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Long lasting symptoms or effects of interferon treatment
Hello, My mother completed HEP C treatment (interferon) approx. 2.5 years ago. She is now experiencing serious body aches and pain as well as depression. The doctor says is not related. Has anyone experienced these and other symptoms? If so, can you share information and advice? Thank you very much!
Child just made me remember Balnetar Bath Oil. It gave me some relief from itching. I'd soak in it at night and then gently towel dry. You don't want to rinse it off with water. Only caution is to make sure you clean the tub after each use. If not, it will eventually stain the porcelin. Don't ask me how I know :) Most druggists do not carry it but some will order special. You can also buy it on the internet. It was recommended to me by a derm for psoriasis. The oatmeal soak as mentioned is also very good. Just try not to stay in the water for too long because ironically bathing in water can dehydrate the skin.
Balnetar: http://tinyurl.com/ycatk8
Balnetar: http://tinyurl.com/ycatk8
has your mother have these symptoms throughout tx and post tx? It sounds as if she might have started having the symptoms 2 years post tx? If so, it would be very hard to find a correlation bt her present symptoms and the meds she stopped taking two years ago. Hopefully is not parkinson's, but a good neurologist should offer some good suggestions and medications that can keep her functioning and improve her quality of life.
By all means read the threads that were posted above regarding lingering effects of HCV tx. This is an issue that has been finally getting some widespread attention, and there are many post-tx'ers out there complaining of similar problems after ending their therapy. I am over three years SVR and since one month after ending tx have experienced a range of neurologic, arthralgic, rash, and fatigue related symptoms. You will see descriptions in the posts listed, but please do be aware that this is a problem that others also share. An independent survey of post-tx patients was done in the past year and demonstrated that a large number of people feel worse after tx. I believe it was somewhere in the range of 35% of those surveyed. Many specialists in the medical profession are beginning to describe the pattern of post-tx problems that they are seeing, and a few are treating their patients with different medications. Rheumatologists seem to be getting a good bit of this spillover after tx, as well as neurologists, and GP's.
As you will see, there are few answers yet to this problem, and little acknowledgement of the problem within the HCV specific medical community. Although many HCV doctors used to tell patients that they would feel good in a few weeks or a month or two, I now note that many are saying that it might be a year or more before the post-tx 'hangover' symptoms fade. They are being dragged kicking and screaming into the realities of the post treatment experience for a good portion of us. It is impossible to know how long the post-tx sx might remain, and for some it really is only a few weeks or months, and for others a few years, and for yet others, no relief yet after more than a few years.
Keep in touch with this forum, and I am sure you will read periodic threads on this subject. Maybe you will even see some answers being found for these disabling, and nagging symptoms, in the coming years. For now, about all you can do is live very healthy, eat well, exercise, and see appropriate specialists to address the lingering sx.
Good Luck and stay in touch.
DoubleDose
As you will see, there are few answers yet to this problem, and little acknowledgement of the problem within the HCV specific medical community. Although many HCV doctors used to tell patients that they would feel good in a few weeks or a month or two, I now note that many are saying that it might be a year or more before the post-tx 'hangover' symptoms fade. They are being dragged kicking and screaming into the realities of the post treatment experience for a good portion of us. It is impossible to know how long the post-tx sx might remain, and for some it really is only a few weeks or months, and for others a few years, and for yet others, no relief yet after more than a few years.
Keep in touch with this forum, and I am sure you will read periodic threads on this subject. Maybe you will even see some answers being found for these disabling, and nagging symptoms, in the coming years. For now, about all you can do is live very healthy, eat well, exercise, and see appropriate specialists to address the lingering sx.
Good Luck and stay in touch.
DoubleDose
Hi, Elaine, thanks for asking, same old pains for the same old lady (ok, not so old), but such is life, pop a vicoprofen and go on. I hope you are feeling well and the cold does not make a dent in your bones! And your baby is doing as well as he can be.
colleges are stepping up their recruitment and we have endless letters to open and tons of websites to check. overwhelming. Apparently the CEEB has some search feature for colleges to find the type of student they want and they have been using it!
We want to stay in the east coast, but REED college just sent their stuff to her and they sound pretty good, except all the way in Oregon! it will come down to who offers the most money, because there are many good colleges and universities out there.
I can't believe how many there are in Mass and PA! Any input on other good affordable institutions is welcome.
So far, College of New Rochelle, Wilson in PA, MCLA in Mass and Reed in Oregon got our attention. Harvard did too, but the fact that they ask for SAT II tests is a turn off. I feel that if the student takes the ACT, it should count for the SAT II. I have a feeling that Harvard will change this some time in the future, but not in time for us. They have instituted what they call the Harvard Initiative, where families with income less than 60, 000 are not expected to contribute towards the young person's education. Speaking of Harvard, did you hear about the paraplegic woman, recent graduate, that ran for the senate in NY? pretty impressive.
The whole process is so expensive, from taking admission tests and their fees, to exhorbitant application fees! Asking for SAT II is just another money making scheme, given the fact that colleges offer their own placement tests. ok, enough ranting. Are you sorry you asked? :-}
be well
colleges are stepping up their recruitment and we have endless letters to open and tons of websites to check. overwhelming. Apparently the CEEB has some search feature for colleges to find the type of student they want and they have been using it!
We want to stay in the east coast, but REED college just sent their stuff to her and they sound pretty good, except all the way in Oregon! it will come down to who offers the most money, because there are many good colleges and universities out there.
I can't believe how many there are in Mass and PA! Any input on other good affordable institutions is welcome.
So far, College of New Rochelle, Wilson in PA, MCLA in Mass and Reed in Oregon got our attention. Harvard did too, but the fact that they ask for SAT II tests is a turn off. I feel that if the student takes the ACT, it should count for the SAT II. I have a feeling that Harvard will change this some time in the future, but not in time for us. They have instituted what they call the Harvard Initiative, where families with income less than 60, 000 are not expected to contribute towards the young person's education. Speaking of Harvard, did you hear about the paraplegic woman, recent graduate, that ran for the senate in NY? pretty impressive.
The whole process is so expensive, from taking admission tests and their fees, to exhorbitant application fees! Asking for SAT II is just another money making scheme, given the fact that colleges offer their own placement tests. ok, enough ranting. Are you sorry you asked? :-}
be well
Hey, Scott, at the risk of sounding like a fool, I am glad I treated at stage one!
all: cata here is not clear in her post, it sounds like the symptoms started two yrs post tx, but maybe not. How much blame are we going to assign the meds and how much longer post tx? 2 yrs, 5, 10? When do we stop saying is tx related? If we get a new condition yrs post tx, how can anyone be sure that is tx related? no one knows one way or another, but the meds are the easy target for everything. one third feel worse than before tx, two thirds don't. whatever the symptoms or conditions, the tx is the same as those non tx related, there are no special therapies for joint pains due to hep c or tx, they are the same as those caused by most type of arthritis. Consult a rheumatologist and s/he will prescribe the same tests and basically the same meds as the other non hep c patients with similar pains.
all: cata here is not clear in her post, it sounds like the symptoms started two yrs post tx, but maybe not. How much blame are we going to assign the meds and how much longer post tx? 2 yrs, 5, 10? When do we stop saying is tx related? If we get a new condition yrs post tx, how can anyone be sure that is tx related? no one knows one way or another, but the meds are the easy target for everything. one third feel worse than before tx, two thirds don't. whatever the symptoms or conditions, the tx is the same as those non tx related, there are no special therapies for joint pains due to hep c or tx, they are the same as those caused by most type of arthritis. Consult a rheumatologist and s/he will prescribe the same tests and basically the same meds as the other non hep c patients with similar pains.
you are not truly going to based your tx decission on what you read on the internet, are you? you have to put in perspective the fact that everyone that is treating or have treated is not online to offer their experience with tx. Many that have no symptoms or mild sides have no reason to seek support boards. You have no idea what tx is going to bring for you, making a decission to stop based on what is said here, is not giving yourself a chance for a cure. Many people do not experience debilitating sides and it appears that at least two thirds are the same or better as before tx. Maybe you are reading the boards too much? I separated myself from the boards after the first month on tx, and did not come back until I needed support. Perhaps, taking a break for a while might help?
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