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How much does tx effect your eye sight?
Hello everyone, I started my first shot of peg. last friday on Jan.18 and have been taking my riboviren as directed and Im feeling ok considering all the fear I put myself through before tx. I have a nurse who calls me to see how Im doing and when I told her this she commented and said " It wont always be like this!" "You will have side effects" So Im anxiously awaiting them, what a mood dropper. Is she Negative Nancy or is she just trying to prepare me for the worst of what is to come? Another thing I wanted to ask is if anyone knows what I can take for my hair so it wont fall out any more, for the las year my hair has been falling out due to stress, Hep C? or both. Im very grateful that Im feeling good today thank you for being here on this site so I can have some support from all of you! Have a great night.
Thank you for replying to my post I hopr you get this, it means alot to me to have someone to talk to besides a nurse. Have a good one.
Thank you for your feedback I appreciate it! I did have an eye exam before tx and have to wear reading glasses only so ill keep an eye on it! and buy some artificial tears. Have a good one.
Thank you for replying to my post it really means alot to me. Have a wonderful day or night!
Thank you so much for replying and for support! It really means alot to me. Have a Blessed one.
"How much does treatment affect your eyesight?"
Interferon has been known to cause vision problems in some people. I treated for 48 weeks and at around the 30th week of treatment, I started noticing blurred patches in the vision of my right eye. I went to an opthamologist, and he diagnosed "cotton wool spots"(retinopathy), which he said has been known to be caused by long term interferon treatment. He told me that the majority of cases resolve after the end of treatment. The spots did not worsen during the remainder of my treatment, which I completed in the first week of December. They do seem to be going away, for which I am thankful. Here is an article about cotton wool spots and Hep C Interferon treatment:
http://bjo.bmj.com/content/85/10/1171.full.
"What can I take to stop my hair falling out?"
You say that your hair has been falling out for the last year. There are many reasons for hair loss, and you should consult your doctor. It could be age(hormonal) or stress related, or it could be a vitamin deficiency, or a thyroid problem. This is something a doctor could help you with. As for Interferon treatment and hair loss, yes, many people experience hair thinning. My hair became very thinned out over the course of the 48 weeks. I don't know of anything you can 'take' to make it stop, but I used Nioxin shampoo and conditioner, which gave it the appearance of being thicker. It is growing back, though, as thick as it was before.
As for other side effects, the biggest for me was depression and malaise. My doctor prescribed Paxil. It helped. It was a bear to stop when I ended treatment, though. I had many side effects of Paxil withdrawal for about two weeks, ugh, but I don't regret taking it.
I've been off treatment since December, and I am happy to say I am virus free(so far) and feeling sooo much better. I have not noticed any lingering side effects at all. In spite of the temporary side effects, I am very happy I treated.
Good luck to you! If you do develop side effects, hang in there, because they are temporary. The prize at the end is worth the trouble you'll experience.
Interferon has been known to cause vision problems in some people. I treated for 48 weeks and at around the 30th week of treatment, I started noticing blurred patches in the vision of my right eye. I went to an opthamologist, and he diagnosed "cotton wool spots"(retinopathy), which he said has been known to be caused by long term interferon treatment. He told me that the majority of cases resolve after the end of treatment. The spots did not worsen during the remainder of my treatment, which I completed in the first week of December. They do seem to be going away, for which I am thankful. Here is an article about cotton wool spots and Hep C Interferon treatment:
http://bjo.bmj.com/content/85/10/1171.full.
"What can I take to stop my hair falling out?"
You say that your hair has been falling out for the last year. There are many reasons for hair loss, and you should consult your doctor. It could be age(hormonal) or stress related, or it could be a vitamin deficiency, or a thyroid problem. This is something a doctor could help you with. As for Interferon treatment and hair loss, yes, many people experience hair thinning. My hair became very thinned out over the course of the 48 weeks. I don't know of anything you can 'take' to make it stop, but I used Nioxin shampoo and conditioner, which gave it the appearance of being thicker. It is growing back, though, as thick as it was before.
As for other side effects, the biggest for me was depression and malaise. My doctor prescribed Paxil. It helped. It was a bear to stop when I ended treatment, though. I had many side effects of Paxil withdrawal for about two weeks, ugh, but I don't regret taking it.
I've been off treatment since December, and I am happy to say I am virus free(so far) and feeling sooo much better. I have not noticed any lingering side effects at all. In spite of the temporary side effects, I am very happy I treated.
Good luck to you! If you do develop side effects, hang in there, because they are temporary. The prize at the end is worth the trouble you'll experience.
one more thing....don't open your eyes in the shower if you have any chemicals like chlorine ....it burn mine so bad during tx....
It affected my vision terribly....halo's around lights, floaters, dried my eyes out in a bad way. I also had eye surgery a month prior to starting tx and let's just say, the surgery ended up failing. Use artificial tears, nothing that says "gets the red out"....and when you think you cant drink anymore water, drink another glass, and another. I had retinal studies done before, during and after tx, definitely keep your doctors apprised of any changes
during tx my readers went from 150s to 350s...this took about 6 weeks....shorty after tx they came right back to 150s.......your suppose to get a full eye exam before tx so that as tx moves on if you do end up with eye trouble your doctor can compare your before and during tx eye photos...in some folks the interferon can cause eye damage....keep an eye on it!!! as far as symptoms go...most have at least some symptoms....mental as well as physical....i did run into a guy post tx that had almost no sides at all...he said he only had a slight headache at times....and he cured!....for me the drugs really effected me big time...i could only walk a short distance....was in bed 22 to 23 hours a day...most folks have manageable symptoms and many can work right through tx....do cbcs every week to keep an eye on your blood work...you can post your results here to get help understanding them....btw i did svr and feel way better then before tx.....drink lots of water! ...good luck.......billy
No your nurse is being realistic, maybe you won't have any sides but most of us do...... Not much you can do about any hair loss, you won't lose it all but most have some thinning but it will grow back.
In your title you mention eyesite, again most never have any problems. I treated twice without any..... Did you have a baseline checkup before treatment started?
Wishing you the best
In your title you mention eyesite, again most never have any problems. I treated twice without any..... Did you have a baseline checkup before treatment started?
Wishing you the best
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