Drugs and Hep C

Hepatitis C steals in quietly to do its damage

Andrew thought he had a problem when he broke his elbow a few years ago, but as it turned out, the fracture was a blessing in disguise. Because of the lab tests that were done when the elbow refused to heal, and then again before his third surgery, he discovered he had hepatitis C.

"Breaking my elbow turned out to be a good thing," said the 50-year-old business owner, who asked that his last name not be used. "I had no clue that I had hepatitis C. I had absolutely no symptoms. A lot of people find out with liver failure."

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A liver biopsy later revealed that Andrew also had stage 3 cirrhosis. Doctors guessed that the virus, which is spread by blood-to-blood contact, had been present for 10 or 15 years. About two years ago, he finished an

11-month-long course of therapy ---- weekly injections and oral antivirals ---- and is feeling well. Taking the medications had side effects, but it was well worth it, he said.

"I have a liver again," he said.

"Hepatitis C is a surreptitious disease," explained Sarah Aberle, an Escondido registered nurse who moderates a support group for those with the virus.

"Someone could be walking around with hepatitis C for 20 years and not know it. It's very important to get tested if you had a blood transfusion prior to 1992, or have used intravenous and/or nasal drugs in the past."

Here are the facts:

- About 4 million people in this country have hepatitis C.

- Twenty percent of these will develop cirrhosis.

- Four percent will develop liver cancer.

- The standard treatment is an oral medication twice a day and an Interferon injection once a week. About half of those on this therapy respond favorably.

- There are new treatment strategies for those who don't respond to the conventional medications that include higher doses of medication, longer durations of therapy and new add-on medications.

- Hepatitis C is now the leading cause for liver transplantation.

Dick, 51, of Escondido is among those for whom first-line therapy didn't work. He is participating in a local trial testing the addition of a third drug to the usual two-drug therapy. To help him cope, he attends Aberle's monthly support group in Vista. "When I found out the first treatment didn't work, I was devastated," he related. "I found Sarah's group and have been going ever since. It's helped me realize there are other people out there with the same problems. The group can help the freshly diagnosed to tell them that they can go through the treatment. It helps me to give others information and I get information."


Web resources:

- American Liver Foundation ---- www.liverfoundation.org

- Mayo Clinic ---- http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hepatitis-c/DS00097/DSECTION=2

- National Institutes of Health ---- http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000284.htm

For lists of clinical trials, visit http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_c/hepc_clin.html.

The Hepatitis C Support Group meets monthly at Sharp Mission Park Medical Center, 130 Cedar Road, Vista. The free meetings are open to the public. The next meeting is from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 11 at Tri City Medical Center, 4002 Vista Way, Oceanside, Assembly Room 1 (lower level ). The free meeting includes a buffet dinner (served at 6 p.m.) and speaker Scott Moon, a physician's assistant who specializes in working with people with hepatitis. Reservations necessary; call Aberle at (760) 806-5870.