Riba

It seemed like I was sleeping all the time before I started my tx. I could not sit and watch tv on the couch without falling asleep. And when I woke up, it took forever to get up enough energy to drag myself to bed. After hearing about all the sx with taking riba, I was scared to death to start my treatment. If I slept all the time as it was, how was I ever going to function?  Well, here I am going into the 2nd week of treatment, and it seems like the riba has given me some energy. I no longer fall asleep as soon as I hit the couch.  Has anyone experienced anything similar?  Just wondering?

[wyntre9]

That's what happens to me.  I seem to have a 'delayed' reaction.  I do the shot Friday, don't feel too bad Saturday and then Sunday is sofa-city.

I have to say that this weekend has been my best yet, in terms of energy level, but maybe that's coz I'm soooo well rested now coz of not working.

[Cindy10]

The first shot is the worst.  Once you get used to the meds it should not be to bad, as far as the flu sides. My first month was a little rough (if you could call it that - mild) but then things eased up quite a bit, however I am not anemic, that does make a big difference. Hang in there it should get better.

As far as the nausea, my NP always says keep up on the water that will help and it has worked for me.

[ladybug52]

After my first shot that had immediate side effects, I am the same way. I can even work on Saturdays if I have to and yesterday I sat in the rain for my son's soccer game and didn't feel as bad as today. Sunday is my worst day. Each day after gets better, even shot day isn't bad but Sundays are my day to rest and try to cope.
Bug

[aquarius64]

i just hope this doesn't happen each weekend, even for a month. it's hard with my 3 and 4 year old. and to think my old GI wanted me to do tx after my last child. they would have been 1 yr old and newborn! i could have never done it. thanks for the imput.

[JAN07]

My skin seems to be dry but I don't know if it is because of the season or the meds.  My skin dries out during the winter. I try to keep Gold Bond handy since it seems to work the best. I hope I do as well as you seem to be doing during tx. Thanks for the info!

Donna

[wyntre9]

The first week (I started 12/23) I had a similar reaction.

I'm on week 5, now, and that doesn't happen anymore.  I'm mostly very weak.

[jmjm530]

I definitely found the ribavirin energizing until the anemia hit, then the opposite. If falling asleep becomes a problem, try taking your 2nd riba dose earlier in the day, or if you have uneven doses -- for example 2 in the AM and 3 in the PM -- you can try reversing the doses with your bigger dose in the AM.

All the best,

-- Jim

[Cindy10]

The riba does get you going, but it will level off after a while. For the dry skin, Aveeno daily moisturizing lotion - fragrance free works well. For some reason products with fragrances seem to make things worse. Best wishes!

[JAN07]

I am also treating for 24 weeks.  Have you had any other sx?

[LindyK]

Very few.  After my first injection I got flu like symptoms for about 3 hours.  Nothing else after that.  Taste has altered some but I have found replacements.  I do get fatigued very early in the evening and HAVE to be in bed no later that 9:30.  Also if I overdo it I can be really fatigued the next day but after a day of rest I am OK.  Oh yeah, I had annoying little headaches the first few weeks but they went away.  My hands have gotten really dry and the skin will even crack if I don't pay close attention to hydrating them.  This could be because I wash my hands a thousand times a day to try to avoid germs (I've become a germaphobe LOL!).  Other than that things have been fine.  I feel very blessed.  I was prepared for the worst!

[aquarius64]

i got a surprise. i am in my first week, did my shot thurs. night, felt pretty good till fri night. i had body aches, headache and chills. slept ok. next morning, felt worse, but no fever or nausea. sat. night felt pretty good and slept ok, this morning felt pretty good and then this afternoon, whammo.. i got the headache, bodyaches slight fever and nausea. i feel lousy. i was wondering if anyone else had it happen like this. i hope it's just this way from the first shot. i truly don't see how people can go for 48wks or longer. my hat is off to you and my heart goes out to you. is it the shot or the riba that makes the nausea happen? i hear so many people say that they have no desire for food. is that from the riba, inf or just from the meds accumulating?

[BayAreaWomen]

I did not experience any sx during the first 2 weeks of tx - around the end of the 2nd wk I started feeling very fatigue and irritable. I could not eat very much, but I kept drinking my water. I got to the point where I stated hating the taste of water, so I change to distilled water and a different vendor. Around the 8 week, I started having very bad itching, I mean so bad that I would cry and could not sleep. I tried every kind of ointment on the market and none helped. My face would itch, head, butt, genitals, head, ears. I was in horror city. My nurse prescript lotion for drive skin, but it did not help. I finally went to my dermatologist and he gave me hydroxyzine HCL which did the job for me. I became anemic from the riba and now I

[Cindy10]

Oh boy I do hope your sx get better soon. A 3 & 4 yr old, I can't even imagine that right now. Hang in there, it will get better.

[LindyK]

I am beginning week 10/24.  I get a lot of energy from my morning Riba - gets me through the workday great!  Early evening Riba gets me tense so I take a Xanax rather than taking off anyone's head!  I always feel better the day after my shot.  Go figure - everyone's different.  I am feeling so much better as I was very sick the 2 years previous to tx.  I even told my son the other day that I think I'm getting addicted to my chemotherapy LOL!

[NYgirl]

The riba tends to speed me out a bit that is why I took them at 7am and 7pm when I started.

After you build up a serum level high enough in your blood though - it really doesn't matter.

But they certainly don't make me tired - not at all.  In fact I take Ambien to offset them at night.