Bone Marrow Transplant and now Hep C

husband had BMT 1 1/2 years ago.he has Hep C - takes prednisone, prograf for transplant, and doc's want him to take interferon for Hep C? Viral load is 17 mil, and liver disease is at Stage 3. Has anyone taken interferon being on immunosuppressant drugs? Have they done well? The books say that youi cannot take immunosuppressant drugs with interferon - but the doctor's say that you can. The liver doc said that itnerferon is a barbaric drug and it may not even help? His transplant went very well and his counts are good. Now we have Hep C to deal with. He wants quality of life after transplant and feels that he won't get it with interferon - but wants to life also. Can you help or suggest something. He is taking every good liver supplement that he can as he owns a health food store.
Sincerely,
Donna

[newco]

Thanks for the encouragement, trying to hang in there. I'm cleaning house right now since i haven't been doing so well at it lately. I'm still doing the crying thing but it comes and goes and I do have friends and family that care it's the alone time that hurts the most but that happens in relationships sick or not.
I'm trying to get my bills and priorities straight for the long haul. I only have 44 weeks to go, but I work an hour from home so it's tiresome. gotta keep this job for the insurance though.

Question: Does anyone bruise bad from the shots, could it be the platelets? tried in the legs then the stomach the worst bruise is the stomach. I bruised easy before tx
Thanks guys hanging in there. Just wish my nose would quit running. I feel like a snot nosed kid LOL.
Love yas
Newco

[cuteus]

It was not clear to me   if your husband was still at stage 3, since it sounded as if he had a transplant?  Interferon called barbaric by a hepatologist? interesting choice of words.
Bottom line is the virus will continue to  attack his liver, new or old, and it needs to be erradicated.  Maybe a second opinion is a better oprion.

Newco:
The only bruising I got was after sun exposure to the site, and when I moved the needle while in the skin, maybe it broke some vessels.
Ir could be the platelets, as you said. My shot site was practically invisible after the first few months.

[cuteus]

never mind, I see it was bone marrow.   It looks like you need to have his team of doctors work closer together. His liver is not going to get better on its own, not at stage 3.  Interferon has been shown to reverse some of the damage inflicted by the virus, do some research on fibrosis reversal by interferon. steroids and interferon might not be the greatest mix, but does he really have a choice?

[cao]

newco -- I still get bruises, and I've got 8 shots to go.  Oddly enough, I don't get them every week so I'm left to wonder if sometimes I'm just not getting in at the perfect angle.

Muffy1 -- I think interferon can be a horrible drug, but I think it can also be pretty wonderful.  Depends on your experience and how you look at it (side effects versus potential of a cure)  I've had HepC since birth & 99% of the nasty side effects I've experienced have been during treatment have been from the ribavirin, not the interferon.  (I'm on Pegasys, if that matters).  No doubt, there are serious potential side effects and each person has to weigh the decision of whether or not to treat for themselves.  I feel very fortunate though, that aside from a couple weeks where I felt pretty crappy, I've had a relatively easy go of it (knock on wood that it continues for my last 8).  Certainly nothing that has degraded my overall quality of life, not the way that advanced liver disease could...

[bluefin]

I an new to this only 3 shots so far all in the stomach. I can still see a small bruise from the first one. The 2nd one is now about 2x2 now but does not hurt. Takes about 4 days for the bruise to show up. Going to try the thigh next time. Take care of yourself.

[snook_man]

I did a shot of peg2b, in my arm my first go round and bruised like hell. Whole arm was sore for like a week.
Right now, I'm on shot 6/48, and no bruising. This time is pegysus, or peg2a. I have shot in tummy and thigh. No bruising at all. Thigh hurt alittle more, but no bruising. Make sure you squeze the air out of needle, then wipe tip with alcohol pad to remove any spilled meds. Also clean injection site with a clean alcohol pad before injecting. Let both dry before shot. Try pinching skin up alittle, but if that is what you are doing, try stretching it out. If you hold skin tight, needle will penetrate easier and it might not bruise. I am pretty thin, so my skin is tight already. I know this, as my wife is studying to be a RN, and she went through a whole class on sub Q injections, and techniques. So far she has done mine without any complications or site reactions. Hope it helps.

[honey1616]

Cao,,,You said:

Certainly nothing that has degraded my overall quality of life, not the way that advanced liver disease could...

You are so right about that statement,,,Tx might be hard but end stage liver disease is not a pretty picture!

Everyone,,,Why is that these meds have so many side effects? Its amazing how many different things it effects. People that have chemo for cancer,,,do lose their hair and have nausea and fatigue but these sides run from sinus to everything else that can go wrong with your body while on tx...

[snook_man]

Yep, I'm down in Havana.. Wait, I mean Miami.LOL!! One of only a few white americans left in these parts. I haven't been fishing in a few weeks. Been scared to go in the sun, as I hear all these horror stories about sun exposure and bad reactions. Did some night fishing  couple weeks ago, and absolutely slayed the SNOOK. Caught two 18lb'ers, 3 slot size, and 4 50-80 lb tarpon. That night really wore me out, and haven't gone since.

I also was told to pull back on needle to see if blood appears, but have not. My wife says that if it is in a fatty area, it is subQ, meaning no arteries. It is in FAT. If you pull back you actually cause a bruise, as the pressure from the needle retracting forces it to. Just pick a nice spot where you can pinch like an inch or so of fat, and shoot straight in. But definately make sure to wipe needle tip and area and let both dry.
Where you at in Fla? I think you are on the west coast right?

[cuteus]

the needle is packaged  with sterile measures. up to tthe point when it gets uncovered, it is sterile. it is inserted into a vial that has been covered, I don't see the need to toucjh the needle at all and was not told to do so.  the video by pegasys does not say to do that either.  the swab is to wipe areas that have been exposed to contaminants, so you don't introduce any into your system. Prefilled syringes need even less handling.
letting the area dry before injecting seems to work to reduce irritation.

[newco]

thank you, I haven't wiped the needle with alcohol and did't pay attention to drying time. I had talked to a nurse and told her i was bruising and she said I may be hitting a vein (how could you not) the video I watched said back the plunger out and check for blood if there is blood throw the shot out, I'm not wasting a shot. The worst bruise was in the stomach but I'll try the tightening technique, I haven't had any pain injecting at all because I pinch the skin, but the angle may also be a factor. I'll probably get this down at shot 48 LOL.
Snook_man I believe your the one near my area in Florida? You and the wife been doing any fishing?
Love Yas
Newco

[jonihs]

My platelets dropped so low the last month of my tx. that I had to beg my Dr. to continue. She only agreed because she had everything ready for me to get platelets IV if I needed, and I still never bruised. Not once.The only thing I can tell you is that, what she had me do was to pinch an inch and leave the needle in for 60 seconds after the shot. If you pull out immediately, there is usually a tiny bit of the drug still on or in the end of the syringe, that damages skin cells. If you wait, it is all absorbed.    Joni

[mikesimon]

I took interferon for nearly 4 years while on Prograf (I'm a liver transplant recipient) with no rejection problems. I can't argue that interfeon doesn't affect the quality of life because it definitely does. My experience with regular interferon, Peg-intron and Pegasys was that Pegasys was by far the easiest to tolerate. I think most people who have taken the two pegylated interferons would agree that Pegasys is the easier but there are those who believe that Peg-intron is the more effective. I think the jury is still out on that question but it seems like I may become an SVR as a result of 72 weeks of Pegasys and Ribavirin. My advice for your husband is to give treatment a try and see how he feels and whether he responds. He can always quit and at least he would have given it a shot. Good luck. Mike

[Astrolady]

I did shot #8 on Friday,  the bruise shows up in about 3-4 days post injection aproximately 2" to 2-1/2" diameter and seems to last about 5 weeks, it doesn't seem to matter if its my stomach or thigh.  My doctor suggested taking Benadryl.  I have always bruised easily even prior to tx, I'm not worried about it.

[newco]

I'm in Weeki Wachee. It's beautiful here. I tried the Fort Lauderdale area for five months and it was too rat racey for me. I live on a canal so I can sit out back and fish for Mullet or go out on the Gulf for Grouper. Awesome here. I haven't had too much problem with the sun, just remember to where a hat and drink alot of water. I never fish too much past 1:00.
I appreciate the advice on shots but I guess it's due to the platelet drop so it is going to happen for me.
Newco

[BarnGoddess]

Hi..
I didn't have "bruises" but big  red  areas after my shots.
Not raised or anything but they made me look like I had heated up the bottom of a pop bottle and  branded myself. Darn things lasted for about 6 weeks for each shot.
I tried everything and nothing helped me. Even after stoping tx I still clot real slow and my thyroid is shot.

Hey.. I live about 15 minutes from Weeki Wachee !
Actually applied  there for a Mermaid job when I was 16.

Small small world we live in at times.

[cuteus]

I think the anemia or any reduction of oxygen to the tissues create even more sx that people are forced to deal with.  I think chemo does other things we are not aware of and we don't hear about it.  I've had specific things happened to me during tx that not too many others mentioned, so my guess is, they do get other sx. maybe we should "listen" in an online message board for cancer pts., just to see?

You got SIX more, that is it! Hang on,,,the road seems bumpier before you get closer.

[lilvern]

Hi Im a woman of the age of 50... I did the interferon and the ribviron for three years and 2 of those years were the 3 shots a week. I could not take the treatments for to long 6 mtns so I was stopping and starting this horrible posion. And not knowing the full affects of this very (POWERFUL DRUG) then when Pegintron was devloped I did that for a year I tolarated it but in the long run it didnt work. I was told by my dr. that I would die if I didnt take this drug it had changed my blood to were I went from a geno type b to a full blown geno type a which tells me what a guinnie pig I was. My friend whom I give alot of credit to pulled me out with liver cleansing vitiams tintures and diet. Im living. its a study and were all here to fit the critearea for the study Im sorry I ever got myself into this. Its a diease that has a long shelf life live with it.
C-silver helps me live with out to many symptoms. I would seek a second opinion on alternative Medicines and healers. Please feel free to respond to me if youd like. thanks

[sunspot]

Alternative meds may give some relief but the only meds that kill the virus is the interferon and riba. There is presently some new drugs that look very promising but they are still being tested.
Please post at the top so your questions will be found more easaly. If you want to add to a thread, press the "Post Comment" button at the bottom of the page.
Come to this web site often as the people here are mostly kind and caring.

[Tater-ToT]

Wow....look how this post get resurected from 2004, ... & almost 2 years to the date!!!
:)

[sunspot]

Hello fellow bottom dweller, how you been doing? I heard you have your hands full.

[Tater-ToT]

HEY THERE!!!!

I'm Doing Pretty Good.... Wishing April would hurry up & get here so I can get that year out PCR, & hopefully give a great big {{SIGH}} of RELIEF..... LoL....How are you doing???

Yup hands are pretty full these days... & I think I need a spare set..... Ha.... (Grandson is officially crawling now) he mastered it in about a week & Boy, Oh Boy is he ever into EVERYTHING... LoL

He got into the kitchen twice yesterday & this morning he got into my basket of pine-cones.... Shish

I have a whole new appreciation for spare time, free time, & quite time.... I had forgotten how much this job required... LoL

Hey but you know what???
This has CURED my insomnia... I go to bed soooooo tired now... I think I am asleep before my head hits the pillow... YEAH!

So are you up to anything interresting lately? How are all the Pets? I miss my dog & cat!
;)

[Snookmiester]

Just wanted to drop in and say hi to all the bottom feeders!!! LOL
Hope all is well!

[Tater-ToT]

SNOOKERDOODLES!!!
Hi There Stranger.... That's weird.....Funny you should pop in... I actually had a dream about you when I took a nap with my grandson yesturday ... LoL... isn't that Ironic...
Guess uou must of been on my mind!

I think all of ya'll that helped me thru my TX & got me across the finish line will always be permanately embedded in my brain... but that's a GOOD Thing!!!

Great to see you, & really do think about you often...
I hope this finds that you & yours are doing well!
;)