I miss the old timers that understood the tx brain stuff :( open thread)

[mkeela]

I think Im losing it and don't know what to do with myself. I am staying away from family right now because I feel like I don't make any sense when I talk. Listening isn't an option for me today, for my brain is racing and I am experiencing riba rage really bad. I think I should go to the hospital, my chest hurts, I get up, and then I am outta breath, feel like I just ran a mile, and feel like I am gonna pass out, sparkles in my eyes if I move too fast, and the room spins. I feel like I am not even here...am I having a panic attack??? WHAT THE HECK???
I know I missed one dose of that stupid psych med he put me on, but that shouldn't make this much of a difference I heard. Any advice??

[timedog]

wish I could be of any help. it doesn't sound plesent for sure. Not something I went through. hopefully one of those old timers will waken from their turkey stupor and have some good advice for you.

Hey do you think turkey stupor is a disease and if it were would you still call it a disease if they outlawed thanksgiving?

[mkeela]

lol..thanks. I just called the doc.hope the quack calls back.

[Morgaina]

Which mood stabilizer has your doctor prescribed? You can easily switch from one that doesn't fit. If they dont fit, they can feel VERY strange. One thing though, have you had your hgb checked, you sound kind of anemic. Hope this helps!

[mkeela]

depakote because I told him a few weeks into tx I was having severe mood swings. he wont give me an AD. I bet he or the nurse don't even call back. they only test my blood every 3-6wks...I am kind of scared.

[moveabove]

T.V. looking on computer for chrismass gifts. I could only work 3 hrs today becuase head something like spinning and just ******* hate. Not hate anyone or anything and maybe not even hate but sure not like.
   What you discribe is how I felt for weeks. Now just enough for anouying. But during bad wks thought very bad of myself.
Look at some of the stuff I write now. Oh my God, if I found this site during my insanity what would have happened.
And I didnt attack any of you on here so ease up. I'm sitting here and my only friends are you

[sfbaygirl]

Missing one of your meds could do this. Holidays are hard, I had riba rage last night about a stupid dishwasher in front of my whole family. I felt so stupid, I went to bed. I have been sleeping for about 18 hrs at this point. Stress of the holidays can cause panic. What you describe could be a panic attack. It's been years since I have had them, but it could be. Even though my Hgb is normal I run out of breath, get funny dizzy spells etc. Check it out though! You are bipolar, correct? This makes it so much more difficult on tx I have heard. My son has it, with psychotic features. That alone can add unknown sx that most don't have. You may not hear from you dr. this weekend, and if it continues to get worse, I would go to the ER. Keep posting and let us know how you are. You are not alone, girl! We care! I'll try to stay awake long enough to be here.

BTW the Riba can cause awful anxious feelings. I get them off and on. Do you have ativan or something to calm you down?

[mkeela]

Thanks...I don't know if I was bi-polar or not before tx, but I guess I am now ...LOL. Still waiting for the office to call back. Love you guys, Mkeela

[mkeela]

thanks for the support :) I am actually starting to feel a little better in the head, but I am just so darn dizzy and breathless.

[Lady E]

If you don't hear from your doctor, try calling the nurse at the Be-In-Charge Program.  They are there 24/7. 1-888-437-2608.
It's a pretty good support system for HCV.

I had a similar rage-moment yesterday while trying to get the cranberry sauce out of the can. UGH! When I have those spells, I also get tightness in my chest & a very lightheaded feeling.
Almost feels like a heart attack.

Best of luck to you!
-E

[CrazyTrain]

If it makes ya feel any better I think lately I'm breathing in more often than I'm breathing out, on top of that I can't see in the dark.
I went out and bought a bottle of Ginkoba memory enhancer but danged if I can remember what I did with it.

And now once again I'm running late for my Procrastinators Club meeting.

smile and be well

[moveabove]

I have an exwife and she is going so good in her life and job. What does that mean?  She doesnt even want to have sex with me any more.
  Some where in wk 16 or so I managed to get to a meeting at 9 am but drank over a litter of water before. On the way there I had to stop 2 times to pee. The meeting was only 3 miles away. I was wearing blue levis.  When I got to the meeting and sat down I looked at my pants and I had a big around pee spot on my crotch, I guess I wasnt done peeing the last time I went on the way to meeting. I quickly got up and ran home.

[SJL]

Could you possibly be dehydrated? Your symptoms are exactly like mine, that sent me to the ER twice? Drink as much water as possible & flush that **** out of you. Don't be afraid of going to the ER, where they can give you fluids to build you up. I am sure panic attacks could also be the culprit, but I have had no experience with these.

Be well, and let us know how you are feeling.
Sandy

[Myown]

Oh Meekla,,hope you feel better soon. Hang in. Maybe call that number lady E mentioned. At least it will be audible voice, typing for support doesn't compare to be able to hear a person voice, that may help as Lady E mentioned.

let us know.

[chcnme]

Hi Mkeela. I'm not an old-timer here (I'm just kind of an old timer - period :)  I'm new here, and so I'm not familiar with your treatment history for the Hep and don't know how long you've been on the treatment. I'm sorry you're having all those bad feelings.  (those are bad feelings -- I've had panic attacks before, and they make you feel like you're dieing.)   It could be a panic attack, but they are usually over with within a few minutes and don't last for hours.  If you're having the shortness of breath and flashing lights (sparkles in your vision) and tight chest, I think of anemia, too (and Hep C treatment, as you know, can definitely cause that.)

I also wonder about the Depakote. I don't know how long you've been on the Depakote or at what dose, but missing one dose would not cause those kinds of symptoms.  Anyone on Depakote needs to be very closely monitored especially if their liver is impaired.  (That is NOT to alarm you but just to let you know, just in case you don't know already, that it's a medication that requires a specialist to monitor you especially in light of your liver.)

Do not hesitate to go to the ER. In fact, if you were my friend and on Depakote and on Hep C treatment, I would urge you to call your GI doctor now or better yet the psychiatrist who prescribed the Depakote  (if they have an on-call emergency service number, and they should) and see what they suggest.  If they don't have an on-call service, and if you feel keep feeling "funny", I would say go to the ER.  

I hope you'll feel better soon.  Hang in there.  

[Sally01]

I am not an old-timer on this site but an almost everyday reader.  I care about you too. Please take care

[cuteus]

mkeela, what was your hgb at the last test?  it does sound like a combination of things one of which is anemia.  Just because your results fall within the 'normal' range column, if you have had any drop from what your body is used to, you can feel like you have severe anemia.  Your body does not follow numbers, it follows its own range.  Check the last bloodwork and see how low it has gone.  MY dr kept telling me everything was fine and normal, when in reality the hgb was dropping.  At 10.2 I was still hearing everything is fine and I was having chest pains.  After that, I asked copies of all my lab work.
what was your last hgb?

[mkeela]

ok all. i am feeling a little better. i ate, drank a bunch of fluids, and am much calmer...THANK YOU all for the support...it's so good to have the folks here that know you well, and seem to know just what to say (personally), and the newbies to the board that are FULL of wisdom and strength...chcmne I remember you bieng "buried"...lol. You are a great addition to this place, and thank you for the words. I am still dizzy and breathless, but whats new i guess. Sorry for title of the thread, I didn't mean I didn't want to hear from new folks or what ever that title could be turned into...I just didn't think before I posted...I am sorry, and appreciate you all so very much. Your all i have for this right now. Love ya, Mkeela.

Cuteous, Nov. 1 it was still at 13! Just did shot 17 last night.
They haven't checked it since, and my next schedule blood draw is in Dec.

[mkeela]

wonder if i have to wait till monday to hear back from them...oh well, i am feeling way better now, i'll go to the ER if it gets worse or doesn't keep getting better.

[aiuta]

I have a lots of experience taking psych meds as I have bipolar II disorder (diagnosed 8 years pre-HepC tx).  I took depakoate once for almost a year.  My experience is that missing 1, 2 or 3 doses CAN make a difference.  My experience is also that they are not called "psych" meds for no reason.  They really can mess with our heads and with our psychological state, and while mostly they help, sometimes they cause reactions like the one you are describing.  When I am feeling "wobbly", I make sure I take all my meds, GET MY SLEEP, try to get a little exercise in, tell the appropriate people around me I'm feeling "not quite myself", and then try not to put myself smack in the center of any conversations where an intelligent or even-keeled response might be called for.  

I am sorry you are going through this struggle.  I AM VERY HAPPY THAT YOU SHARED IT HERE AND SAID YOU SEEMED TO FEEL BETTER(your previous post).  In my experience, the two may be linked.  Being able to share these things with friends WHO UNDERSTAND has been critical to me.  Of course there is a weeding out process for the "WHO UNDERSTAND" part.  I've learned when they don't, it's not that they don't care, but that they just don't know how to help me or what to say.  It's been a hard lesson for me to learn over these 8 years, but deciding WHO to share with in these matters is almost as important for me as is the act of sharing itself.  

Thanks for sharing, Mkeela.  You are in my thoughts and prayers and I hope you continue to feel better over the weekend.  Let us know.  

All my best,  

Aiuta

[chcnme]

Hi Mkeela. I'm so glad to hear you are doing better and feeling OK now.  (I was truly worried.)  My hat is off to you for doing what you need to do to get better.  You're a trooper, and I am rooting for you (and everyone here.)  I don't know what any of us would do if we didn't have places like this to come to and talk and just be with others who are going through the same thing.  You keep hanging in there, and know that many MANY people are pulling for you and are here for you!  Big smiles!  Glad it's OK now!

[susan400]

I'm an old timer and I understand treatment brain stuff. What do you what to know?  Does treatment make me into a lunatic?  Well.... about 50% of the time YEA!

Susan

[giddyup]

Oh Mkeela your in the throughs of tx.Try and get lab test done. Ativan is good for these bad times. Doc should prescribe a few. People? I never wanted to see people on tx.

[dancegirl54]

You might want to get a second opinion on Depakote. My son Eric was on Depakote for years - for a serious seizure disorder.  When we were DX a few years ago (he obviously got HCV from me at birth) his damage was much worse than mine. There is a good possibility that it is from the depakote.  It is a heavy duty drug that affected him MUCH MORE than tx.  We see Dr A in Boston, one of the top specialists in Boston. First step was to get him OFF Depakote so Dr A and neuro worked to find something better and now he is on Keppra. But that is for seizures. If he needs to be on seizure meds and the docs agree that depakote is BAD I dont understand why docs would give depakote out as an AD
Dr A's office prefers Celaxa/Lexapro but we dont have any experience with it, eric doesnt need an ad but he is only 18 and breezing through. I am afraid when I tx it wonr be easy
Dance!

[chcnme]

I agree wholeheartedly with the Depakote suggestion from Dancegirl.  Depakote can be damage anyone's liver let alone what it can do to an impaired one.  Hep C symptoms (the depression and hypo / hypermania)  can sometimes mimick bi-polar to a T, and so can sides from treatment.  Mkeela, I don't know much about your history of being diagnosed bi-polar or when this diagnosis came along  (in fact I know nothing about it), but I got the feeling when I read some of your notes that you were recently diagnosed bipolar, which in my opinion (in light of a diagnosis of Hep C, too) could be an unfair and very wrong diagnosis.  When I read you were on Depakote, I honestly couldn't believe a doctor had put you on it with a diagnosis of Hep C.  It just blew my mind, but I didn't want to scare you.  If someone is truly "bi-polar", many hepatologists won't even consider them candidates for treatment.  At any rate, if you don't know, you need to know that Depakote can be dangerous for you.  I'd definitely get a second opinion.  Best of luck.   Maybe they can prescribe you something Ativan, or Xanax, or Valium for the anxiety.  But Depakote with an impaired liver and on treatment (??)  That's .....well -- just make sure you get a second opinion.

[mkeela]

Hi all, I just posted to someone below, so I copied and pasted for obvious reasons lol. Just thought I'd better let ya'll know how I am. Nothing can express the love and gratitude I have for ya'll and what you did for me last night...

I am feeling better, just a little dizzy, breathless, and disoriented. I won't be posting anything of serious nature AT ALL today (might not post period)as I can't seem to keep a focus as to what what I just said or remember what I had just read, or planned to say if that makes anysense. Haven't heard anything from the office, so it looks like a Mon. plan for me. A friend mentioned my blood sugar...hmmm could be something to look into as I have been tetering on the border range there for awhile now. Thanks you so much for asking. Love to all, mkeela

[cc4mickey]

Hi,,Several months ago I started going to a pain management Dr for pain.It seems that the new rage is to Tx with anti-seizure drugs.I gave them a try.The ones they wanted me to take were digested in the kidneys NOT liver.After one week of taking at prescribed dose I was so nauseated,dizzy,couldn't concentrate,and in worse pain.I thought that since I had been on them a short time that I could cold turkey quit taking them.For 3 nites I woke up in a cold sweat,shaking with pain,muscle twitching.That was enough for me.I saw the pa at drs office that kept trying me to give the same class of drugs to try.NO NO NO NEVER again.I finally got something decent.

mkeela,I would taper off this horrible drug today.Tell your Dr to jump in a lake.It is obvious he has no clue what he is doing.Depakote is a serious drug...Serious sides...
Also,,I read that Milk Thistle counters the drug so that it isn't absorbed that well.So if you take Milk thistle it might have caused a detox effect.If you detox too fast it can cause seizures.

If you feel bad go to ER..Don't wait for a phone call.I read alot but haven't posted here.I don't mean to scare you,,just very concerned....cc