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Anyone with Adrenal Exhaustion after treatment?

I finished 12 weeks of a clinical study regarding the new Merck drugs.  They were both protease inhibitors, mk-5172 and mk-8742.  I was pretty ill before I started treatment and believed that all the symptoms I had before tx were all Hep C related.  I guess some could have been to some extent.  

I have hypothyroidism, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, polyneuropathy, migraine headaches and major brain fog.  I do into these crashes or episodes wherein all my symptoms come on at once and I'm in pure pain.  I found out that I have severe adrenal exhaustion and probably had it for years but my GP didn't send me for any tests at all before I went on treatment.  I had to travel back and forth on the bus because the study is in Vancouver, BC which is about 200 miles from where I live.  So, all fall and winter I have been travelling back and forth on the Greyhound bus, yahoo!!  I had to get sick several times travelling on the bus in the tiny washroom on the back of the bus.

I did it though and have a SVR12 as of March 10th of this year!!!  That was all fine and dandy until I was not feeling any better after treatment even though I didn't have the virus anymore.  I saw a naturopathic/physician and found out from her that I have severe adrenal fatigue and there is a mile long of symptoms regarding this syndrome.  No wonder I was nauseaus every day for years and vomiting a lot as well.  That made more sense to me regarding these symptoms and at least they had a name.  

I'm taking hydrocortisone, DHEA, Synthroid for my thyroid and iron pills.  I also take a bunch of different supplements as well.  I was so disappointed that I didn't feel better a few weeks after treatment like a lot of people did but I had to get to the bottom of this.  I need to get back to work but part-time and I can't do that until these adrenal crashes start going away because they are too unpredictable.  I'm a single mum of a teenage daughter so its been tough taking care of myself and making sure I steer her in the right direction which has been difficult this year as she has been skipping here and there in high school.  The vice-principal and I are keeping tabs on her because she's a very bright girl and she definitely has to graduate.  Sometimes, I just don't have the energy to deal with a whole lot of issues.  

At least in Canada, we get a disability pension but it doesn't cover the inflation and there is 2 weeks after cheque day that people are just scraping by.  A person really needs to get some kind of part-time job just to make ends meet.  I'm workng on my adrenals so that my energy gets better but I was also wondering how you can get checked for any autoimmune diseases?  I have all the info about extra-hepatic diseases and really thought that I could have cryoglobulemia but I don't know.  I would have to go to Vancouver, BC to see a specialist there about these issues.  I may have a couple of problems on the list but not all of them.  

I just want to get on top of my health and finally make my life and my daughters life full of abundance as we have been living frugally for quite awhile.  This Hep C has made me so debilitated here and there and my life had been reduced to sitting inside all summer because of my unrelenting nausea and sometimes vomiting.  I just want my life back and be able to enjoy it, have fun and do things.  Also, maybe meet the love of my life sometime in the future.  That last guy turned into a real jerk and basically deserted me when I was very ill.  Sayanara to him as I don't want someone who is so impatient and has no compassion.  That was last October so I can start creating a better life.  

I also wanted to ask if anyone has had sore lymph nodes but not swollen ones?  Its off and on but I don't want to find out down the road that I have lymphoma and I'm not being a hypochondriac.  I don't want to miss a beat.  

I hope all of you aren't suffering too badly and if you had a kind and loving partner, kudos to you!!
Best Answer
317787 tn?1473358451
Hello, I just wanted to say congratulations for finishing your tx.  I am very happy for you.
I am sorry you are suffering. I had problems after treating.  it took me 18 months to start to feel better.  I have been told that is not the norm however I just wanted to say I never thought about getting my adrenals tested.  Good for you for looking into it, getting information and treating it.

I was so sick and tired after treating I could not make myself go to another doctor.  I really admire you so much for being able to find out what was wrong.  As I recovered I often wondered if the tx had caused some kind of deficiency but at the time I was having problems with my thyroid so thought it was that.  In hindsight I should have done more research.
I completely understand wanting your life back.  That was my mantra all during and after tx.  I also said "I want my brain back!"...oh and my hair :)
I just saw another post of yours about panic attacks.  About 10 years after I think I contracted HCV I started having panic attacks and the thought was that my thyroid was causing it.  I started on medication and it did help me quite a bit.  During tx, my thyroid got out of balance so that I was very hypo.
Thank you for sharing
Good luck to you
Dee
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317787 tn?1473358451
Hello, I promise you are not alone.  There is a post treatment forum you can take a look at.

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Hepatitis-C-Post-Treatment-Issues/show/1670

I am improving, all of the time.  I have made a lot of changes tomy diet, my activity level.  I could not do anything during tx and really respect people who could continue to work.  It did take me about 18 months to recover from the tx.  I improve every day.

Thank you for your kind message to me
Dee
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks so much for responding to me.  It just feels better that I'm not the only one.  I'm the same way with nausea and vomiting.  You get your health professionals telling you that you have to get exercising and I totally agree with them but how the hell can you when you feel like throwing up all the time!!!  If I didn't have the damn nausea then I could do exercise at a very calm and easy things like yoga, chigong, tai chi and walking a little.  I walked a little this evening so a start.  

Thanks so much for your support and its good to speak to someone who is experiencing that same problems.  My health is a full time job and I have a 15 year old to keep on the right track.  She's late for school quite often and missing some classes so I met with the vice-principal to be all the same page.  Then I get these calls from her school that she's missing this block and that block.  I was so upset last week that I put myself right back to all the nausea and vomiting every day.  

So now, i'm leaving the responsiblity up to her as I can't let myself get worked up about these issues.  She's old enough to face the consequences of her actions and needs to learn better responsibility.  I have to get better and de-stress as much as I can.  Thanks for your kind words.  Where are you at with all of this stuff?  I'm sorry you didn't get a SVR.  I pray that all of us get well!!  Take care!
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Avatar universal
Hi Dee.  Thank you so much with the reassurance about healing from tx.  Also, with the Adrenals depleted it causes a whole host of other problems especially the nausea and vomiting which no MD told me about.  They see you for 10 mins and run out the door.  The naturopath that I was speaking about is also a physician as well.  If it wasn't for her I would never know what the heck was wrong with me!!  I need to know so I can help myself the best I can in my end of the corner.  

It was hard to read that others where feel fabulous after treatment and I didn't at all and went into a huge adrenal crash where it took everything out of me.  In the last 2 years I had no good days at all and I was so desperate because if you don't have your health, you have nothing.  I can't allow myself to get too emotional about anything cause I go right back to dealing with horrendous symptoms.  I talk with my higher power a lot to help me.  
Do you think that you may have had this problem with adrenal fatigue, fibro and neuropathy?  This neuropathy is all in my upper body and it feels like my back has a bad sunburn and it moves around like a hot poker.  

Its really hard to keep saying to yourself, "I'm getting healed, I'm getting better" when you feel like total **** (sorry).  I cannot physically work at all yet but I did get offered a 5 to 6 hour a month job as I joined the Pacific Hepatitis Network in BC and they want me to take minutes for our annual monthly meetings.  At least its a teleconference meeting and I said I would take it on.  If I could be half well for this job thats fine but I never know.  I'll pray and wish me luck on that one.  

I'd like to know how you have been feeling and were you ever having disabilitating symptoms?  Did you or do you have a partner that is compassionate or do you live alone?   Its been hell but any little hour or two that I'm well, its a big celebration for me.  I don't feel so bad after hearing it took you 18 months to feel well.  Knowing that is a relief to me at least.  Thank for your kind words.  It helps that I'm not the only one!! Take care, Coreen
Helpful - 0
3093770 tn?1389739126
I am really sorry to hear you have all this effects. I know how hard it is to get a diagnose. I am lucky that I can use my private insurance and go to a specialist and runs specific tests.

As for naturopaths - I am sorry but they are not better. To start with there is somehow little foundation to what they say or prescribe. Same as you have good and bad doctors you also have good or bad naturopaths. Some will use big words such as "severe adrenal exhaustion ", without actually explaining how they measure it and why they think their prescription would work. Adrenal fatigue should and are diagnosed by measuring cortisol levels at peak times between 8-9 am. Did anyone measured that for you?

I have noticed you are taking DHEA - why is that? Did anyone measured your levels? many naturopaths will throw DHEA in based on some symptoms without taking the time to do a blood test. There is possible that you do not need it

Regarding the thyroid - I see you are taking hydrocortisone , have they done tests to show autoimmune thyroid? Eg Hashimoto? As if it is Hashimoto it appears that the right approach would be adding selenium

Google Hashimoto and selenium. Agree with iron pills but I have been told that is taking 6 weeks of supplementing to correct an iron insufficiency.

I heard of others where shyntroid did not work and they took raw thyroid supplement  - need to make sure that it DOES NOT HAVE IODINE added if autoimmune thyroid is your problem

I hope this helps you with your own reasearch.
Helpful - 0
1751426 tn?1399007484
So glad to hear your clinical trial was successful!  Congrats on that and hope you are able to resolve your other issues as well.  Since you recently finished tx it will take more time to recover and having to travel to Vancouver to see specialists is no fun.  My clinical trial was a doozy for side effects and I did not achieve SVR so I can relate to what you're saying.  One thing you might want to try is juicing with veggies & fruit.  I have been doing it for three weeks now after watching "Sick, fat and nearly dead" on netflix.  It is really making a difference for me since I am usually too nauseated to eat properly.  I also have hypothyroidism and FMS but my goal is to get my health back come H3LL or highwater.  Hang in there!
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