Do you feel RIBA rage coming on?

[beeblessed]

Last pre-treatment question......I think.  Does RIBA rage give you any warnings, like anger building up?  Or does it just kinda hit you, like Turettes (blurting things out)?  For work purposes, I wondered if there was anyway to control it or walk away or something.  I started AD's early but don't know if they are supposed to help with this issue.  Thanks in advance for any advice.

Getting nervous now.  Have been doing well, most days, focusing on work I need to have done before I start tx.  Trying not to panic but some moments, the weight of all of this gets overwhelming.  Be well.  Be blessed everyone.

[alagirl]

I had kind of a paradoxical reaction to riba/int.  I was actually prob a nicer person when I was treating (albeit one who could not spell correctly).

I'm kind of type a and a little short tempered by nature, but I think the anemia and whatnot just made me too exhausted to care about many things when I was treating.  My family actually knew I was getting better when I became bossy and started getting pissed off again.  

'Course, it COULD have been all of the ancillary drugs I was on during tx that helped out with that too as I stopped them after tx.  (shrug)

[rivll]

I understand what you are going through. Nothing horrified me more than those feelings of rage. I no longer knew myself.

I don't like taking drugs, even prescription drugs but when I felt like I might quit TX,I did on occasion take an anti anxiety drug (prescribed by my Dr. and sometimes I used medical marijuana to help mellow me, as it is legal in my State) Additionally,my Dr. reduced the riba from 1200 to 800.
If I knew it would have been like that before TX I may have tried anti depressants.
It took a few months after treatment to really get that  riba out of my system, but rest assured, it will get better.
Hang in there, avoid stress if possible (take long walks) and talk to your Dr. about it.
Good luck to you.

[Hepwarrior]

I am in the middle of a full blown Hot flushed Rage right now and I'm just moving onto my 4 th week
I always had issues with anger because of the percosett I have been taking for years due to severe back issues (fell off a roof) but this is different ...it's not just pissy it's full on explosive unstoppable Pulse racing anger and I don't like it
I have a 2 year old and I feel horrible when I get pissed at the drop of a hat ...not with him ..Seems like looking at him is what makes me walk away and calm down because I hate the way I feel and look to him and I don't want my son to be exposed to that kind of anger
But the wife says something off color and BOOM I'm seeing Red ..feel like I have turrets and wanna just rip the walls down
So instead I just try to run away before I keep it going ..head upstairs and shut the door
This can't be normal and if it is tho isn't going to work
So far so good and bam yester day I felt like I crashed and I was all Hot and couldn't fall asleep
And the The anger today like I'm on steroids
The ****** taste in my mouth
I lost a friend of mine to this hep C like a couple of months ago He was 51 and a great guy
And when I found out I had the same thing for the last 15 years I knew I wanted nothing more then to Win this fight and put this behind me so I can raise my boy and not worry about dying slowly over the next 10 years
But now with these anger issues I'm afraid I'll Hurt someone or wreck my marriage Lose my job or just screw up other relationships
If I figure out how to calm down I'll keep posting
But I'm finding that just typing this out on here is calming me down and putting some perspective back in front of me
Thanks for reading ..lol
Dave

[flcyclist]

Instead of agitation or aggression, I sometimes  have other waves of emotions that are hard to understand.  Certain things can trigger these emotion to the level I know I wouldn't feel without the medication.  Today while cycling I was listening to a song I haven't heard in a while and the music and emotions in the voice somehow grabbed me and I felt the rage within her voice.  Funny how music can touch these deep emotions and bring them to the surface.  Ya, I'm feeling sappy today.  :o)

Pink Floyd - The Great Gig in the Sky.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBWY3bli92Y

[dixiechicdana]

I have had extreme irritability. I have faced off with everyone who pisses me off. I feel bad about it but people just seem to want to give you extra trouble while on this and my tolerance for BS is gone. So it is good you are on ADs. Good luck with treatment.

[DontKnowMuchBoutIt]

Thanks, so far I have been feeling really good today.  A little tired because I don't get much sleep, but actually better than I have felt in a couple of weeks.  Once I found out that I + for HCV I went ahead and tried to prepare myself for the worse.  I have a cousin that had horrible sides from the same meds and I just kinda got it in my head that was how it would have to be.  I have 2 young children who need me, and a not so dependable husband, so letting this thing beat me is not an option.  

[desrt]

The short answer is 'it's different for everyone'. The slightly more complicated answer involves which type of PegIFN you're taking and what your results are on an IL28B gene test. By the time you've read up on branched polyethylene glycol molecules and the psychological implications of being a CC genotype, you'll have it figured out anyway, so I'd go with the short answer.

[flcyclist]

When you ask a question within another thread it sometimes doesn't get the proper attention.  I'd encourage you to start a new thread with your questions in the future.  You will find this forum a wealth of information and a tremendous support when you need it.  The forum members will assist you as much as possible, but do realize none are doctors.  However, I think some know more than the doctors.

My people experience different levels of reaction to both Inf and Riba.  Many here including me didn't have the fever, chills, flulike symptoms of the first several shots.  But don't expect this to be an easy ride either.  Around the week 3-4 you will likely begin the feel the Riba kicking in as you body continues to absorb it, and fatigue is the most common result.  Take some time and read the threads, search this forum for other questions, since almost anything you can think has been already discussed.  And don't be afraid to ask questions.  

I hope you husband is supportive, because you're going to need him and his shoulder to lean on sometimes.  The treatment can be both physically and mentally challenging.  I hope you are one of the lucky ones that has few sides.  

Welcome to the forum and best of luck to you.  

[DontKnowMuchBoutIt]

I tested positive for HVC when my 4 month bloodwork was done during my last pregnancy this past fall, (Sept./Oct.--one of the two.  I wasn't able to start the ribapak and pegysys treatment until today.  I am not sure of my exact numbers as far as my vl.  The pharm. director for the company that mails my meds to me, informed me that I have the type 3 genotype and my vl is very low.  I did the injection around 8 p.m. last night (8-19)  and took the morning and evening ribavirin as well.  So far I haven't had any of the symptoms that the pharm. tech, ID doc, and the nurse who came out to teach me how to do the injections, said that I may have.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 So my question is;  Do I get to look forward to more than likely having to experience the side effects with my next injection a week from now, or even in the a.m. when I get up with my children.  I had the inj. around 8 p.m.  and it is now almost 3 in the morning.  I thought that if I was going to have any unpleasant effects, they would have already done   so?     Also, How long after starting treatment does this "rage" take to come out                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     I am still so new at all of this and will probably have more and more questions now that can have someone to talk to about it.  :-)    My husband does not like to talk about the situation and I will probably have s more questions soon.    I am so glad that I stumbled across this site.

[streamline569]

I was a mess before starting too. I think it was normal to feel that way. I took a vacation, but I was able to. It really helped calm my nerves. It's a life change with a lot of unknowns. I think it's normal to feel that way.

The minute I got the shot i took my pills and felt so relieved to finally get started.

Good luck

[Trish77]

Ohh...I didn't say what I said to the poor fellow was the truth, only that I was particularly blunt.  I agree with Dsrt that you have to make an effort to be particularly aware of yourself and how you're talking to people.  With a bit of thought and effort, it can counterract at least some of this.

[hrsepwrguy]

Is there a such thing as pre-treatment rage because I think I have it. Ever since I received conformation that I start treatment on the 24th I have been wound up tighter than a nine day clock. This is wierd to me because I am normally laid back and I have been dealing with the fact that I have hcv pretty well since I found out in may then that I was late stage 3 activity 2 in june. I have been proactive and aggressive in seeking treatment, then I get the confimation and bam I seem to fall apart. I think I am starting to ramble so....

Keith

[desrt]

As nygirl posted, there's no such thing as riba rage. It's the interferon that causes the psychological side effects. Riba makes you feel crappy, but it's not the source of the violent behaviour and depression caused by IFN tx. As for how suddenly it occurs and how much warning you have, I guess it depends largely on how aware you normally are of your own emotional state.
I'm not one to normally rely on prayer to get me through my day, but while on tx it saved me from a whole lot of road rage and other impulsive behaviour.

[beeblessed]

Ouuu, you said the magic word!  Valium.  Hadn't thought of taking that but I know those puppies work, as I took them for some minor outpatient surgery.  I was awake during it but totally calm.  I'm on Setraline (every morning) and so far so good.  We will see if that changes once things get started.

nygirl -- Too funny.  Scary -- but funny =)

ocean -- I will look into Xanax too.  Thanks for sharing your experience, it helps me.  Depending on the day, I already battle anxiety, so I will keep your post in mind.

[streamline569]

I think I've found the way to dealing with the anxiety. Take the anti anxiety meds on time I keep Valium on hand. What I found is to take one in the  morning just before my first dose of meds. Then one in another 8 hours as instructed on the bottle. What I was doing is waiting until the anxiety was out of control and then double dosing to knock myself out. That didn't work or help much. I think I have may have it somewhat under control now. Who would have thought just take them as prescribed...Duh....

[nygirl7]

AH bee let me tell you the road rage from the riba rage was almost beyond my control (not that I have too much to begin with) I really probably would have brandished a gun at people if I had had one in my purse.

♥Steven Tyler our hepc child poster boy♥

[beeblessed]

NY......heat of a thousand burning suns all at once.  YIKES!!!  As for shooting people, don't give me any ideas :)  BTW.....love your Steven Tyler photo

Will -- Too funny, like Jim Carey in Liar, Liar.

[oceanblue701]

I felt really "different" as the months of treatment wore on. Normally a very positive person who smiled very easily, I found myself almost hiding from people because i did not really feel like me.
I began to tell myself positive things constantly to ease the general irritability and anxiety i felt. Also, i began to really force myself out even when exhausted to have company and converse and smile just to improve my state of mind.
Eventually, i developed an acute claustrophobia that was very scary and i was prescribed xanax as necessary to defuse the feeling. It worked well and just a tablet every few days made a serious dent in overall anxiety and helped me through the last 6 weeks.
I never took anything else and the bad feelings went away with the end of treatment. My husband was really good about it and i leaned on him quite a bit at the time.
I think we were both shocked to see the personality symptoms coming up. This bothered me more than anything else. If you start feeling really desperate, get help to make it through. Whatever it takes, it is worth it to continue on and finish without falling apart.

[willbb]

I wonder if RIBA is like a truth serum, where you can't help but blurt out the truth!  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes...this is the sx. that is never spoken about . never being able to fib again..it is the reason your family sometimes heads for the hills  :)

oh...it is the Intereferon not the riba that turns  some into "Vlad the impaler"

just kidding beeblessed...good luck ..you will be fine
Will

[beeblessed]

Thanks everyone!!  This helps.

Trish -- I know exactly what you mean about co-workers.  I wonder if RIBA is like a truth serum, where you can't help but blurt out the truth!  Oh dear.  I'll do my best to "filter" but if I don't see it coming......

Flcyclist -- sexy RIBA rage....Hahahahahha!  I agree!

[flcyclist]

Every day for me is slightly different and I can't predict my mood beforehand.  If I know I have a particularly challenging day at work with scheduled meetings or an event of some kind, I can mentally prepare and get through it.  It is the unexpected challenges that can be especially aggravating and they can change your day from good to bad.  Some days I'm more agitated than others, but I often can't predict it.  Those unexpected challenges for me is what can push the agitation to rage.  Fortunately, it doesn't happen often, but when it does, you realize it's really not you, it's the meds.  Hopefully, you can communicate with those closest to you to let them know how you are feeling to help you through those challenging days.  

Several here who have taken AD's have stated they've really helped them get through trt.  Others that have tried them didn't like the side effects.  And I don't think it's just the Riba.  However, Interferon Aggression doesn't sound as sexy as Riba Rage :o)

[working dog]

i started 100 zoloft about 2 months before tx....i had never needed to take ads before but i can feel them and i'm glad i played it safe that way....good luck...billy

[streamline569]

You are so right about fighting for our lives. I look out my window and see all the people scurrying around and remember how I was losing that life in me a little more everyday, always tired and fatigue and feeling sick from the cirrhosis no appetite, losing weight. Feeling like I was wasting away. and now going through this treatment you just wonder will it ever be over and you can get back your life and feeling good again. Have a good day Karen. You're always an inspiration.