Starting Treatment

I am beginning treatment this week, it's in the fridge. Interfuron and Ribavirun - I have genotype 1a, vl 15 million, stage 2 and very apprehensive but I'll get by that - my question is - I have to work through all this and if anyone has worked a pretty stressful job through this I'd love to know when they took their shots - Thurs night = Friday night - to impact work as little as possible - but still have a life too through all this. What time did you find it best to take the shot in the evening.  On the day you begin your shot, if you take your shot in the evening - do you take the ribavirun that morning or just that evening.  I've taken note of drinking tons of water and taking tylenol before the shot.   But up for all the advice I can get.  Thanks all for the help here, first goal is the 12 week mark.

[mremeet]

Hi sweetie, welcome aboard. I'm on my second shot and take them on Fridays. It seems like a good day to do it, because you have the weekend to recover. Plus starting with the second shot, the sides are pretty mild (the first was very harsh). So you're still able to do at least some stuff on the weekend. Plus you're in pretty good shape by Monday and thru the rest of the week. Best of luck, keep us posted on your progress.

[Kalio1]

Welcome to the tx train. One thing I noticed (it is different for everyone)was if I took the shot in the afternoon it was better than evening because by the time the side effects hit it takes mine a few hours usually about 6 or 8, That way I slept thru some of it. Hopefully you wont even get side effects that are too bothersome. I agree with the others that said take it Friday so you have a few days to take it easy. Best of luck to you!

[texas tornado]

I remember when I got my interferon and it sat in the fridge for a week before I started. It seemed to have some kind of strange hold over me.  Guess I was expecting the worst after the 1st shot.  I took tylenol before hand and took my shot about 6pm, then waited.  Not sure what I was waiting for, maybe thought I'd explode or something. LOL  About midnight, I got uncomfortable feeling went to the restroom, got sick, then got chills so bad I couldn't even hold a glass of water.  Each shot after that, no big deal.

I'm also a 1a, viral load 2.8 mil, stage 1 grade 2.

Hang in there, and it will be okay.  Maybe you won't have any bad sx's.

[sundancer2007]

I took mine on Friday but if I do treatment again I will take it Thursday afternoon and have a three 1/2 day weekend to lay back and recover I believe the interferon peaks post-shot and that is when the sides can be intense (emotional) with many people on tx, not all, there is a build up over tx of sides as your body becomes saturated. So often early on the sides can be few. You will work out the best time for you as you progress in tx just try to adhere to the same day every week. Riba just take as directed with fatty food.

Hope your sides are few and your tx journey ends in SVR.

Healing vibes coming to you

[Kalio1]

PS To answer your question yes, you take your riba twice a day on shot day just like all the other days.

[Kalio1]

PS To answer your question yes, you take your riba twice a day on shot day just like all the other days.

[FlGuy]

To address your 12 week comment.  It may be a good idea to talk to your doc about doing a pcr sooner, like after four full weeks of treatment - just before shot #5.  This will give you a much better idea about your progress and maybe be a valuable tool later on when you need to make other treatment decisions.

[Sweetie6852]

That is so funny.  Everytime I go into the fridge I have this fear brush over me.  It's so intimidating and scary.  Yet I had no problem making the decision that I had to do this to get my life back.  I am so tired of being tired and so tired of not remembering things and being foggy.  I want my life back.  Yet the fridge has been so intimidating and I don't go to it without this weird feeling.  I'm anxious for Friday as that seems to make the most sense.  I travel a lot for work so I can make it home for Friday nights and hopefully still be able to do what I have to do with work.   Thanks for your input.

[strator]

Welcome to the fridge brigade. I worked throughout treatment but it was more physical than stressfull(life was stressful enough). I'm a little strange and did my shots Saturday between 11pm and midnightn or so.
One thing to remember is that how you react to the shot(or the riba) at the beginning of treatment(tx) may not stay consistent throughout. The first week or so I was real tired and achey (achy) the day after shot. By the middle of the 45wks I did I started to feel generally more energetic the day after the shot than the rest of the week, though Mondays were a little achier. Eventually the reaction to the shot wasn't much of a concern. What suprises the rest of the week might hold from the riba was more on my mind. And no I can't definitively say what was from the interferon and what was from the riba, or the combo. Towards the end I looked forward to the day after the shot because I seemed to get more done and last a longer stretch.
My pre tx stats were genotype 1a, vl 18.7 million, grade 2, stage 1 to 2. Check in with the board when you can, there's a toolbucket full of help with managing sides, reactions, and life on tx in general.
Good Thoughts for Wellness to you,
Don

[Pauly Boy]

Congratulations on making this decision. I found out in '95 about my HCV. At the time I was very busy with work( I'm a builder), not that there ever is a slow time in my kind of work. I decided to wait until I was able to take some time off if need be. My experience has been that everybody reacts different to tx. I wanted to try and lessen the impact this tx would have on everyone involved in my life. A year and a half ago as our economic cycle started to peak, it seemed like a good time to get going with tx. I'm a geno type 2b and require 24 weeks of tx. All of the info I gathered said for me to take the shot on Thursday, get thru Friday and see how you felt over the week-end. If that worked, good if not adjust the day by one day and see how that works.
I took riba every morning and night, and haven't changed that either. I did keep taking the advil/ tylenol to fight away sx after the shot but never got those flu like symptoms, so I do not take it, because I do not need it anymore. I drink plenty of water though.
    Oh, my doc wanted to wait to do my pcr at week 12, we talked about it, and since I told him I'd feel better about doing it first at week 4, he agreed to do it that way. As FLGuy said, that decision was important to me, I came up UND and it certainly invigorated my attitude regarding tx.
   Sending good vibes your way. Stay well           Pauly
    

[52TELE]

Hey Shhhweeetie.
Last weekend , I did shot 23/52 . Early on , it did make a difference what day I did my shot , but it's all starting to run together these days. I started doing them on Friday night , like most. I started noticing I felt better on the day of my shot , so I decided to start doing my shots on Sat. night so that I would have a good day on Sat. That worked maybe 50% of the time.
My job is kind of stressful in that great accuracy is required
(electrical engineer) and much of my work is time sensative. Everything I cant seem to get to during the week gets done on the weekend and I found myself needing to feel as good as possible on Sunday , my catch up day. All of this planning went right out the window after week 5 or 6.
What it comes down to sweetie , COMPLETELY UNPREDICTABLE. It doesn't seem like the day makes much difference anymore. I have felt good all week , and then crashed and burned on Saturday , BEFORE MY SHOT!!! Be prepaired to feel bad at any given moment or day. You can not base your scheduling or workload on such an unpredictable treatment.

Right now , I do my shots on late Sat. evening , so if I do have a good day , its a long good day. Good luck.

[l-horn]

I'm suppose to start Thursday. I go in to get the 'class' from the nurse, which they said would take about an hour. Now, if I could only be awake when the UPS man shows up I'd get my meds.

Are they not aware of my schedule ? I thought it was widely known I do not rise before 9:00AM. Looks like another full page spread in the Sunday paper is in order.

[strator]

Now that's an attitude I can relate to. I've considred esnding out flyers so the rest of the world knows my schedule and cooperates, of course with the small print....
Attention: 'Don's shedule subject to change at any moment. Not responsible for the world's lack of awareness or flyer's being outdated.
Wlcome to treatment.
Be Wel,
Don

[Drarig]

I find taking my shot on Friday night after 10:30 pm works best for me.  Then I take 3 riba around 11:00 pm & 2 in the morning.  Drinking lots of water a must.  In response to your work question, you won't know how you'll feel until you start -- everyone's different.  Sometimes first shot is the worst, sometimes all of them affect you.  Be prepared for chills, fatigues, etc. after first shot. I got minor flu symptoms in middle of night after first one.  I didn't experience any problems whatsoever except low wbc (take weekly shot Neupogen for it) & some hair loss. I'm currently coming up on 27/48.  (W, F, 45 yrs old.  I'm still able to work two jobs, one of which is very stressful and one of which is verrrry physical.  Also have children.  This tx can take its toll physically & mentally, but for some reason, it doesn't affect everyone the same way.  I'm able to exercise like crazy, but that's because my red count hasn't dipped yet.  It's a little low, but not bad.  I personally feel exercise & being active has helped push me thru this ordeal & gives me more energy, but I went into it very strong & just kept doing what I was doing.  So far it hasn't held me back, I'm actually busier this year that others, but I'm only just past the half way point.  You never know which direction your body will take while on this, so I thank God I am able to breeze thru this.  Once you start, take it one week at a time.  Tylenol helps w/flu symptoms.  Best of luck to you & remember your water intake.

[worrywartwife]

Hello sweetie. My husband took his first shot Sunday night. We have both taken 2 weeks off from work, so he can get through the first 2 shots with a LOT of rest. He has also cut his work schedule back to 3 days a week during treatment, and if he feels too tired, he has warned his workplace he may take a complete leave of absence for the 24 weeks (He is genotype 2). His work place has been VERY cooperative and supportive, and my workplace has been equally understanding. He has had few syptoms (symptoms),just a bad headache about 2 hours after the shot, and a little tired. Let people at home,church,work, etc. share your burden-we have had more offers of help than we could have possibly imagined. Drink a lot, rest a lot, and let others help you. Best of Luck, JoAnn

[NYgirl]

I have had to work too.  I'm on week 51 of 72 right now and I've only taken three sick days in over a year.  I'm a single mom and need this insurance and $$$$$ so I HAVE to come in no matter what.

Treatment can be hard but it is for the most part DOABLE.  We have all had the same apprehension you have had. You have to gear your mind up and say I am going to do it! I can do it!

I take my shot at 6PM on Friday night - that way when it hits me (about 4 hours later it seems) I have already taken a sleeping pill (thank GOD for Ambien CR) and try to sleep through most of anything that might happen.  Lots of times NOTHING did except the feeling of being SO tired.

Then I call Saturday the Day of Rest and I stay in bed no matter WHAT!  I get myself some treats and the remote control and some magazines and I REST REST REST - partly because it's a smart thing to do and partly as a little treat.

In the real world pre-treatment I never did that before!

By Sunday afternoon I'm starting to feel pretty normal again and then by Monday I am able to make it to work.  Sometimes I'm just exhausted but...I make myself get in the shower and that usually does it and I make it in.

If I can do it - you can too.  I am a BIG BABY!

Make sure you treat yourself to something special after shot night, whether it be an ice cream treat or a People magazine...SOMETHING as a reward.  Just a little thing like that gives you something to look forward to and it seems to help me a LOT.

Best of luck!
Debby

[Sweetie6852]

You had basically the same stats as I do - were you cleared? Go through the full treatment?

[Sweetie6852]

I have to see the Dr. every 2 weeks so next time I go up I'll ask about getting a PCR done - you're right if I'm on the right track it'll feel like a goal that is reachable if I'm seeing results.  thanks

[strator]

Yes I did clear, but not until week 39 which is a slow response and slims my chances of SVR. Many others with similar stats have clearsed and stayed clear. There's more from me on that situation posted in Missmoneypenny's thread above. I did 45 weeks of the I was scheduled to do, and had thought about extending another 35 weeks, but had to make a decision to stop.
I have been doing construction work throughout tx and it all caught up with me. I lost 45lbs from a 5'5" frame during tx,and about week 41 or 42 my bod just started falling apart. I may have made it to 48 or further had I had better balance and slowed down a little when the sx really kicked in but I did what I did. Remember that reaction to this disease and treatment is very random from person to person. There may be some generalizations among people with similar stats but the results and reactions from treatment can differ even if both people put similar care and attitude into the treatment.
The Best to You and keep us posted here. There's never too many questions we can ask. I've been posting and learning for almost a year here and still have questions.
Be well,
Don