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230202 tn?1370793579

How long does Interferon & Ribavirin remain in the body after treatment?

Hi Everyone
Just a question on how long does interferon and Ribavirin hang around in the body after treatment has finished.  
I think, but I am not sure, that the riba takes about 6 months and the interferon.....I have no idea  how long it takes to leave.
I would appreciate your thoughts on this.....
thank you
Linda x
11 Responses
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253566 tn?1219679699
Hi Dolph1 and congrats on ending your treatment.
Sorry for the sides.

This is a CRAZY old thread.

It is also not concerning your treatment but as titled: Interferon+Ribavirin!

Not beating up on you but it would do much better to post a new thread of your own. I was going to try to answer as I did treat INT+Rib but that was not your TX ...

This is a very caring group with many members who can answer your question but it would be a lot better to start a new thread - You can find a GREEN button near the top which says "Post a Question".

Again, best of luck with own advocacy! frank
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
24 wks of trtment. 6 mos since I stopped. I "maybe " feel 5% improvement,
not sure of that. Does anyone know if recovery is very gradual or can sur-
prise you rather quickly. What a nightmare. Fatigue, fatigue.Has anyone
gone much beyond 6 mos. I've read it could be longer, due to variables.
Memory issues also.  Any advice appreciated. Dolph1
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Been searching and searching for half-life, and cannot get a clear answer which led me to here, where hopefully knows rather than guesses.

Doesn't it depend on how long one has been taking it, like nowadays 12 weeks is standard, when this was written, perhaps 48 weeks, who knows. Just looking for a straight answer from the pharmacologist would be nice. Hope you are all-clear, anyhow.
Helpful - 0
230202 tn?1370793579
Thanks everyone your posts have been informative.
Gee, It sounds like it's an individual thing.
thanks again
Linda x
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Joe is getting better fast this time after being on Tx since June of 08 with no SVR. (he has cirrhosis)
  This is his third Tx so we have something to compare it to and he never got this well, this fast.  A few things that we are doing different from previous attempts are Curcumin (HRs list)  Boswelia (HR mentioned this briefly one time as being a very good anti -inflammatory for some people)  Blueberry Leaf Extract and Pine Bark Extract (trying to get the proanthacyanides (SP?) that have been reported as inhibitory to the virus.)
Last but not least and maybe the most likely one to be causing such a quick turn around is Low Dose Naltrexone which Mike Hudnall introduced here on the forum.  I can't know what is helping so dramatically so I thought I'd just list it all.  He has taken other supplements throughout Tx that were known to be ok on Tx  (SamE,Vitamine E , TMG, etc. mostly things that HR  ok'd while on Tx with some Cordyceps mushrooms ,and Astragalus mixed in.  I have mainly just listed what we started right after stopping Tx.  Joe stopped on August 3rd and has been up and at-em since about the 6th.  He mainly slept for 15 months prior.  He still looks pretty dilapidated but I never expected him to start recovering this quickly because he never did before and he was on it a lot longer this time.
I'm not saying anyone else should take any of these supplements I just want to tell you what seems to be making a difference in Joe.  
We haven't started taking all of HR's list right now because we simply can't afford it.  All the supplements I've been buying lately have come from Swanson Vitamins and there prices and service has been good.  It is a company that has been around quite a while and I have been impressed by them. (No proof, just general impression)  
The Low -Dose Naltrexone is a prescription we obtained from our family Dr. after presenting him the information I could find that showed it to be safe and possibly very helpful. I ordered the prescription from Skips pharmacy because they deal with compounding this LDN for people all over the U.S.  They are experts with it and their price was better than what I could get locally and they knew much more about it.  The filler they use can make a big difference from what I understand.
If anybody doesn't like me sharing these alternatives, please understand that we have done everything medically available with no cure.  I just put this out there in case people like ourselves can benefit from our experience.  
Ev
Helpful - 0
1033121 tn?1270187446
from data ive read ive always said its definitely no less than 3 months and up to 6 months - it then depends on yourself how quick you recover - some people 'heal' quickly and some dont -

but I wouldnt imagine it would take longer than 1 year for most of us to be back to 100%

I expect myself to be back to 100% by 6 month post EOT - well I hope so anyway
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The Ribavirin takes about 6 mon. to completely leave your system.  The interferon leaves your system way quicker. However, unfortunately, your body takes quite awhile to get back to normal, in most people.  I asked my doctor one time after one of my many treatments, why I was still feeling so poorly 8 mon. post treatment and he told me that it can take up to 1 yr post TX to get back to feeling your normal self.  Also, if you do not clear the virus and you still have viral load detected then, you're still having to deal with the Hep C on top of that.  Which is my problem.  I haven't ever been able to reach SVR, I hope to, some day!  Susan400
Helpful - 0
750120 tn?1252455030
I haven't a clue Linda.  The only thing I've heard is the warning not to get anyone pregnant until at least 6-months post treatment as it could lead to birth defects due to the meds effects on genetic material.  However, that is supposed to normalize in time.
Joey
Helpful - 0
717272 tn?1277590780
You can look this up by searching for the 'half-life' of a drug.

As I recall, interferon leaves the blood and body pretty soon, but it has had such a major effect on systems that it can take a full 6 months to get everything back to normal operation and they don't advise that you count on being normal for that long (don't plan surgery, etc.).  The ribivirin leaves the blood fairly quickly but hangs out in cells for around 6 months.  I guess 6 months would be the marker you are shooting for.  I'm 3 1/2 months out from TX, mostly normal but a few minor things still off and expecting it to last a little longer.
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Avatar universal
heck its been over a year amd i still get weak.. but iam feeling better more and more
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Linda:  Doc. told me that it can take up to two months for body to "normalize" after interferon.  I still get some after effects.

Not sure about the Riba.

Take Care - Lynne
Helpful - 0
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