Trial: Treating Hep C? (Full Version)

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selahgirl -> Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/19/2008 10:30:16 AM)

I don't want to go into alot of detail at the moment, but I'm trying a non-FDA approved treatment for Hep C. It has their stamp that it's safe for human consumption, but not their stamp as a medical treatment. We'll see where it goes. I tried some natural remedies (nutritionally based) years ago when I was first diagnosed in 1993, but couldn't afford them and found the side effects and complications to be more of a risk than the virus itself. So I have relied on the limited treatments of the medical community since, and have been very thankful for all they have tried to do. But it has all failed.

A friend began telling me about this new remedy that is helping a myriad of diseases. They use it and a family member who is a veteran Physician's assistant uses it. The testimony's of the people helped or cured is astounding, quite unbelievable. After much skepticism, and much prayer, I became convinced to give it a try, that it just might make a difference. So I am going to blog about my progress over the next couple of months. Eventually, I'll mention the name and explain what it is... but for now my focus will be on my bodies response to it.

DAY 1 (8-18-2008):

I just had a very difficult week. My energy level was very low, though I was able to keep up with the needs of my family by God's grace and favor. But all my down time was spent resting.

I took the treatment last night for the first time, not sure what to expect though the side effects are said to be minimal or non-existent. I braced myself for something bitter tasting, but found that it was absolutely tasteless, like water. I woke up this morning, a little more thirsty than usual, but no other marked differences.



manda59 -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/19/2008 10:31:59 AM)

hi there

Have they already tried you on Interferon?



selahgirl -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/19/2008 10:34:33 AM)

yes, I did 6 months of interferon in 1994, with no sustained results.

and I just completed a year of combination therapy using interferon/ribavirin, weekly shots coupled with six pills a day. It also resulted in no sustained response.

Thanks for asking. Do you have Hep C?



monamie -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/19/2008 10:42:22 AM)

My doctor treated his father-in-law with products from this source. The FIL had hep C for quite some time, then after treated with the Brown Juice and LC Balancer, he was hep C free. His MD's couldn't understand it and claimed he probably hadn't had it in the first place. But after years of testing positive, I think that's highly unlikely.



He's still Hep C free.



selahgirl -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/19/2008 10:49:50 AM)

Thanks Monamie, I have bookmarked the site.
I wish that there was not so much tension between the established medical community and the natural remedies camp. Some people seem to have bridged that gap, and it makes it really nice for people that are just trying to get well ^_^



selahgirl -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/19/2008 10:58:19 AM)

I contracted the virus when I was 14 years old, during back surgery for scoliosis. It was a nine hour surgery to put a rod in my back, that resulted in my losing half the blood in my body. There was no test for Hep C at that time, and I responded very badly to the blood I was given. That was in 1979.

In 1993, while pregnant with my third child, I was diagnosed with Hep C. A reliable test wasn't developed until the year prior to that time (in 1992). When the disease was first identified, the blood supply in the US was screened and it was found that 8-10% was contaminated with the virus. That means that everyone receiving blood transfusions before that time, would be wise to be checked for hep C. It is a specifically requested test, it will not show up in a standard blood test. You could have it and not have symptoms yet, so your doctor may have no idea you have it. The only way to know it to have the test done.

My family has all been tested, my father before he passed away (from throat cancer), my siblings, my husband, and my children... all tested negative. So while it is the second most serious of the hep C viruses, it is the most difficult to catch. It was identified on the heels of the AIDS scare so people thought it was spreading just as quickly and easily. But the sudden increase in cases was because they finally had a way to test for it. Since that time, it has been discovered that while it can be spread, it was not spreading at the alarming rate they first thought.



selahgirl -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/20/2008 1:30:28 PM)

Day 1 (8-18-08):
Took the treatment for the first time.

Day 2 (8-19-08):
Woke up a little more thirsty than usual.

Day 3 (8-20-08):
Woke up thirsty again, and with a sore throat.
But my sinuses are draining a little, so it may not be from the treatment.
Drank some water, and it felt much better.
My energy level still seems unchanged.



manda59 -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/20/2008 1:53:14 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: selahgirl
yes, I did 6 months of interferon in 1994, with no sustained results.

and I just completed a year of combination therapy using interferon/ribavirin, weekly shots coupled with six pills a day. It also resulted in no sustained response.

Thanks for asking. Do you have Hep C?




No, but I have 3 friends with it, or rather 2, as one has been totally cured of it for 4 or 5 years. She and her husband both had it, from the lifestyle they used to live before they were Christians.



pumpkin -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/20/2008 1:58:46 PM)

you aren't taking a "silver solution" are you?
that's the only thing I know of that is "medicinal" that tastes like water. Also, they have a list about a mile long of things it supposedly helps.



solo_soprano22 -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/20/2008 3:16:23 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: selahgirl

Thanks Monamie, I have bookmarked the site.
I wish that there was not so much tension between the established medical community and the natural remedies camp. Some people seem to have bridged that gap, and it makes it really nice for people that are just trying to get well ^_^


Sometimes my problem with natural things is mechanism of action; many times I find that the mechanism of drug is known or formulated to specifically thwart a known viral or bacterial mechanism. Many times I find with the natural remedies no one can give me the mechanism, or that the mechanism is unknown altogether. [8|] I really just think it's something everyone should know about the drugs or herbs that they consume (plus something may have multiple mechanisms that act on two things when we thought it was just acting on one). That does contribute to some tension between the two communities, but I think it's a good starting point to address. I think both could really benefit from each other, but there'd have to be cooperation from both "sides." :)



selahgirl -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/20/2008 4:28:23 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: solo_soprano22

quote:

ORIGINAL: selahgirl

Thanks Monamie, I have bookmarked the site.
I wish that there was not so much tension between the established medical community and the natural remedies camp. Some people seem to have bridged that gap, and it makes it really nice for people that are just trying to get well ^_^


Sometimes my problem with natural things is mechanism of action; many times I find that the mechanism of drug is known or formulated to specifically thwart a known viral or bacterial mechanism. Many times I find with the natural remedies no one can give me the mechanism, or that the mechanism is unknown altogether. [8|] I really just think it's something everyone should know about the drugs or herbs that they consume (plus something may have multiple mechanisms that act on two things when we thought it was just acting on one). That does contribute to some tension between the two communities, but I think it's a good starting point to address. I think both could really benefit from each other, but there'd have to be cooperation from both "sides." :)

wow, this is really good. This is the starting place. I am seeing more and more attempts to bridge the two sides. As circles emerge that are willing to work together for the wholeness of people's health, I think everyone will benefit. But there is big money involved behind the scenes on one side, and a lack of the knowledge of the mechanisms and certain information on both sides that can sometimes hinder such efforts. Thanks for your comments, I found them insightful.



zmanfan38 -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/20/2008 10:50:55 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: monamie

My doctor treated his father-in-law with products from this source. The FIL had hep C for quite some time, then after treated with the Brown Juice and LC Balancer, he was hep C free. His MD's couldn't understand it and claimed he probably hadn't had it in the first place. But after years of testing positive, I think that's highly unlikely.



He's still Hep C free.

Mona, do you know if they checked his HepC antibody titer? If he has ever had the virus, he will have antibodies to it in his blood for life, even if a test for the virus itself (like a PCR test) is non-reactive or negative.




Selahgirl, I'll be reading your posts here and praying for you.



selahgirl -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/21/2008 2:18:57 PM)

Day 4 (8-21-2008):

I increased my water intake a little yesterday, so I wasn't as thirsty this morning.
Tho my throat was still a little sore (could still have been from sinus stuff).

I have been taking Nexium for a couple months, daily. But I have not taken them since I started the treatment. So far I haven't needed them, but will resume them if the stomach pains return. Still too early to tell any marked changes.

My energy is up a little more, tho not a great deal. But it usually cycles anyway. Most often, I have about 2-3 down days, then I bounce back. But occasionally it lasts 7-10 days, as has been the case recently. I've still been able to keep up with the needs of my family. Much praise to God <3



solo_soprano22 -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/21/2008 4:52:45 PM)

Selah, may I ask what other treatments you've tried? You don't have to answer if you don't want to; I'm just curious.

Have you tried therapy that will make the complement to the ssRNA from the virus? I'm not sure if that's possible... I don't spend much time studying viruses right now, but I know how they work in general. (In graduate school [assuming I'm accepted], I'll be studying viruses' roles in cell damage/death and cancer formation-- for example, how HPV degrades/ubiquitinates p53, which then can contribute to cervical cancer/DNA damage/cell damage/cell death, but I'll be studying a wide array of viruses and bacteria that cause these problems...including all of the "Hep" viruses). I'm not sure if the codons for Hep C are known, or if it mutates regularly (I know some viruses mutate well). If it does, I can see a therapy like that not working. If not, I wonder if there can be a synthesized complementary strand of RNA made...then the Hep C strand will join with that and be destroyed by Dicer... or something else can get it to dice it up.

There may be reasons why that can't work; I'm not a Hep C expert by any means.



selahgirl -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/21/2008 8:14:13 PM)

I'm not familiar with the compliment therapy you've mentioned. I have tried some natural herbs and oils, but ran into complications when I found out that they were thinning my blood. I also have an undiagnosed bleeding disorder that was discovered at the same time as the Hep C in 1993. They think that that was the reason I unexpectedly lost so much blood during the surgery in 1979.

It is also believed that it may be a hereditary disorder since my mother bled to death from an injury and my daughter also shows signs of low clotting factors. Perhaps running in the women of my family. They have tested for Von Willebronds disease (msp'd I'm sure), and other disorders, but all tests were negative.

The only treatments I've tried medically were the two mentioned above involving Interferon and Ribavirin. Yes, the virus is known to morph very readily, which has been part of the reason they have had trouble pinning down an effective treatment. There are already a number of different types and strains of it out there. Some strains are curable using the Interferon/Ribavirin treatments. Unfortunately, the strain I have is pretty resistant, and I was not given very good odds when taking the treatment. It proved to be accurate, as it did not have a lasting effect. Levels of the virus dropped to undetectable when I finished the treatment, but very quickly jumped back up into the hundred thousands and have continued to climb.

I pray God blesses you thru your studies and as you complete graduate school. I'm sure he will use you to help many people ^_^



selahgirl -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/22/2008 9:48:36 AM)

Day 5 (8-22-2008):

Woke up with a very sore throat, but drank very little water yesterday. A glass this morning helped alot. No marked changes in energy.

Have had alot of trouble sleeping at night for a while now. Having to nap during some days may contribute to that. My doctor gave me some meds to help me sleep at night. They are the lowest dose he can give, but it takes me about three days to shake the effects completely. Really puts me in a fog, so I seldom take them unless I have three days to recover. Usually I take a benedryl or drink a glass of wine if I need help sleeping. Although that too is avoided if possible, because both also cause me to be slightly groggy thru the day. The wine not so much, but the benedryl does.

I took a benedryl last night, and am feeling a little fog this morning. But it kinda makes me attribute the sore throat to the treatment, since the Benedryl usually dries up my sinuses. I think an increase in water on a regular basis would make a huge difference, but I struggle with that discipline. Working on it.

Had pizza last night and felt a little burn in my stomach, but nothing like usual. Tomato sauce usually sets me on fire. Woke up fine and still not taking the Nexium. This treatment is also supposed to help with such stomach/acid issues. Taking pills feels very unnatural for me, always has, so I avoid it when possible. Will often ride out a headache until it just gets unbearable and I have to take something for it.



selahgirl -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/23/2008 10:53:22 AM)

Day 6 (8-23-2008):

Really struggling to increase my water intake as my body seems to be craving more of it. I drink so little of it. I drink so little of anything. Coffee and water are pretty much all I drink. Occasionally a soda. I drink maybe two bottles of water a day and 2-4 cups of coffee... and maybe a glass of tea or juice or soda. I sip on drinks very very slowly thru the day. I've never been able to finish a whole can of soda before it becomes really warm and stale... and my coffee always ends up cold about halfway thru it, so I seldom drink it hot.

Energy is still leveled off and remaining kinda low.

My stomach was very punchy yesterday and today. Rushing to the restroom a couple times last night and today. Not sure if it was the pizza or the treatment cleaning my system. But my system seems to be out of whack much more than usual. My stomach continued to have a mild burn off and on yesterday, but last night and this morning not so much.

I have noticed that the Hep Rash has been much less aggressive the past two nights. Some people get it and some don't, my doctors have not even been able to explain it. Some haven't even heard of it or seen it. But in the evenings, my skin (as part of the immune system) becomes hyper sensitive. It flares up in hives and rashes anywhere that it is scratched or handled roughly. And it itches unbearably. It is not every night, it seems to cycle according to how tired or fatigued I am. And it moves.

It will flare up on my arm, and when the itching/scratching becomes so unbearable... I can start scratching my other arm or my leg and the rash will move to that spot and leave the other. If I can get somewhere cool and not scratch it, it will leave in like 20 to 30 minutes. That is also part of the reason I take Benedryl at night sometimes.

Last night I had no rash, which is a sign that I'm less fatigued. And I didn't take anything to help me sleep. Although the Benedryl from the two previous nights still had me in a fog. No one is really sure if the rash is even related to the Hep or not. And it almost never flares up in the day, unless I am just grossly fatigued. Which happens on occasion.



selahgirl -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/24/2008 5:30:20 PM)

Day 7 (8-24-2008):

My stomach is still really punchy and the bathroom is calling my name more often. I feel pretty sure that it is the treatment cleaning out my system rather than just being something I ate. I'm trusting that things will calm down as my system adjusts.

I ate some safer food yesterday, but my stomach was still burning a good bit. So I took some Nexium. I'm gonna wait a couple days and then try to stop using the Nexium again. My sinuses continue to drain, so I think that is contributing to my lower energy. Probably just an allergy thing that will pass soon.

This is only the first week. They say it takes about two weeks to notice any real change, and usually a month for any substantial change. So far so good, the treatment seems to be having some kind of affect. We'll see if that affect is positive or negative in a couple weeks. Hopefully my allergies will clear up and my energy will bounce back.



selahgirl -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/26/2008 6:19:50 AM)

Day 8 (8-25-2008):

Continuing the treatment, stomach still punchy, but not as painful.
Sinuses still getting worse, but storms are in our area so that my be the cause of that. Not sure.

Woke up still feeling stretched for energy, but it was the best morning I've had in a while. It's kinda hard to explain how I feel, kinda yucky but kinda better at the same time. Maybe that my body feels out of whack, but my senses feel a little clearer/crisper somehow.

No new side effects, but definitely feel like my system is cleaning itself out. Which is pretty amazing to me since the treatment involves so little.



selahgirl -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/27/2008 11:33:56 PM)

Day 9 (8-26-2008):

Not much change to note.
Stomach is a little better.


Day 10 (8-27-2008):

Stomach still improving, but still churning.

Sinus seems much better. Water intake hasn't increased much, but I've cut the coffee back a little and added a little more water.

Not much improvement yet. But I'm only just approaching Day 11.

My energy is horrible. Dropped a little last night, but today was tough. Still carried through my day and got most everything done. But really really exhausted tonite. Just wanted to crawl in a bed somewhere and not move all day but couldn't.

Best way to describe days like this is to compare them to a migraine in your blood. If I had the energy and the time, I think I would just sit somewhere and continuously scream. I know that sounds terrible. But it is a gnawing ache that remains with no relief. You just learn to bear it and live life. You make yourself ignore it. You don't complain about it to the people you love, because it only makes them feel helpless. Thank goodness days like this eventually pass. It should be any day now.



selahgirl -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/29/2008 9:20:10 AM)

Day 11 (8-28-2008)

Energy still very low, but a little better.

Feel like I have a sinus cold.
Waking up with a sore throat again, worse this time.
Not much change otherwise.

Still not sure what's associated with the treatment or not. Was told that the stomach thing is, but don't know about the sinus. It almost feels like the onset of the flu, which is how the Interferon was supposed to make me feel. But the side effects of the interferon ended up being somewhat mild. I feel worse now. May be the treatment, maybe not.



selahgirl -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/30/2008 10:10:33 AM)

Day 12 (8-29-2008):

not much change.

energy still very low but improving a little.
very thirsty, sore throat in the morning is worse,
sinus cold symptoms remain.



Kat_D -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/30/2008 1:04:40 PM)

Is this a clinical trial where you don't know if you are getting the actual treatment or a placebo?

If so, I would question whether your symptoms are a reaction to the treatment or an exacerbation of your disease from lack of treatment, (especially the fatigue).

Aren't you in daily contact with the clinical trial research department to ask about the symptoms you are experiencing?



solo_soprano22 -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/30/2008 1:16:27 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Kat_D

Is this a clinical trial where you don't know if you are getting the actual treatment or a placebo?

If so, I would question whether your symptoms are a reaction to the treatment or an exacerbation of your disease from lack of treatment, (especially the fatigue).

Aren't you in daily contact with the clinical trial research department to ask about the symptoms you are experiencing?


I thought about that too. [8|] But it seems like (from the OP) that's she's actually taking it on her own (apart from a doc, etc).

(Of course she can answer her own question; I thought maybe you hadn't seen the first post. [;)])



Kat_D -> RE: Trial: Treating Hep C? (8/30/2008 1:29:35 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: solo_soprano22

quote:

ORIGINAL: Kat_D

Is this a clinical trial where you don't know if you are getting the actual treatment or a placebo?

If so, I would question whether your symptoms are a reaction to the treatment or an exacerbation of your disease from lack of treatment, (especially the fatigue).

Aren't you in daily contact with the clinical trial research department to ask about the symptoms you are experiencing?


I thought about that too. [8|] But it seems like (from the OP) that's she's actually taking it on her own (apart from a doc, etc).

(Of course she can answer her own question; I thought maybe you hadn't seen the first post. [;)])


Oh thanks, Solo, I did miss that.

Frankly, if I had a serious illness, I would never entertain the thought of becoming a guinea pig, even for the professionals.

That said, I do hope Selah hasn't forsaken conventional medical treatment and had the blessing of her medical team before engaging in this experiment.



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