Girl!!!! You are still an addict doing the "stinking thinking" thing. Don't give up now!!!!!!!!!
You might end up using again(you actually already are...) and will lose those precious kids!!!!!!!!!!! Get support whether to go to meeting, make new friends, ask for help from relatives (only if 100 sure they'll be safe...) government may be able to help too. Get of the Xanax and as an addict you know best of all that you should NOT BE GETTING any narcs off the hospitals, doctors etc... they have alternative meds.... You are playing with fire....
The best of everything to you!!!
That’s ok neither did the rest of us, lol. You can read all you want and understand what might and what might not happen when starting tx but it really hits home when your in the thick of it, eh. Even tho I had read the inserts of what to expect in the way of side effects it really did not hit home until about week three when the only thing I remember was the truck coming at me and did not move fast enough. I’m guessing it was the interferon, don’t remember much any more as you will when finishing the treatment, hang in there your doing fine. Hey look at it this way it took 12 weeks for the meds to build up to this point and will start to level out but if you QUIT! Now just think of all the fun you will have the next time. Just keep moving forward and take the shot. Sound like you might have a mind fake of the past going on from the horse, ya just got to push through it and keep going. Like most you just have to pick the priorities and screw the rest and as far as hubby for get about it, as you say you’re the wheel.
jep
There are a number of things in life that end up being harder than we expected, right?
The question for you is whether you want to hang in there for another two months (provided you and your doctor sort that out to be another two months) and get this done or if you are really, truly done within your circumstances and can't find a way to go any further. You will find support here on this forum though support in real life may be hard to come by. I would investigate some day programs for that energetic little one of yours, there may be resources available to you. Perhaps you know someone with a little one that can come over and the kids can play together. I'd put some time into thinking what you can do to get through the next two months before deciding to outright stop. There are also no guarantees that when you go through this another time, you won't experience the same thing. I would investigate your options and then even after that, if you are truly done, then you're done.
In the end, only you can decide what is best for you and your children. Good luck with this.
Thanbk you for the support. I'm just constantly moving and think maybe I went at this thing at the wrong time in life I didn't realize how severe the side effects were going to hit me.
"I just want to get threw it kind of comfortably".
We all want that Mom of 2. With a history of addiction it's understandable why your doctor is reluctant to give you a narcotic.
Most Gi's and hepatologists do not prescribe narcotics while patients are undergoing antiviral treatment because the duration is 6 to 12 months and that is a long time to be on a narcotic. Even a low dose of narcotics can cause dependence over a period of time.
You can take OTC pain relievers and many people do well with them. Only you can decide what is best for you but keep in mind stopping interferon for several weeks could cause relapse after the end of your treatment and daily usage of a narcotic could cause you to relapse back into addiction. It's a tough go of it anyway you look at it, especially with little ones at home.
However you choose to finish your treatment I hope you find some relief and your treatment is successful.
Diamond_Lil
The Dr.'s at the hospital keep telling me to tell my Dr. about my intense pain and he keeps blowing it off like it's nothing. The Dr.'s at the hospital gave me 5mg oxycodes which help but they don't give you many just 10. I don't think that is going to be to hard to get off. It's not that high of a mg. Maybe I need to find another Dr.? You think?
Did you'r doctor put you on the pain meds for the interferon? My doctor is saying he doesn't want to put me on any pain meds. I don't want to do the things I used to chasing around pills just to get threw this plus I have kids. I just want to get threw it kind of comfortably. Ya know?
I had to start with pain medication by myself. But want not tell what is right for you.
I don’t know how bad your liver is. Genotype? if it is geno 2 you should be soon finish? I had it like you, and start with pain medication.
Now I have to taper down pain medication and benzo.
You need also help with your kids. Get ill and raise 2 kids, I feel sorry for you.
You need to tell what genotype, and how many weeks it take before you get UND for the virus, and how your liver is. I get with the virus in 25 year without any fibrosis…
At first I just felt like I wasn't myself and had horrible panic attacks... that was hard but I could handle that with medication (xanax) they helped. He gave me tramadol for the joint pain and celebrex it helped at first but then stopped working. I just am having a really hard time with the pain and he keeps telling me there's nothing he can do. The hospital gives me oxycodone 5mg and it really helps but they only give you 10 or 15. I just can't take the pain anymore I am constantly moving chasing my kids and thbe pain makes me so irritable I don't want to do anything and can't handle my own kids. He says he doesn't want to put me on a narcotic but I can't handle the pain it's unbearable for me. I wanna do the shot but I know tomorrow it's all going to hurt really bad. What should I do. I tried talking to the doctor but the pain is to much for me to handle right now. I have two young kids I can't sit down for more than two minutes. Should I try to talk to him again or find another doctor?
Be careful when it’s normal to start with drugs again during the treatment. (you can read that on the medication note in Europe).
My doctor tell me: don’t taper down the benzodiazepines, then the treatment is most important. If you first have start with benzo, taper down after Tx stop.
If you have genotype 2 you should only have 24 weeks treatment? And it’s the easiest genotype to treat.
I had most side effects after week 6, and lost 25 kg during these 6 weeks. After that I get better, the body get used to the treatment drugs. If It’s very bad, talk to your doctor fast, starting on heroine/morphine, contra hep C treatment: I thinks your doctor and you knew
What is best.
IF:
Genotype 2
&
Undetectable by sensitive PCR at 4 weeks.
&
"done 4 month of treatment" = 18 or more shots
&
"everything looked good just inflammed a bit" = stage/grade 1 or less
You might want to consider how much difference in SVR% doing 20 more or even 6 more weeks makes. Only you can judge your personal/physical/dependence situation. Good luck with it.
You can do it. This cite is really a good way to connect with people who are doing it and who have done it and come out on the other end free of Hep C. I know it is hard, we all do, but look what you have already survived, a drug addiction and you've come out on the other side of that a better person. These treatments as horrible as they are have made me a better person. Every day I find something in me that I never knew I had. What does not kill you makes you stronger. Do this, for yourself and your children. Stay on the site and connect with the people that know how you feel and can help you make it through.
If you were UND after one month - 4 weeks - then you have a pretty good shot at clearing this once and for all and never having to do it again. Why your doctor wants you to go one year is beyond me. What is his reasoning for that? A Genotype 2 is six months.
Theoretically, with the early stage of liver damage you have you could have waited to do treatment until your kids were a little bit older as long as you monitored to make sure your liver damage was not progressing. As it is, you have four months under your belt with, what seems to me, two months to go depending on your doctor's reasons for extending you for another six months, something that is usually done when someone does NOT go UND within certain milestones and you have, based on what you've said.
You asked "what would you do?" - I'd get better information from your doctor on why he wants you to extend treatment to a year, for starters.
We all seem to hit a wall about halfway through and you're hitting a wall right about now. I would get your fight back on and get through the last two months. I'd start setting shorter milestones for yourself and get through another two weeks, than another two weeks and just keep at it a chunk at a time. Before you know it, you will be done. If you could go two months and never have to do this again ... that would be worth it, yes? You've already achieved quite a bit with quitting heroin which is very commendable. So this fight was alot tougher than you expected. But you CAN do it. The odds are highly in your favour for success and I'd keep at it. See if you can get some support with the kids. Doesn't sound like you have much though with an addict family. Just the same, get creative and see what you can do. Maybe a friend who might be able to give you a break now and again or a community agency. I would try everything I can think of, pull out all the stops and only quit when I'd exhausted every possibility.
Good luck with this.
Take your next shot. A lot of things are going on in your head right now but you have to stay the course for the time being, I would not want to stop now at the possibility of having to start back at 0 further down the road. There is plenty of support here to help guide you through the sx times and am sure there is family and friends to help with the kids if need be but the bottom line is, you Don’t want to stop treatment at this point. Believe it or not it will make you a stronger person at the end of the road.
jep
My meds are Ribaviron 1000 Pegasys 180 mgs a week. I am already udetectable and was after one month. He did a biopsy and said everything looked good just inflammed a bit. My kids are just so young and my soon to be 3 yr old is off the walls most the time. At the end of the day my knees and ankle are sometimes purple looking I just feel like I can't do it anymore.
Some details would help. Your doctor suggesting you go one year as a Genotype 2 indicates you didn't clear the virus at the crucial times since treatment for Genotype 2 is typically six months. When have you been tested by PCR along the way for your virus levels and at which week's test did you go UND - where the virus hit undetectable?
Did you have a biopsy before starting treatment that tells you what stage/grade of liver damage you have?
How's your hemoglobin level - your HGB? Are you talking procrit or neupogen along with your interferon and ribavirin?
These things put some context on a decision.
You didn't take your shot yesterday and it stays in your body for 7 days. You're already one day less effective. I'd take your injection until you make up your mind what you want to do. I know it's tough but don't remove your choices before you've made a decision.
I am also type 2. I know the sx are bad. I took lortab for pain-sometimes.I took ambein for sleep and ativan for anxiety.You are not supposed to skip shots.It won't be any better when you start back.You need to keep going. My dr. said type 2, 6 months should be enough. I stopped at 23 wks. The mouth sores got unbearable I was UND at 4 wks. Are you UND yet?
Good Luck.
Don't stop treatment. I started in October of 09, you and I have the same type of background, only my drug of choice was intervenous meth use and coke later on down the line. I am 48 years old. Try and stay on the treatments, stopping them will only mean when you start again, it will be for longer. Try YOUR BEST to exercise, I am on week 20 of treatments, exercise makes all the difference. Also, get off the Xanax, especially if you were a herion addict. Do it for your kids. You can't take a few weeks off treatment, the side effects last up to 6 months after treatment is OVER. Can I ask you what EXACTLY your meds are? I am on 1600 mgs of Ribavirin and 2mgs of Pegasis Interferon once a week. The meds are really hard, but living with HEP C is no picnic either.