Fatigue (and other posts)

[PhilaGuy]

Hey guys:  Just had some questions about how you all deal with this seemingly most prevalent of side effects.  I was cruising along with barely any (or gradually diminishing) side effects, and was hit (Mac Truck-like) by fatigue around week seven (I'm doing shot 9/24 tomorrow).  I have to say, it's almost become debilitating.  I can't get up in the morning (even after 8-9 hours of sleep), I peter out early in the day, and last night for example, I laid down around 8, slept till 9, got up for an hour and went back to bed at 10!  I had a CBC test last week, so we'll see if it's off (can low WBC make you feel this way?  Mine was borderline low last time), but I have a feeling I'm going to be told it's just plain ol' fatigue.  When I was feeling fine, I planned a 10-day trip to Paris for September, now I'm worried..and, of course worried about being able to do my daily stuff (I think my work may begin to suffer and my house is a REAL mess!).  Any thoughts?

[ellissg]

My WBC went down to 2.0, and when the heat of Summer hit, I experienced the same thing. My WBC is up slightly to 2.8, and I can tell the difference.

Steve

[Micabo]

Hi!  I love Paris in the Summer, you should go, it will give you energy.

I am sure you are getting regular blood work but you should have a look at your last results, I was doing great until anemia set in.  It does cause the kind of fatigue you are describing and can be helped with Procrit.  I have been taking it for three weeks and already feel a huge difference.  

You probably could also suspect thyroid problems...

Good luck and have a great trip!

[Honey15637]

Yep,,,I'm finding out by reading posts and all new people that come here,,,,Just doesn't seem like anyone is going to make it through the tx without getting whammied at one time or another.  If you have been though tx and had no sides,,,,Then that is one lucky person!!  Yes,,,there is weeks I feel almost normal and then lately the fatigue has set in again for me also. Not awhole lot you can do but go with the flow and between working,,,Just rest if your body is screaming for it!  Then that phase will pass,,,just in time for another sx! LOL  Good Luck

[PhilaGuy]

Hey Steve:  My WBC, I believe, was 2.0 last time they checked.  My nurse said it was OK if it stayed there, but she didn't want it to go any lower.  Maybe it has...but would that make me fatigued?  I know a low RBC count can.

[ellissg]

Below 2.0 and a "good" Doctor will start you on Procrit. You bet it will make you fatigued.......normal is between 4.0 and 10.0.

[PhilaGuy]

Revenire, that was hilarious!  Thanks for the laugh!
Steve, Procrit for low WBC?  I though that was for low RBC and Neupogen was for low WBC count...

[CARUU]

Hi, I had fatigue through much of tx and still do several months after stopping.  My white count went down to around 2.3 and took several weeks after stopping to get back in the normal range.  Also, I've had problems with thyroid levels going too high and now heading low.  I noticed that, although it feels good, a very hot bath seems to add to the fatigue.  A little  body movement (few minute walk down the street) seems to help with fatigue and I sometimes would take excedrin tension (it has caffine in it).  I don't know if that was a good idea, but it seemed to wake me up a little.  I had to cut my work hours back to 1/2 time for the 2nd three months of tx (I was type 2a) and I went back to full time one month after stopping tx.  Anyway, I'm still somewhat fatigued, but think it might be thyroid related.  That's something you should have checked out since it's one of the common sx of INF tx.  I hope you feel better real soon and are able to take that trip to Paris! caruu

[ellissg]

Oh Yeah!  Opps!

[kennedge]

yup
it's the rbc's that make you feel drained...wbc's are your infection fighters...

[britgirl]

I agree. Get your thyroid checked out. My fatigue was probably caused by this but I assumed it was the tx at the time.

[PhilaGuy]

You guys are the BEST...thanks for all of your comments. I can't wait to get my latest CBC back and hopefully be able to do something to feel better!

[Amerabrit]

I was doing fine until the anemia really set in;  Procrit has done a great job for me and Scott's right on the money regarding exercise; I was able to walk a mile and half (briskly) no rests and didn't feel short of breath once;  Oh btw there are hills on my walk too:)
My RBCs went down to 3.2; WBCs went down to 2.8; and Hemoglobin down to 10.00 when Procrit was rx for me.  I am going to ask for a Thyroid test, too, just to be on the safe side.
Hope this helps! Fell better soon...

[Fubarcat]

I just started Procrit afte 6 months of treatment and it was an enormous help!  It took 6 months for my RBC to drop low enough to need it, but now that I'm on it, I feel almost "normal" again.  Get copies of your lab work and if your RBC is low, call your doc and see if he will prescribe the Procrit.  Good luck.  
P.S.:  If your body is demanding rest,then I say give it what it demands!  There were days early in my treatment when I went to bed at 8:00 Friday night and didn't get out of bed until Sunday afternoon.  But I felt pretty good the rest of the week, so that is my philosphy:  If your body thinks you need sleep, then sleep!

[Showboat]

I got hit with the Mack truck at around week 4...and my fatigue stayed the whole time.  I was anemic and "boarderline" for meds (you could have fooled me....I could not walk more than 5 steps without gasping for air)....the doc never did give me Procrit, but since I was not working, I just embraced the feeling and slept most of the time..(as depressing as that could get)..I feel fortunate that I did not have to worry about working while on tx.....I could never have made it to work, but everyone is different.  If I did work, I would have insisted on Procrit. I finished tx the second week of May, and my fatigue stayed until the first part of this month.....I had to force myself to go out and walk at the beginning of this month (with hubby's insistence) and now I add some jogging in.  That really made a difference for me.  I still cannot over do it, but Man, what a difference now. It does gradually get better.

[Showboat]

PS.....my house really did not stay as tidy as I wanted, but after I got used to that idea, it was okay....plus, my hubby "tried" to help out with this. heeee That is another story, I think he could live in the woods on a dirt floor and be happy....in other words, (God love him) he was not too much help in that area (lol)....on the positive side he continues to do the laundry. (yeah.....) and I always would remind myself that tx was only temporary.....Peace

[DownThisRoad]

Fatigue..................oh yea!!  I couldn't climb my stairs in my home around week 5. I couldn't do much of anything for more than 30 minutes.  On week 7 my GI started me on Procrit for extremely low rbc because my rbc number crashed quickly.

I still had fatigue and tiredness all throughout my treatment but the Procrit helped.  Just tired, tired and tired.

Make sure that your doctor is keeping a very close eye on all of your blood test numbers.

Hang in there !!

[Sunag]

Yeah, Fatigue is the killer than the Virus itself.
I just took my 2nd shot on saturday, and had 3 days of flu symptoms, and couldnot even get up to eat a meal forget about making a cup of tea.

It  has been almost 10 days since I have been on the forum, and the culprit is FATIGUE. I gave my blood for testing, and waiting for the results how the numbers on Heme and WBC come out.

As some one else mentioned, not working is a great blessing, and I am lying down  pretty much all the time.

Sunag

[Honey15637]

Sunag,,,Sorry to hear you have been down but you are still early in the game and should start feeling better in a short few weeks,,,shouldn't always feel this way! Good Luck!

How many of you do the fasting before giving blood for lab tests?  I use to never do that because previous dr said nothing so would get up in morning and drink coffee and grab something and then go give blood.  My new dr said nothing after midnight the night before because It can make a huge difference on blood work.  Actually,,,my labs came back higher on alot of things so don't know if its due to the fasting or just bloodwork is better..

[cuteus]

my dr does not specify fasting before blood work. what was different?
fasting should not affect the blood counts...was it the enzymes? mine are always normal so it might not make a difference to fast.
I know cholesterol and glucose has to be done fasting for accuracy. I do not know about thyroid readings, if it makes a difference or not, though. That I would like to know.

[Honey15637]

Hmmm Maybe not then but he claims it makes a difference,  My wbc and rbc came up some but then again,,,it could have just come up on its own also.  Liver enzymes also,,always been normal and he did pull thyroid test and that was normal so really only difference was for me wbc and rbc showing uphill climb. He did mention it can effect cholestrol but we don't get that done all the time either...

[Sunag]

Blood reports after 2 shots are back

ALT reduced from 137 to 70 U/L, that is the only visible change so far.

However, after my 2nd shot, along with flu-like symptoms, I had severe body pain, especially in the joints.

Just want to maintain a journal of all the sides, all through the Tx  so that it will be useful for me to compare and also for the others who are going to start Tx.
Our experiences, should serve as a reference for others diagnosed with this condition, as all of us have subtle to major differences in the diagnosis and treatment (for ex, I am taking 600 mg of Riba, 200 mg X 3/day

Sunag

[Honey15637]

Why are you taking only 600 of riba?  That seems like a small doseage to me unless you are just super tiny??  The body pain,,,yes I get that alot and it kinda makes you achy.. Some mornings it feels like every muscle and joint is locked up until I get moving,,,hahaha  We will all have a good idea of what life will be like in our sr years and will appreciate older peoples complaints more so!

[Fubarcat]

I take 800 mg of Riba and I am only 5 feet, 105 pounds.  I don't know why you are only taking 600 mg of Riba, but you might want to confirm with your doc because I thought 800 was the minimum amount.  I'm sure your doctor will have a good answer for you, but I would check, just to be sure.  I've heard of some docs that start out with a low dosage to see how you tolerate it, and then they increase it.  Anyway, don't panic about it, but call and ask your doctor just so you know what's going on.

[britgirl]

I have never been told to fast for thyroid blood tests, which I have to have every six months now.In fact, I have never had to fast for any HCV related blood test.

[hph5477]

Fasting is not necessary for a CBC or testing levels of HCV RNA in the blood.  However, if bloodwork is to check your cholesterol, then fasting is required.