IABF%SNYCENVM.BITNET@oac.ucla.edu (Amy Francis) (12/06/90)
Hi I was wondering if anyone out there has heard of an experimental treatment for AIDS called VIFF7? A friend of mine, "Dean", whom I've written to you all about before so I won't give you his history (it's intersesting though and you may want to check it out in the archives) has been hiv+ for 5 years, he is ARC only because of thrush (which he doesn't get anymore), he has been surprisingly healthy and has been told by his Doctors that they don't know why he's alive...ANYWAY, he had his T-cell count done a couple of months ago it was 8. Suffice it to say, we were all shocked that he could be so low and still be relatively healthy...So, he took himself off of AZT (against his doctors orders) and he got Oral Alpha Interferon and some antibiotic, three weeks later his count was done again and he was up to 15 (almost double). His doctor, of course, shrugged this off (he didn't tell his doctor that he was doing the alpha because his doctor said that if he did any experimental treatment that he would drop Dean as a patient, real open minded fella) Then he went to Florida to try this VIFF7 treatment, he's just had his blood work done again and his count is now up to 22. NOW, his doctor is beginning to wonder why. Anyway, Dean has also started on Megase and he's gaining weight because of that (something he was unable to do before he was HIV+) and the weakness in his legs is all but gone...he says he hasn't felt this good in years and we're all really hopeful about the VIFF7...he's getting it done again in January. ALSO, during the recent round of blood work it was the first time he was screened for other blood borne disease (at my request because of what I read here about syphillis) and they've found that he has the antibodies for hepatitis C. "Dean" has not been sexually active since he was diagnosed (something for which he has my eternal respect), the only blood to blood contact that he has had have been doctor's needles for bloodwork (unlikely that he got it that way since they always? use new needles) So, it seems that "Dean" contracted the Hep C when he contracted HIV, 5 years ago (actually, more like 6 now). A couple of questions: 1) ever heard of VIFF7? 2) What are the symptoms of Hepatitis C? and how long can you have it and not know it? 3) How common is it for someone's t-cell count to go up as Dean's has? We were told by his doctor that the chances of it raising much above 8 were slim to none. 4) With someone like Dean who is defying the odds, why aren't more doctors interested in studying him? Seeing what's different? Sorry about the length...thanks for your input...Amy