Aa
Ins.approved what to expect
I just found out my health ins. Is going to cover the triple dose my drugs will be here on the 29 need to call doc in the am just wondering what to expect during that first treatment wk. Side effects ahh the fear of the unknown any in put
What are altoids? I live in Canada so maybe it is called something different here. Thanks.
Hi Jimmygeee666,
Good luck with beginning triple therapy this week. My husband found that it helped to time the Peg injection around a time that he could rest for a day or two afterward. So, in his case, doing his injection around 2 PM on a Friday works well because he can go to work Friday evening and then rest Saturday and Sunday.
My husband developed the a moderate "Incivek rash" within the first two weeks of triple therapy. He used some of the products listed above (both over the counter - Eucerin cream and body wash, tea tree oil (for blisters), and prescription - Hydroxyzine HCL and Triamcinolone).
By about the third or fourth week, he developed the rectal bleeding/burning/pain, and used some over the counter products for that (Balneol, lidocaine, Preparation H, Tucks, alcohol free baby wipes).
By about the 12th week he developed symptoms of anemia which resulted in a slight dose reduction in Ribavirin.
He has a prescription for Zofran for nausea, although he's only needed it a couple of times so far. Ginger root, candied ginger, and ginger tea all help nausea.
Plastic eating utensils, sugar free lemon drops, and altoids seem to help him with the metallic taste in the mouth.
Hope this helps. Feel free to ask any questions. There are lots of people on this forum doing triple therapy with Incivek who can help with suggestions on how to manage side effects.
Advocate1955
Good luck with beginning triple therapy this week. My husband found that it helped to time the Peg injection around a time that he could rest for a day or two afterward. So, in his case, doing his injection around 2 PM on a Friday works well because he can go to work Friday evening and then rest Saturday and Sunday.
My husband developed the a moderate "Incivek rash" within the first two weeks of triple therapy. He used some of the products listed above (both over the counter - Eucerin cream and body wash, tea tree oil (for blisters), and prescription - Hydroxyzine HCL and Triamcinolone).
By about the third or fourth week, he developed the rectal bleeding/burning/pain, and used some over the counter products for that (Balneol, lidocaine, Preparation H, Tucks, alcohol free baby wipes).
By about the 12th week he developed symptoms of anemia which resulted in a slight dose reduction in Ribavirin.
He has a prescription for Zofran for nausea, although he's only needed it a couple of times so far. Ginger root, candied ginger, and ginger tea all help nausea.
Plastic eating utensils, sugar free lemon drops, and altoids seem to help him with the metallic taste in the mouth.
Hope this helps. Feel free to ask any questions. There are lots of people on this forum doing triple therapy with Incivek who can help with suggestions on how to manage side effects.
Advocate1955
I've also had trouble with figuring out some aspects of this forum, so this nay not be the best suggestion for adding to your profile - but it does get the info up if you simply write a couple of journal entries detailing some if your history.
This forum is incredibly helpful - I'm on week 9 and I know I wouldn't have made it this far without the support of this forum. You found the right place to get help with your treatment. Welcome!
This forum is incredibly helpful - I'm on week 9 and I know I wouldn't have made it this far without the support of this forum. You found the right place to get help with your treatment. Welcome!
Expect the worst. Hope for the best. I took my first shot and then hopped on a plane to FL. Was completely nervous about impending side effects. Then...nothing. I'm on week 12 now. No sides except a little minor redness/rash near injection sites. Good luck!
severe side efefcst to report to your doctor? better have a good doctor. many will just shrug.
By the way, have you had a baseline pretreatment eye exam by an opthamologist? It is important to have a thorough baseline eye exam by an opthamologist before starting treatment. These meds can cause serious eye problems so you need the baseline exam in case you have problems during treatment. Most don't have problems, but some do.
Oops, sorry, guess I posted to the wrong thread or mixed up threads. Hah, guess that helps answer your question. Brain fog! LOL. Oh well.
Welcome to the forum and congratulations on starting treatment.
I suggest you read the literature enclosed with your medications when they come. The literature will tell you which side efects are associated with each particular drug. Also listed are the SEVERE side effects for which you must seek immediate attentionm. This is important to know because, although not common, these meds can cause some severe, even life threatening, side effects in some people. I am not trying to scare you because most people do not have sever side effects. But you need to know when to seek medical attention just in case.
That said, everyone reacts differently to the meds. Some people have few side effects and others have more. Some people have a bunch of minor annoying side effects and others have a few that need to be kept on top of or they get worse.
Many people complain of fatigue, nausea, flu like symptoms (mainly after the Interferon injection), rash and/or itching, headaches, diarrhea, general malaise. Pardon my bluntness, but you may get burning diarrhea (and some have pretty bad internal rectal pain). Incivek seems to cause this flaming diarrhea along with hemorrhoids.
Keep in mind, you won't get all side effects listed and you may get few of them. However, it is good to be prepared with some supplies prior to starting the meds so you do not have to run to the store in the middle of the night for Benadryl or Loperimide.
I suggest having the following items on hand when you start treatment:
Tylenol (I use 325 mg) for headache and general muscle aches
Benadryl caps for the rash and itching
Preparation H suppositories
Preparation H hemorrhoid cream
Loperimide tabs for the diarrhea
Huggies baby wipes with aloe (to keep the buttocks extra clean)
Hydrocortisone cream for the rash
Gel type cold pack (this comes in handy for headaches and itching)
Toilet paper, lots of it, LOL.
Hypoallergenic lotion or very mild unscented lotion
For your injections have sterile alcohol swabs (they are not all sterile so read the package), sterile 2 by 2's, large bandaides.
It might be good to stock up on some other items like juices, soups, saltine crackers for the nausea, easy to prepare food. If you live alone and have a cat or dog, it might be good to stock up on the cat and dog food and also those heavy boxes of litter.
I am sure I am forgetting some things. The best thing is to keep on top of or keep ahead of the symptoms. I think many or most of us take Tylenol when we take our injections. It helps keep the headaches and other aches and flu like symptoms under control. I take 2 when I take the injection and one the next morning. Works pretty well. I also take Benadryl every night. The rash and itching seem to get more noticeable at night when a person gets hotter or skin is touching skin. Keep the room temperature low, 68 or even cooler. The rash and itching blossom when a person gets hot. For the rectal issues, I would recommend getting on top of them at the very first sign of an issue. I found that keeping the stools formed, and not soft or loose, seems to be a key factor in keeping the rectal problems under control. I know that seems counterintuitive when one has hemorrhoids (which Incivek can cause), but take it from one who had some real painful issues, keeping the stool fairly firm is key.
You are on Incivek so you will need to eat 20 grams of fat every time you take that a dose. The following foods have high fat content (read the labels for the exact amount needed to get 20 grams into you):
Greek Yogurt (NOT low fat)
Whipping cream
Peanut butter
1 avocado
Ice cream (NOT low fat)
Olive oil
Butter
Eggnog (but also take something solid with the eggnog, toast or something)
There are several more items high in fat like potato chips, olives, etc. but I cannot remember them because most of them I do not eat.
If you have a problem with a side effect, post on the forum and people will let you know how they dealt with it.
Again, you may be one of the lucky ones and have very few side effects or relatively minor side effects. However, I think it is best to be prepared for them if they do show up.
Best of luck on your treatment.
I suggest you read the literature enclosed with your medications when they come. The literature will tell you which side efects are associated with each particular drug. Also listed are the SEVERE side effects for which you must seek immediate attentionm. This is important to know because, although not common, these meds can cause some severe, even life threatening, side effects in some people. I am not trying to scare you because most people do not have sever side effects. But you need to know when to seek medical attention just in case.
That said, everyone reacts differently to the meds. Some people have few side effects and others have more. Some people have a bunch of minor annoying side effects and others have a few that need to be kept on top of or they get worse.
Many people complain of fatigue, nausea, flu like symptoms (mainly after the Interferon injection), rash and/or itching, headaches, diarrhea, general malaise. Pardon my bluntness, but you may get burning diarrhea (and some have pretty bad internal rectal pain). Incivek seems to cause this flaming diarrhea along with hemorrhoids.
Keep in mind, you won't get all side effects listed and you may get few of them. However, it is good to be prepared with some supplies prior to starting the meds so you do not have to run to the store in the middle of the night for Benadryl or Loperimide.
I suggest having the following items on hand when you start treatment:
Tylenol (I use 325 mg) for headache and general muscle aches
Benadryl caps for the rash and itching
Preparation H suppositories
Preparation H hemorrhoid cream
Loperimide tabs for the diarrhea
Huggies baby wipes with aloe (to keep the buttocks extra clean)
Hydrocortisone cream for the rash
Gel type cold pack (this comes in handy for headaches and itching)
Toilet paper, lots of it, LOL.
Hypoallergenic lotion or very mild unscented lotion
For your injections have sterile alcohol swabs (they are not all sterile so read the package), sterile 2 by 2's, large bandaides.
It might be good to stock up on some other items like juices, soups, saltine crackers for the nausea, easy to prepare food. If you live alone and have a cat or dog, it might be good to stock up on the cat and dog food and also those heavy boxes of litter.
I am sure I am forgetting some things. The best thing is to keep on top of or keep ahead of the symptoms. I think many or most of us take Tylenol when we take our injections. It helps keep the headaches and other aches and flu like symptoms under control. I take 2 when I take the injection and one the next morning. Works pretty well. I also take Benadryl every night. The rash and itching seem to get more noticeable at night when a person gets hotter or skin is touching skin. Keep the room temperature low, 68 or even cooler. The rash and itching blossom when a person gets hot. For the rectal issues, I would recommend getting on top of them at the very first sign of an issue. I found that keeping the stools formed, and not soft or loose, seems to be a key factor in keeping the rectal problems under control. I know that seems counterintuitive when one has hemorrhoids (which Incivek can cause), but take it from one who had some real painful issues, keeping the stool fairly firm is key.
You are on Incivek so you will need to eat 20 grams of fat every time you take that a dose. The following foods have high fat content (read the labels for the exact amount needed to get 20 grams into you):
Greek Yogurt (NOT low fat)
Whipping cream
Peanut butter
1 avocado
Ice cream (NOT low fat)
Olive oil
Butter
Eggnog (but also take something solid with the eggnog, toast or something)
There are several more items high in fat like potato chips, olives, etc. but I cannot remember them because most of them I do not eat.
If you have a problem with a side effect, post on the forum and people will let you know how they dealt with it.
Again, you may be one of the lucky ones and have very few side effects or relatively minor side effects. However, I think it is best to be prepared for them if they do show up.
Best of luck on your treatment.
what to expect during that first treatment wk?
----------------------------------------------------------------
Side effect vary greatly among individuals, so don't assume anything. Some people have the chills, fever, flu like symptoms after the first interferon shot, but many don't. It might happen the first few shots, then usually not after. I've never had this reaction, so I'm one of the lucky ones.
It took about 3-4 weeks for the ribavirin to saturate my rbc's, so the first few weeks may seem easy, but you may begin to feel the lowering Hgb, especially with the incivek added. You'll likely experience some level of fatigue so don't expect to do what you're doing now at the same pace and intensity. Rest often if necessary. Drink lots of fluids to stay hydrated, since the meds dehydrate you. Use lotions to keep the skin moist.
Some people breeze through trt, while others struggle with several side effects. Just remember to take it a day at a time through the rough spots. Many are here to help you so visit often. Good luck as you begin and try not to overthink it.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Side effect vary greatly among individuals, so don't assume anything. Some people have the chills, fever, flu like symptoms after the first interferon shot, but many don't. It might happen the first few shots, then usually not after. I've never had this reaction, so I'm one of the lucky ones.
It took about 3-4 weeks for the ribavirin to saturate my rbc's, so the first few weeks may seem easy, but you may begin to feel the lowering Hgb, especially with the incivek added. You'll likely experience some level of fatigue so don't expect to do what you're doing now at the same pace and intensity. Rest often if necessary. Drink lots of fluids to stay hydrated, since the meds dehydrate you. Use lotions to keep the skin moist.
Some people breeze through trt, while others struggle with several side effects. Just remember to take it a day at a time through the rough spots. Many are here to help you so visit often. Good luck as you begin and try not to overthink it.
Hi jimmygee, welcome to the forum. You should add some info to your profile so folks know a bit about you when you post, ie which county/state do you live in, viral load, geno, stage, and another basics that may be pertinent in future posts.
In the US, incivek offers up to 20% of the copay regardless of your income. Don't remember the rules for the others but here are a couple links..
Anywhere, here is the link.
http://www.incivek.com/hcp/co-pay-assistance-program
http://www.genentechaccesssolutions.com/portal/site/AS/menuitem.7ef3b8542d7c63460313edacd79c23a0/?vgnextoid=ad7b1d41003c9210VgnVCM100000d70bf60aRCRD
In the US, incivek offers up to 20% of the copay regardless of your income. Don't remember the rules for the others but here are a couple links..
Anywhere, here is the link.
http://www.incivek.com/hcp/co-pay-assistance-program
http://www.genentechaccesssolutions.com/portal/site/AS/menuitem.7ef3b8542d7c63460313edacd79c23a0/?vgnextoid=ad7b1d41003c9210VgnVCM100000d70bf60aRCRD
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