I Have Hep C And Am Going For Biopsy On Friday. The Dr. Said We Can Talk About Treatments After He See's The Shape My Liver Is In. Has Anybody Been On The Interferon Drug, If So How Was It? I Heard The Side Effects Are Bad. Just Read A Post About A Biopsy And They Went In Through His Jugular, Why Not Just Go In On The Side Down Where Your Liver Is? Starting To Freak Out Already! Thanks For All Replys!!!

Follow the link below for a description of how Infergen has affected me.

http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?p=2294889#post2294889

I Have Hep C And Am Going For Biopsy On Friday. The Dr. Said We Can Talk About Treatments After He See's The Shape My Liver Is In. Has Anybody Been On The Interferon Drug, If So How Was It? I Heard The Side Effects Are Bad. Just Read A Post About A Biopsy And They Went In Through His Jugular, Why Not Just Go In On The Side Down Where Your Liver Is? Starting To Freak Out Already! Thanks For All Replys!!!
Interferon is a chemotherapy that causes nausea, vomiting, aches and pains and can sometimes cause more problems than the hep C. The major decision that you want to make is to decide whether or not the disease is stable or is getting worse before you decide to treat. I have no clue as to why the doctor would have gone through the jugler vein to do a biopsy. I would think that the information would be that a pic line was placed near the juglar and that the actual liver biopsy was done through the rib cage area. A pic line or porta catheter would be where the chemo would be given so that they did not have to keep sticking the patient with needles.

I trans-jugular liver biopsy is done when the docs need to know exactly what is going on inside your liver. the little camera goes from your jugular vein all the way to your liver and checks out your hepatic vein and other big vessels.

Only doctors at large medical centers with interventional radiology depts. attempt this, I believe. I had one last year and am getting ready to have another one. It sounds much worse than it is. I was given lots of drugs and had absolutely no anxiety or pain with this test.

theres a new breath test available in australia now that does away with the need for liver biopsy. it is not totally freely available. i would never have a liver biopsy, im not a guinea pig but the breath test is certainly something i will look at to check out the true state of my liver. iv had this disease for over 30 year, am 48 yo and keep pretty well and work.
why the biopsy i ask, its not going to change anything for you.

I Have Hep C And Am Going For Biopsy On Friday. The Dr. Said We Can Talk About Treatments After He See's The Shape My Liver Is In. Has Anybody Been On The Interferon Drug, If So How Was It? I Heard The Side Effects Are Bad. Just Read A Post About A Biopsy And They Went In Through His Jugular, Why Not Just Go In On The Side Down Where Your Liver Is? Starting To Freak Out Already! Thanks For All Replys!!!
Do not worry,i know its hard they will go in through the last two ribs with like a pen syringe that will collect a sample of your liver i would be lying if said it did not hurt me it was displaced pain in my shoulder and was not unbearable but some don't even feel it my biopsy was number 5 out of 24 in damage thats after 15yrs heavy heroin use and binge drinking and hep c for most of those i guess i am 26 weeks into the peg interferon Tx and its been hard but i am non detectable now so there is loads of reasons to go for the Tx if you are good candidate and not many not too, be strong i know its frightening i am still scared and sometimes you read things and attach them to yourself but its important to deal with what you have not what could happen my heart is with you more than you will know

Hey I recently finished the Interferon treatment. My doc decided that I would do the 48 week treatment regimen instead of the 26 week one.

I just had my 6 month post treatment bloodwork-ups done. I am now Hep C RNA negative.

You asked about side effects. Well, I have a story for you. When my doc was rattling off the list of side effects of the drug I kept saying " Oh, I won't get that" until she got to the weight loss side effect. At that point I jokingly said that I would take that side effect! She looked at me like I had two heads and told me that I couldn't pick and choose my side effects. I am a firm believer in the power of positive thinking and I explained that to her. She basicly told me that I was crazy and to be prepared to be extremely sick.

For the first 26 weeks the only side effect I experienced was weight loss! I continued to work full-time. I am a nurse so my work is physically demanding.

I had to take a leave of absence shorty after that. The side effects were so severe that I could barely move from one room to another without becoming physically ill. On a positive note I am free of Hep C and I lost over 85 pounds that I could not lose no matter what I tried to get rid of it. It is eight months since I have been on the drug and I have not put the weight on.

Yes the side effects were severe when I finally started to experince them, however it was completely worth the aggravation to rid myself of Hep C and I would go through it again in a heartbeat.

Good Luck in your treatment and I hope this post was some help.