Long term side effects

[Carolengy]

Hello everyone hope this year brings much better health and greater possibilities of getting cured for all of us.
This is my question: I've finished Pega+Interferon 2 months 1/2 ago, I am hepc 2b (I think), I've been doing great so far, energy levels ok. it seemed that my 16 weeks of treatment went ok. I went undetected I will find out more in March when I get to see my GE, is just that recently I started getting light headed, very much alike as when I was on pegetron, has anyone of you had experimented this? Is it possible to go good periods feeling like a million bucks, and then get hit again with the old known sides.
I appreciate your input into this, I am really scared, I really had to cut short the treatment due to bad chemistry between Riba & pega, and myself.
Thanks

[WillPower]

Knowing your hcv type is a must.  TX gets more tolerable through time.  If you relapse and you had an evr, start over with a hepatologist that will inform you of your situation in greater depth.  Read this site regarding post-tx issues.  This site will give you more knowledge than any MD ever has the time to share.  You must be your own advocate unless you have a knowledgeable doc.

[chcnme]

Sorry you had to stop at 16 weeks.  Hope your next appointment goes OK.  Can you get seen by your GI doc earlier than March? Tell them you don't feel good and that you're worried about dizzy spells - ask them if you can be seen earlier.  I guess it could be due to the treatment you had, but it could be due to anything, really (unrelated to tx), like low blood pressure (doc could check for that.)  It could be from anxiety.  I started having dizzy spells after only two weeks of treatment.  I felt wonderful after those two weeks of treatment (best I'd felt in years.) In about 2-3 months, though, I took on a new "side"  (dizziness.)  Mine wasn't due to low BP or anemia.  I think mine was due to anxiety.  I still get dizzy sometimes, and I still think it's mostly anxiety.  Try not to be too worried or too scared.  If you're feeling OK otherwise, it's probably not anything major.  Get back to your doc, though.  Just seeing the doc might help if it's due to anxiety!  Best of luck.

[friole]

It can take up to 6 months for all the effects of these drugs to leave the system.  I never experience the dizzyness but it could be a continuing side effect or you may have some inner ear infection that needs to be addressed.  Why not make an appointment with your primary care doctor?
frijole

[bobbyullc]

i am 6 1/2 months post tx and still have memory,skin and fatigue problems. sorry. i hope they will eventually go away. i did 46 weeks tx.
bobby

[MissMiss]

I am 4.5 mo post (48/48 1b).  I find it a lot like trying to climb up a sand dune.  Always sliding back a bit once in awhile but continuing to make progress.  I just had some blood work and my WBC finally hit 4, the bottom of normal.  My HGB is around 13, pretx I was closer to 15-16.  My thyroid is giving me fits but the numbers are coming down.  It all takes time.

It helps to look at the progress, not at how slow it is.  The day after my last shot, my husband came in and said, "Well, let's go, you're done, right?"  Hahaha!  Just give yourself time putting one step ahead of the other.  We'll all get there, just some sooner than others.  And some will have more reminders of txing.  I wish you luck.

miss

[anise]

I am coming up to 6 months post and I still have dizzy spells, fatique, and general malaise.  The sides are much better than during treatment, but I still don't feel 100%.  Somehow I was under the impression when treatment ended I would feel fantastic.  Nope!  I believe it takes a while for the body to get its system in shape.  We took some very powerful drugs.

However, I am making progress.  Sure wish my memory would come back to normal.

[Carolengy]

Thanks to all of you for responding; something funny to share with you guys, is that I have not had any cold, and there have been lots of people around me suffering from it, somehow I've been lucky, 'cause I can feel the first symptoms but then it goes away like magic. We are Brave in this battle, does not matter what, if we are able to endure all  these, we should be called Heroes.