Normal for skin to hurt to touch ?

[dperry10]

Could not sleep anymore.. My head hurts and my skin hurts to touch ?   Is this normal ?  I know the headaches are a sx, but had'nt read anything about skin hurting.  I did not itch, thank goodness. Just chills , and fever and aches in legs and joints..

[Lady E]

I get the sore skin sometimes too. I believe it to be a side effect of the tx. To me, the tx flu-like symptoms include my skin being sore to the touch...my scalp as well. The sore skin doesn't always occur for me every week tho, just from time to time.
I am fortunate enough to have a hot tub, it seems to be the best therapy for me & I use it every day. It helps me SO much to soak for 10-15 minutes. It helps me with the sore skin, joint & body aches, stress & just plain relaxation. If you don't have a hottub, try just soaking in the bathtub. Also Advil seems to help me with the pesty side effects.
How far along are you?
-E

[dperry10]

Yesterday was my first shot on Pegetron/ ribivin 600 mg 2 times a day.    I went thru interferon treatment in 93, when first diagnosed.   I had a tubal pregnancy in 84, and had complications where they had to give me blood.   So just assuming thats where it came from.  

Will I be feeling chills thru out the next 2 days and the fever ? or is that just after the shot..  to tell you the truth, I do not remember all the sx of last treatment except for the worse.. lost alot of weight and hair fell out.. tx for 6 mos without change.  Then after scheduled Bloodwork, came back normal and UND for 8 mos.. then job change and lack of insurance, never continued to have tested.    Was not till I went for my regular annual check up they find I am diabetic now, not hypoglycemic, as I had been for years. also the elevated levels.  So had a biopsy, am genotype 1a in stage 2.  Not sure what all that means, except what I have read on here and other places.  That more resistant to tx.  I just hope its better working than the last.  

My head is pounding, going to go take some advil.

[Lady E]

I'm sorry to hear that you aren't feeling well. When I first began, the chills were pretty intense with the first shot. They only lasted for one day with me tho. I haven't had the extreme chills on "shot day" since the first. I remember how good it felt to just stretch my body out tho. It just made me feel so relieved to lay in the recliner or bed & stretch my ams, legs and back as far as I could. (a little temp relief)
One thing tho..I am ALWAYS cold. I live in Maine, so this winter is going to be a struggle for me. Thank God we've had a really mild winter so far. But when it comes to heat, I just can't get enough. I can't walk by the pellet stove without stopping there to absorb some of it. I am always bundled up now and usually keep a nice warm blanket over me.
Best of luck to you.
-Warm Hugs-
-E

[dperry10]

Thank you..  I am in florida, and I am always cold too. .just from the AC at work and at home. seems the vent always seems to be just where I am when the AC is on.  We have had a hot winter.. Not even going to be cold for Xmas.  they say after Xmas we will get some cool weather.. but it never lasts.  One of my best friends is from Portland ME.  she lives here in Florida though.  I wish I had a hottub.. been begging for one for years. or atleast remodel the one bathroom and get a jacuzzi bath tub.. .ahhh sounds soo good..

I had to have my first shot at the drs office yesterday, and they did it at 9 30 am.. so I felt the sx yesterday afternoon and last nite.   Hopefully that means I am past the worst of the sx from the shot today, since that cocktail has been in me longer than if I had done it last nite.   I would be still in bed I am sure.  Being Xmas I have cooking to do.   but my step daughter says she will come over and help cook.  I still have the presents to wrap, including hers.. so can't have her wrap all those too. LOL.

[jordie47]

I also have the sore skin sometimes and the scalp thing drives me crazy. I can barely stand to wash my hair or touch it. Some other sides have faded but not that one.

[dperry10]

Can I expect for my hair to fall out on Pegetron/Ribivin ?   Its longer right now than it has ever been, and my husband loves it.  but If it hurts to brush it.. thinking maybe I should cut it.   Its just above my waist.

[Lady E]

I am just south of Portland.
Yes, the first shot (for me) took about 7 hours to kick in. After that, the shots seemed easier to take, tho I still get pressure in my head on the evenings of my shots. (I take mine on Thursdays, around 3 pm)

I have lasagne to make today too. We're having Christmas here, but my hubby is going to help me get through it all. Thank God for him. I wasn't healthy enough to bake a whole bunch of cookies this year, but found it really easy to make chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks rolled in colorful sprinkles. I'm giving them as small gifts to my neighbors. :)
Hope you get through it all with ease. Merry Christmas & a Healthy & Happy New Year.

[dperry10]

You too.. Have a wonderful Holiday....

[painterlady13]

you might or might not lose your hair but really it just thins. and sometimes it isn't very much.  Mine has thinned by about 40% I am on week 22 of 48. and it didn't even start happening till about week 15.  I would play the wait and see card, just see how you react to treatment. Try using a satin pillowcase and maybe baby shampoo.  Although they also suggest using Nioxin which you can get at WalMart's hair salon. it is used for thinning hair it also helps the skin pain on the scalp.  it is about 35$ for a shampoo (1 qt) and a 20 oz scalp therapy.  it does work but I switch back and forth between that and the baby shampoo.
Good luck

[Lady E]

I started to lose my hair after about 6 weeks of tx. It started with soreness of the scalp..almost like when you part your hair differently than usual & you feel soreness later on in your scalp.
My hubby says it's not noticible, but I think he's just being kind. I still have about 80% but losing it daily. My son who I hadn't seen since July came up and said "Ma, you hair looks different"  My husband said "NICE GOING, JJ!" LOL
My hair seems kind of dead & fuzzy, not like the usual texture. And I don't think it's growing hardly at all. STAY away from the straightening iron. It makes ALOT more fall out.
Some of the ladies here recommended Paul Mitchell Tea Tree shampoo & conditioner for the itchiness, and I've been using it & like it.  I did panic about a month ago & bought a wig, but still don't have the ****s to wear it.

[chcnme]

LOL on what your son said (and what your husband said about "nice going") .  I've had people tell me lately "oh, you cut your hair, you colored it - looks good".  I'm thinking "don't lie!"   I haven't colored it, and yeah - I cut it because it's thinning terribly.  My hair (I'm not even ON tx) has thinned terribly in the past six months and has gone from blonde to dark brown - how weird, but not really - cuz blonde hair does go away the older we get, I guess.  I come from a family with thin hair, anyhow.  Wonderful.  I feel like when I start treatment I'll probably go bald and stay that way!  I've been thinking about trying the Nioxin.  It sure couldn't hurt - lol.  

I wish I had a hot tub!

And oh - to the original poster (I'm sorry, I got distracted by the hot tub and the hair lol),  but anyhow... I had awful chills that first shot night (over 3 yrs ago), fever shot up to about 103 that night, was shaking, and oh yeah - my skin hurt to even MOVE in that bed or to touch it, and so I just laid there very still thinking "da** - so this is the flu-like stuff, eh?"  Second week, that high fever didn't happen.  I never did a third week (which is a WHOLE nudder story)  BUT I'm getting ready to try again.  OH NO!

Hope you feel better!  :)  Merry Christmas!

[Steelerbot]

ditto on the sore scalp. First tx (last week) I was muscle pain esp the thighs and it was difficult to sleep and the chills. man!

Then before bed today (3rd shifter) I did my 2nd shot. Now 10 hours later and I DONT FEEL A THING out of the ordinary, just that slightly funky taste in my mouth. I am actually worried that somehow I didnt do the shot right because Im not feeling sick! I put the subQ all the way in the pinch of stomach flab and all 180 mcg of peg went in, so I must have done it correctly I suppose

You folks with chills. I have an electric blanket I rarely used but love now(its actually an electric fitted sheet)

[chcnme]

Oh my - aren't they wonderful? (those fitted electric bottom covers?)  I've been known (when it's REAL cold, or I'm real cold, or just when I want to feel like I'm wrapped up like some cacoon getting ready to go into some kind of metamorphosis)  to turn both the bottom and top on :)  Best of luck to you on treatment!