Seeking medical attention, should I go to the ER

[timothy141]

In the last few days, I feel as if all my internal systems are crashing, and of course I called the doctors office. I had my last blood draw on Friday. After so much talk about HGB (13.1), RBC (4.06), Platelet (199) on 1/25/2013. I know these are within normal so I don't worry to much about it. But that was last month. Like I said, I called the doctors office and all though they didn't have my current values, and wont have them until my HepiMax test comes back from California, 2 weeks! The nurse assured me if there was a problem I would be notified. I have accepted the fact that I am one of the ones who is going to have to do battle and take my, "come upings"  for my life 30 years ago.
Back to my question, at what point should I if ever seek medical attention, I don't want to be so macho I do irreversible damage to myself...more than I already have. Day 90, peginterferon-alfa 2 (180 mcg) weekly. ribavirin (800 mg) a day.      

[timothy141]

I have to thank ActingBrandNew for leading "us" to that thread. I can not advocate anything that may be harmful to another.    

[wtbleep]

I was put on oxy for my pain during tx and now 1 yr post tx still not able to taper off.  I did not achieve SVR and still suffer from depression, pain, fatigue and headache etc.  It has been a long road and now hopeful that I will be able to tx again without INF.  Trying everything to get it right.  Tx was a hell I did not survive with grace sad to say but I am hopeful.  

[ActingBrandNew]

Here's an old thread on Hep C and pain meds:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-C/Hep-C-and-Pain-Meds/show/449884

[christinatas]

BUT I THOUGHT NO ONE WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE ANY OPIATES.I AM SUFFERING BADLY FROM CHRONIC LEG PAIN BUT CAN A PERSON TAKE OPIATES IF THEY NEED THEM.PLEASE LET ME KNOW,I FEEL AS THOUGH I AM ON THIS ISLAND OF PAIN WITH NO HELP W/ THIS PAIN AND EXTREME SWELLING OF MY FEET,ANKLES AND LEGS-ALL FAM.DR DID WAS PUT ME ON LAXIS.I AM TOTALLY MISERABLED. NO BODY UNDERSTANDS THIS.

[timothy141]

I am sorry, really not making sense I know! What happened with my meds was with the update in the main frame at the hospital, and of course it was not just an isolated incident. Those of us who are fortunate enough to be getting our meds from the mfg. Genentech were dropped out of the system. And so...I was unable to resolve the issue until the eleventh day, ten days to get back on schedule. No big? I was able to continue taking the ribavirin everyday, it comes in 168 ct bottles.
The shot sequencing was order by the doctor. Seems that others have also gotten off schedule for one reason or another, to be sure, I shall not if it is in my power to not.
The only issue is the of cohesiveness at the hospital, of course it doesn't make it any easier but the manager in the pharmacy lost his job, again this was not an isolated incident.
No other than a little hyper-tension, I am pretty healthy.
Just spoke to the nurse and she again assured me if there were any reason, apparent in my Chemical physicals I would have been notified.          

[Idyllic]

"As far as CBC..... I was at 11 days for my ninth inject.,5 for the tenth, 5 for the eleventh by the 12th inject back on my 7 day schedule. Last week went through some of the same BS but was able to get my meds on time."
________________________

I am not sure I follow this.
Do you mean you administered your shots weekly but when shot 9 rolled around you did the shot 4 days late (11 days after shot 8).

Then you did shot 10 two days early (five days later rather than a week). Ditto with shot 11.
______________

Do you have other medical conditions that require monitoring?
I could be unclear what this really means but I would not let routine CBCs disrupt your medication schedule. I'm not at home so I can't read much else but this thread.  I could see if there were a viral load in there or delivery problems but something sounds off here.

[timothy141]

I would like to clarify, I have been experiencing things that have me concerned to be sure. Nothing which has not been mentioned. Although this morning I woke to extreme body aches, vomiting, headache but worst of all, because those I have already mentioned come and go like old friends I wish never would return, extreme shakes, reminded me of an orbital sander that was out of balance!
Things I have not mentioned also seem to be normal, I guess a wicked taste in my mouth, metallic, that has ruined every attempt my GF has gone to in order to feed me,(yuk)
I feel somewhat better, I have taken one 5/325 hydrocodone. I am trying not to take anything outside of my tx protocol, I do not take lightly using opiates for anything, my sobriety is too important to me, drives my GF crazy, knowing it is there and, "I allow myself to suffer". I have had the same script for two months and only taken 30 of them. Maybe I just want those who are watching to know I am serious about maintaining a sense of responsibility and at some level make amends, crazy I know, that's my own committee working me over!      
Waiting to hear back from from my hep C nurse.
As far as my CBC and metabolic results.....UMC here in Las Vegas up dated their computer system and the "SYSTEM" is not talking amongst itself, different departments cant seem to retrieve information without recreating a new file on each patient!!! This has been a nightmare, which caused me to change my dosing schedule for three injections, I was at 11 days for my ninth inject.,5 for the tenth, 5 for the eleventh by the 12th inject back on my 7 day schedule. Last week went through some of the same BS but was able to get my meds on time.
Honestly I feel that drama also took a toll on me,and that too has had some physical ramifications.
Waiting to here from MD.
Thank you all again
  
        

[ceanothus]

I agree with Idyllic and Rivil, we could offer better advise if you could be more specific about your sx and how you are feeling. Some of the sx are common and some less so, some are life-threatening, and others are just miserable to have but not threatening. The ER is an excellent idea for a few of the less common sx, but they can't be of much help with many of them.

I also am wondering why your CBC wasn't done locally. When I had mine done at my treating hospital the CBC and metabolic panel results would be back within 24 hours. Ask your doctor to send them somewhere closer, and while you are at it try to ask if you can have them done every two weeks.  I believe that is the normal frequency, mine were done every two weeks unless they had dropped very low, and then it was upped to weekly until they recovered.

You have made it more than 1/4 of the way through if you do have to treat 48 weeks, and that is really great progress, although it does put you at a point of being pretty well saturated with these drugs, and that does often mean feeling worse. In my previous tx back in 2005-6 I was on the dual therapy for about 60 weeks (before it was clear to doctors that more wasn't better once you got to 48). I can't say how your body will respond, but mine actually did seem to acclimate to the drugs after the first 24 weeks. I still had sx, but they became much less of a hindrance to me and I was able to function at at least 75% of normal for the remaining 36 weeks. I'm just saying that 48 weeks may not be nearly as bad as you are currently imagining it. SVR is a great prize and is worth the struggle.

[Idyllic]

I know it must feel like a comeuppance but the sad fact is there is so much that was not known.

Check this out. The article,
"U.S. Approves Test to Screen Blood for Hepatitis C"
Is dated May 03, 1990

http://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/03/us/us-approves-test-to-screen-blood-for-hepatitis-c.html

[rivll]

Hi,
Please don't look at this is your "comeuppance". You could have gotten the virus from a tattoo, just as well. There is no blame, it is simply a terrible virus that you have, leave the guilt out of it.
It is normal to feel like "all systems are crashing", these are powerful and toxic drugs and they are killing a powerful virus, so you will be feeling bad.
I don't think the ER can help you since your labs look good.
If you list some specific information about your side effects, it is possible that you will get some responses advising you on how to ease the severity, but you will need to tell us exactly what you are experiencing.
Hang in there, you are half way through...

[Idyllic]

What do you mean about "after so much talk"?
Do you mean talk here on the forum?

All you internal systems are crashing sounds scary! I think I know what you mean. These are heavy duty meds and can make us feel crappy 100% of the time.

I would call my doctor and explain how you feel and insist they treat your side effects.

Go the the ER if you think you need to ASAP.
____________________

It is true things can happen and medical staff might drop the ball on our labs or values can drop rapidly, However I am thinking the posts you refer to had to have values considerably lower than yours.

You are on dual therapy, week 13 and these were your values last month at this time? I know a Heptimax takes a long time to process but I wonder why they didn't do your CBC locally.

What stage of fibrosis are you? I think I saw another post where you mentioned you feel awful. The time lapse you mention is lengthy but I would go by how you feel. If I did not get anemic my labs would not have been weekly.

When I was on Incivek my labs were spaced out like this:
labs  06/29 (week 24) to
07/27 (week 28). I was anemic by then however and had to have a CBC once a week.

On the other hand if you are letting other posts you read freak you out then I am not sure. Ultimately you should listen to your body.