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Post Triple Therapy Side Effects: Joint Pain/Stiffness
Finished triple therapy Jan 28, 13. (early) due to side effects and now I am experiencing joint pain, stiffnes that
started a couple months after treatment.
When I sit for any period of time, my hips are so stiff and my feet are stiff too. My feet feel like they can't hold me up. Ambulation is not so easy. After a few moments of being up on my feet and walking the discomfort and stiffness goes away. I am also experiencing wrist pain, carpel tunnel type symptoms in one hand that I dont use much for writing or anything. Wakes me up at night. I am not over weight and I am very active. I don't understand what is going on. I was checked for autoimmun diseases and that was negative. My hep doctor denies any knowledge of such side effects post treatment and tells me this is what happens when we age. No way. No Way! I have worked out my whole life and am very active, before treatment I did kick boxing, zumba, weight lifting, pilates and yoga. No I can't do those things yet to the degree that I was before, but I am working on getting my strength and endurance back. I understand it take time, but...
Is any one else experiencing joint problems after treatment? What have you done to treat and did you get back to normal? I started taking supplemts: glucosamine, chrondroitin and msm to try and help but not so far. Triple therapy turned my body inside out and although I am feeling much better then I did when I was on treatment, these side effects are new to my body. I feel like an 80 year old instead of an active 50 something.. Thank you for any advice or sharing of your post treatment new side effects.
started a couple months after treatment.
When I sit for any period of time, my hips are so stiff and my feet are stiff too. My feet feel like they can't hold me up. Ambulation is not so easy. After a few moments of being up on my feet and walking the discomfort and stiffness goes away. I am also experiencing wrist pain, carpel tunnel type symptoms in one hand that I dont use much for writing or anything. Wakes me up at night. I am not over weight and I am very active. I don't understand what is going on. I was checked for autoimmun diseases and that was negative. My hep doctor denies any knowledge of such side effects post treatment and tells me this is what happens when we age. No way. No Way! I have worked out my whole life and am very active, before treatment I did kick boxing, zumba, weight lifting, pilates and yoga. No I can't do those things yet to the degree that I was before, but I am working on getting my strength and endurance back. I understand it take time, but...
Is any one else experiencing joint problems after treatment? What have you done to treat and did you get back to normal? I started taking supplemts: glucosamine, chrondroitin and msm to try and help but not so far. Triple therapy turned my body inside out and although I am feeling much better then I did when I was on treatment, these side effects are new to my body. I feel like an 80 year old instead of an active 50 something.. Thank you for any advice or sharing of your post treatment new side effects.
Hips, Ow! My hips!
Had Pegasus and Ribavarin treatment for 4 months that didn't work. My hips hurt after that, but it healed after about a year.
Finished 11 months of triple therapy in July 2012 and was cured! Hooray!However I still have immense pain. In that time I have discovered that once I'm moving I'm ok. It's getting moving from a sedentary position that can be excruciating. I try to sit on kitchen chairs when I have to get up and down. It's easier to push off the table to get up and move.
If I stand or walk for any length of time my spine, lower back, legs and hips feel as if I'm going to collapse into myself. If I can sit for a while it's ok again.
I love walking with long strides. That is sure to punish me now. Invariably the next day my hips are throbbing.
There was a time that I would have attributable this to age, (60), but since the same thing happened right after the first treatment and I saw it happening again with the second I know that it's not my age.
My doctors at University Hospital claim that they've never heard of this and don't see how it would connect, but going on-line and seeing all of you have the very same issues and my seeing it comes on as I was further into therapy shows me the theraphy is the cause.
I keep hoping that it will stop like it did after the first treatment (after a year), but it's been nearly two years... I'm still hoping..
The key is to get moving, but not too much. Getting out of bed, going up stairs or even into the truck can make me want to cry. Once I am moving I feel good, unless it's too mch. Sigh... This is not easy.
I have started my vitamins again and Glucosamine joint juice. It may be actually helping or a placebo, but it does seem to help...
Once it's a little warmer I'll use the hot tub too - that's wonderful, floating pain free. No pressure on my hips.. However getting in the tub hurts and even getting dressed does..
I try to hide this from others. Hate to be thought of as 'that person' who is showing off her pain.. - which can make it worse, since people ask me to do little tasks for them, ie: run upstairs and grab this or that, etc.. OW!
If I say anything it's, "Oh my bones have locked again." I won't say, " Damn - This hurts like Hell and I want to Scream!!!", (like I'd like too:)
That's it. Guess I just needed to vent. Keep moving guys, and let me know if anything new comes up to help - thanks and Good luck!
I am so glad you are feeling better! You are an example of what I was saying above and our light at the other side of the tunnel! 21 months and improvements are still coming.
I wanted to be back to "Normal" with in 6 months after my therapy ended. That was an unattainable goal. I talked to someone who didn't add aerobics until a year after ending triple therapy. Then he was going very slow, only once a week at first and not doing the whole hour.
Recovery is individualized. Some experienced worse side effects then others. Some will recover sooner then others. But, There is so much hope for everyone if we give our bodies the time we need to heal.
Patience is what I have told myself when I get tired of being tired & weak. And I keep going working slowly and softly on getting my strength back.
I went to eat the other day. Crab legs. Never needed utensils, just my hands and I could whip through a few pounds in nothing flat. This time to my surprise I didn't have the strength in my hands to bend & crack the shells. Initially I was overcome with sadness. Then gave myself a break, at 10 months post triple therapy, I am recovering. Now I take a tennis ball on my walks and I pass it back and forth between my hands squeezing tightly, knowing I am strengthening my muscles again and I will soon whip those shells off that crab meat, no problem!
I wish our loved ones could understand just because we look better on the outside, it doesn't mean we are back 100% on the inside. I think that is one of the hardest parts of recovery for me.
I don't talk about it very much with my loved ones because I am busy living life, I know they don't want to hear it and I am doing the best I can, but sometimes I have to remind them.
Like when you are 10 months post triple therapy and 3 grandchildren come for 8 days all under age of 6 and you need to rest a few days when they leave, LOL!
I hope all get out and walk everyday just a little. Nature, fresh air, birds singing, muscles working helps heal our body & mind and refreshens our souls. Find a routine that works for you. Add light exercise, strength training a little at a time. Don't push hard, listen to your bodies. If you are sore, exhausted. Maybe it is too soon. Rest when you need it but do walk everyday. Drink lots of water and eat healthy.
Recovery that's my goal, one month at a time :)
Hugs!
I wanted to be back to "Normal" with in 6 months after my therapy ended. That was an unattainable goal. I talked to someone who didn't add aerobics until a year after ending triple therapy. Then he was going very slow, only once a week at first and not doing the whole hour.
Recovery is individualized. Some experienced worse side effects then others. Some will recover sooner then others. But, There is so much hope for everyone if we give our bodies the time we need to heal.
Patience is what I have told myself when I get tired of being tired & weak. And I keep going working slowly and softly on getting my strength back.
I went to eat the other day. Crab legs. Never needed utensils, just my hands and I could whip through a few pounds in nothing flat. This time to my surprise I didn't have the strength in my hands to bend & crack the shells. Initially I was overcome with sadness. Then gave myself a break, at 10 months post triple therapy, I am recovering. Now I take a tennis ball on my walks and I pass it back and forth between my hands squeezing tightly, knowing I am strengthening my muscles again and I will soon whip those shells off that crab meat, no problem!
I wish our loved ones could understand just because we look better on the outside, it doesn't mean we are back 100% on the inside. I think that is one of the hardest parts of recovery for me.
I don't talk about it very much with my loved ones because I am busy living life, I know they don't want to hear it and I am doing the best I can, but sometimes I have to remind them.
Like when you are 10 months post triple therapy and 3 grandchildren come for 8 days all under age of 6 and you need to rest a few days when they leave, LOL!
I hope all get out and walk everyday just a little. Nature, fresh air, birds singing, muscles working helps heal our body & mind and refreshens our souls. Find a routine that works for you. Add light exercise, strength training a little at a time. Don't push hard, listen to your bodies. If you are sore, exhausted. Maybe it is too soon. Rest when you need it but do walk everyday. Drink lots of water and eat healthy.
Recovery that's my goal, one month at a time :)
Hugs!
This is such a good thread. Thank you all so very much
Since I wrote,back in September I have improved dramatically. I am wondering if my frozen shoulder was a blessing in disguise. It got me up early in the morning for physical therapy twice a week plus doing daily PT at home. . I feel so much better now that I am active again. I am out every day now doing something. The last 6 or 7 weeks have been a huge change for me.
It takes time to recover. It has been 21 months since I finished the triple. I am feeling better every day now. It did take a while but the alternative was not pretty :)
I still have an occasional brain twinge :) but I am improving, going forward and it is working.
I wish I had listened to Orphaned Hawk when I finished tx, when she said to do some yoga, gentle stretches, walking just a bit.
I finally understood, I could feel bad sitting around or I could feel bad walking.
My first walk was amazing, I used muscles I had forgotten I had.:)
Thank you again everyone :)
Since I wrote,back in September I have improved dramatically. I am wondering if my frozen shoulder was a blessing in disguise. It got me up early in the morning for physical therapy twice a week plus doing daily PT at home. . I feel so much better now that I am active again. I am out every day now doing something. The last 6 or 7 weeks have been a huge change for me.
It takes time to recover. It has been 21 months since I finished the triple. I am feeling better every day now. It did take a while but the alternative was not pretty :)
I still have an occasional brain twinge :) but I am improving, going forward and it is working.
I wish I had listened to Orphaned Hawk when I finished tx, when she said to do some yoga, gentle stretches, walking just a bit.
I finally understood, I could feel bad sitting around or I could feel bad walking.
My first walk was amazing, I used muscles I had forgotten I had.:)
Thank you again everyone :)
Thanks to following this entire thread I will be patient in my recovery.
The only thing that worries me is getting back my strength.
Enough to walk around the block and up the stairs. That's all I want!
I have noted the uric acid and agree with floridian7's comments about seeing any more doctors for a while. Just forgetting the 8am/pm drug schedule will be good!
If things don't improve, what do you think about seeing a rheumatologist?
The only thing that worries me is getting back my strength.
Enough to walk around the block and up the stairs. That's all I want!
I have noted the uric acid and agree with floridian7's comments about seeing any more doctors for a while. Just forgetting the 8am/pm drug schedule will be good!
If things don't improve, what do you think about seeing a rheumatologist?
I don't think you are stubborn at all. The treatment produces such a beating to every cell in our bodies that we have to allow our bodies time to heal from the cellular level up. It takes over a year and sometimes longer to restore the damage from the treatment we used to cure hepatitis c . I found the muscle and joints get worse after stopping therapy as the accumulation of medications continue to work or exist in our bodies for 6 months post stopping therapy. That takes it's toll on our bodies. We have to nurture our bodies back to health. Some one who breaks a bone can take months to heal, we injured every cell in our body. That takes time to recover. I don't want to see anyone about these side effects for similiar reasons as you Brandi: #1 treatment side effect so sever they can cause psuedo symptoms of diseases. #2 I don't know how much recovery is possible until I give my body the time it needs to heal #3 I don't know how much time it takes to heal and I think a year or year and a half is warranted before I go looking for something else to be wrong. #4 I had so many doctor appointments and extra specialist to see for so many side effects, I am also tired of paying and extra appointments to go to and don't want to see some one else until I give my body time to heal. If I am not healing and get worse after suffecient efforts I will definately go see someoen.
The journey is different and the same for each of us. Hang in there, think positive and take good care of you everyone! Hugs to all!!!
The journey is different and the same for each of us. Hang in there, think positive and take good care of you everyone! Hugs to all!!!
No I haven't seen another Dr for the pain yet. I've been kind of resistant to going somewhere new and being told I have some other problem after everything I've been through with the Hep C and treatment. But I'm so glad u got answers and a medication that's helping. If my pain continues despite my current efforts then I will look into it. Thank you for the advice. I'm just being stubborn.
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It really does take time and if you were once an active person I am sure you feel impatient.
I believe my joint pain which was severe was a result of HCV. However, I felt so bad during treatment I was barely mobile which I believe worsened my condition.
I have found gentle or restorative yoga to be helpful. My joints had hurt so bad I as afraid to exercise them for a long time. I began to swim and when I found the movement to be pain free, it gave me the confidence to try the yoga moves. It is helping.
Like I have been told countless times, be patient and just stay with it, when you find the that exercises work for you.
I believe in time you will improve.
I wish you all the best.