Is incviek the hardest part?

Just kinda wanted to see how people felt after they had finished there incviek. Is it about the same or did you feel a little bit better? I only have 4 more wks left of the incivek. I was hoping there was some kind of light at the end of the first 12 wks.
Thanks in advance

[Idyllic]

There is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel after Incivek. In fact this question gets asked a lot at the 8 or 9 week mark. I don't know how treatment will be for you overall but I think you will feel more clear headed within a day or two of being off the Incivek.

After just finishing 48 weeks I think Incivek was the hardest part mentally.  I have yet to figure out the crappy  'head trip' aspect of Incivek but I feel like there is one. I look back and think about what it felt like to eat 60 grams of fat every day and it already seems like a blur. It was weird to not have the desire to do things I enjoy.  So even though you may have ups and downs as treatment progresses that part goes away fairly rapidly.

Hang in there!!

[Diana66]

I am soooo looking forward myself to that day. 5 weeks and 5 days left on Incivek - 40 days (not that I am counting :) )

[Reidmusic]

I was counting the weeks, then the days and minutes until I would be off Incivek. I have been off it for three weeks now and it is a huge relief to not be a slave to the clock and eating the fat. I do feel better being off it and as Idyllic said, I think my brain is working a little better. I had a fairly serious rash and major itching during the last few weeks of Incivek and this started clearing up after a few days.

My improved feeling has been offset somewhat by my low hemoglobin (low 9's) which keeps me horizontal most days. If I were in the 10's I bet I'd feel really good.

You're coming down the Incivek home stretch and you will feel better mentally and physically.

[maybe368]

In my case and in one word: Yeeeeees!!!!!!!...Mark

[PJ1966]

definitely the hardest part for me.  The peginterferon and ribavirin is a cinch compared to incivek.

[working dog]

tx is often much more tolerable a little while after stopping the incivek....but those ribas were tough throughout tx for me...i'll bet you feel way better post incivek

[yodennis]

I unambiguously and unequivocally and clearly and certainly felt better after the Incivek!

[pooh55811]

Yodennis said it well.

I felt wonderful after the Incivek was over (feeling wonderful is relative). I still had side effects from the other drugs, but they were nothing compared to the side effects from Incivek. Plus, I actually got to sleep for several hours at a time. I cannot tell you how much difference that made, just getting some sleep.

[Star971]

29 more days and counting thanks to all.

[uriah1]

I was able to actually leave the couch after Incivek - lol.  I was less nauseous too.  My sx got a little different so it's hard to say I was all in all "better" after Incivek...it seemed to change from week to week, but it's a FABULOUS THING to be done with that miracle medicine!

[crossroadsec]

Yeah, I agree with my above Friday Night Dart Club buddies. It does get better. If you have a long treatment, the riba does accumulate like workingdog said. But you should definitely feel the difference quickly after Telaprevir ends.
Keep counting those days! Karen:)

[Star971]

believe me I am Feb 7th I'm done with inc.

[crossroadsec]

Soo happy for you. I know what a relief it will be. You're doing it! I'm 9 mos SVR now. All that itching seems like a distant memory. xo Karen:)

[uncledudeness]

...there's always one in the crowd. Incivek was not easy for me; mostly consuming the 20 grams of fat. that was difficult. I thought that when I was finished, I would feel better. this is my second attempt, so I know what INF/RIBA effects feel like. well was I wrong. I have been dealing with infection upper/lower resp. I developed vertigo from the congestion. also my HGB is dropping and I hope to start Procrit next week. My ins co. denied me, cuz my HGB was at 10.0; ya see it's gotta be below 10 .... (ins co's suk)

sorry to be negative, but this is my reality. I threatened to stop tx a few times, and I still might. good luck

[DresdenO]

hi all, newby here, been monitoring the site for weeks. I take my 11th pegasys tomorrow but MAN, the Incivek! I was ok till two weeks ago, sure, quite a rash, shortness of breath irritability bad sleep no appetite but...still it all seemed manageable. But then I just dropped through the floor, the stuff is messing with my head, crying all the time, unbelievable mental pain. Thank God I have a shrink tomorrow morning. I hate to take happy pills but...I really can't see any way around it at this point. Counting the days, can't tell you all how much support I get from this site. My gf dumped me a few weeks into the treatment, I guess it kind of freaked her out but, the timing! Talk about a perfect storm of misery.

[Star971]

Funny I will be taking my 11th shot tonight. The first 2 wks were semi okay they weren't the greatest but no rash so far knock on wood. I still can't sleep a good night but we only have 14 or less days to be on incivek. Now if this itching would stop that would be great.

[BoceprevirGal]

  The shortness of breath sounds like hemolytic anemia, @ Dresden.  Do youknow what your HGB level is at?

[HoustonPops]

Just joined the forum.  I take my last two pills of incivek in the morning.  Can't wait to reach that milestone.  Undetected at 4 weeks.  Take shot 13 in the morning.  Nausea has been extreme for me but I have been able to muddle through.  Just excited about having a clean system.

[rivll]

I am amazed by your strength. Hang in there guys, you are real troopers and are truly an inspiration.
Praying for SVR for all of you.

[Star971]

Congrats on finishing the hardest part let me know how you feel afterwards. I'm counting the days, mins, seconds everything. I just can't wait to sleep in and not be a slave to the clock!

[DresdenO]

hi BoceprevirGal, I have my recent bloodwork here, but I'm in Germany and the measuring units are different. As far as I can tell my white and red blood cell counts are hovering just below normal minimums, for example I have a value here of 8,2 where the normal range is 8,6 to 12,10, thats for hemoglobin. Same for a few other parameters so I guess I'm mildly anemic.