I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Off-Topic => Other Severe Medical Conditions => Topic started by: annabanana on March 21, 2008, 06:42:56 AM
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Randy's neph told us that HepC has caused his ckd and that treatment for HepC will probably cure his kidney problems.
He's in stage 4 ckd and getting worse pretty quickly now. Can't keep his potassium down anymore, even with the strict diet. Takes polystyrene every other day.
I guess my question is this: can his one kidney recuperate from this failure if he responds to the HepC meds? I've read that once you get to this stage, it's difficult.
He hasn't had a liver biopsy yet. Waiting (as we all do... :banghead;) on the doctor...
A.
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annabanana :cuddle; I can't answer your questions but wanted you to know I'm thinking of you. Good Luck and keep us posted on Randy.
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Thanks. I will know more today, I hope, when I get his blood test results via snail mail. He goes in Tues. for more blood work.
The neph had to write a letter to his hepatologist to get him to schedule R. for a liver biopsy. Haven't heard back yet. We need a "waiting" smiley, don't we?
A.
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I don't even want to answer this but since you've asked, I must. My spouse was first told that his hep c caused his kidney failure. The neph said they would be able to turn it around and that his kidneys would get better. After they pushed him to go on interferon, he had a gut bleed. The docs then determined that he is someone who can't go on interferon. I don't want to scare you but on the day my spouse was told he was going to need dialysis to stay alive, the neph muttered under his breath that interferon destroys kidneys. Right from the beginning, the docs said that his was a complicated case and it seems that everytime they tried to fix one thing, they broke another. However, they've also kept him alive. I think in his case, it was a case of the lesser of the two evils. Now, Randy might be different and I really hope your guy has better luck than mine. Whatever you do, research and ask a lot of questions.
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Thinking of you, anna, and hoping the results are as good as possible.
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Thanks, everyone, for the good thoughts.
TW...Thank you for telling me the truth about your husband. I've been reading about him a lot because I knew he had HepC. I also have been seeing in my research that interferon and ribavirin hurt the kidneys.
Also that R's type of HepC does not respond to therapy very well. He has other issues related to HepC, too. They say his cancer is not related but I'm afraid it is. I got his blood work numbers today and they are slowly turning worse.
It's very frightening.
For all those with HepC who read this: Please dont think this will happen to you. Randy has had HepC for 30 years (unknowingly) He's been an alcoholic and smoked all these years, and done other drugs in his youth. He quit drinking right before his surgery last August. Those with HepC need to know that drinking any kind of alcohol will make matters so much worse, as I believe it has with Randy. And he's only 50 years old.
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You're welcome Anna. My heart dropped into my gut when I read this post and believe me, I didn't want to tell you what I did. I think it's important to know these things. One thing we've discovered is that the doctors never tell you the possible side effects unless you ask. Always ask. After his gut bleed, they stopped the interferon and nobody wants to talk about it. It makes me think they're trying to cover up something, or they don't know and can't admit they don't know. So, what's happened to his hep c? Did he lose so much blood that it brought the hep c down? Did the new blood they gave him to save his life that day do something to the hep c? Of course, the doctors don't answer our questions. LL was also on ribavirin but they pulled him off of it just before the gut bleed. We really thought his kidneys were going to recover. In fact, they went from 25% to 37% after they stopped the interferon. Unfortunately though, he went into end stage renal failure a few months later and at that point there was no other option except dialysis. Well, there was another choice but we won't go into that. You know, this all just wants to make me cry. Big hugs to the both of you. I wish with all my heart that good things will happen for Randy.
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TW, I am very grateful for your honesty. I have been begging people (doctors) to be honest with me for months. I know they don't want to admit they don't know what's going on. What I know is that the research on this looks bad. And that "more research is needed."
Thank you for the big hugs and I return the thought. :cuddle;
A.