COLD/FLU WHILE ON TX?

Is the idea for the Ribavirin to weaken the immune system in order for the Interferon to stay in a persons system longer?   If thats the case, could coming-down with the common cold be fatal while on tx?   And what kind of danger am I in if I contract a strain of the Flu thats supposed to hit this year, God forbid the H1N1?

[desrt]

Personally, I never worried about flu while txing. I didn't bother with a flu shot the winter I txd or the year after and never felt better. I figured I was already on 'the champagne' of anti-virals.
Riba's purpose is not to weaken the immune system - it's an RNA mutagen that keeps HCV from forming large enough congruent colonies to keep reproducing (one theory).
In some countries (Mexico) riba has even been used as an anti flu medication in aerosol form.

[desrt]

Well, 'never felt better' might not be entirely accurate - but knew where my "flu-like symptoms" were coming from and didn't worry about influenza. That said, a bacterial infection wouldn't be good when your white counts were lowered by the IFN - but my understanding is that stuff like bacterial pneumonia is usually a secondary infection to viral influenza.

[becksta29]

i totally worried about the same thing i hav had heaps of flue cold virus type probs on tx and also its easy to tell the diff between flue symptoms and the real deal,well for me it is cos gettin flue u feel 10 times more crappier than the ev day symptoms.i would totally suggest gettin flue vax b4 u start tx,i wish i had of and id b feelin so much beta cos im just gettin over a bad flue now and i nearly went off treatment cos unbarable, now 29,liver function always been nearly norm so i very lucky cos i did a lot of drinkin when younger cos i didnt know i had it.i was low wbc from week 5 so my doc dropped my peg to 1.35 instead of full dose 1.85 which made my wbc stablize but i beleive the reason my wbc went down was from the flue,but that is only my oppinion not fact.
i try to stay away from ev1 while on tx cos evtime iv caught stupid flue its been from havin mates or relys with flue near me.i hav 5 wks to go on tx so i hope to god the tx worked cos i worry that flue interfered wit tx.im on 28 wk treatment i hav geno 3a had it since i was 15 -16 i think from bein stupid anyway im rambling sorry,i will be posting in ev few wks to let u know if tx worked with low wbc and catchin  ev flue goin around,gd luck i hope u dont get flue cos its made it a nightmare.
oh i thought id beta tell u al that even off the treatment i am one of those people who do get quite a lot of flue viruses,but i always seem to beat virus with own immunity in a week or 2 dependin on type of flue.so i dont want to worry ev1 and let u guys think u wil def get heaps of flues cos could just b me,i had tonsils out too when i was kid and i always get sore throats when got flue,on tx ya dont get sore throat unless got flue thats a big sign for me that i had throat infection.
i hope iv made sense im really foggy cos of treatment.

[Dee1956]

Thank you for this post I appreciate

[dointime]

Don't worry, while on riba you are practically bombproof:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribavirin

- except from anemia-related fatigue.

dointime