noticeable adverse effects. Went to upstairs bedroom to watch something different on TV, and was sound asleep before 10:00p.

26 Mar 2004 9:00a USC Hepatitis Research & Treatment Center
Blood lab taken, explaination of group assignment, visit requirements charted out on a calendar for me, and 1 month of medications distributed. (See 'My Trial' page for group assignment).