This ever happen to anyone else?

[JTRiver]

I'm a geno 3a so yes I only have to treat for six months (fingers crossed) and no I'm not complaining but I wanted to see if anyone else is experiencing what I have been. So far after three weeks of shots I've had no sx to speak of. I've had insomnia for the better part of six years and I take a medication called Trazadone. It's a non habit forming, non narcotic sleeping pill. I take it every single to night to go to sleep if I don't take it I sleep but I don't sleep well. On the nights I take my shots I have my own ritual as most of you do. Work out, eat, take the shot, take sleeping pills, riba and go to sleep. But there's a problem I guess if you want to call it that.

Whenever I inject after about thirty minutes I get this feeling of euphoria kind of like if I had taken a couple of valiums. I kind of lay there and enjoy it but at the same time I'm kind of annoyed by it. What a paradox I suppose. The next thing I do is take my sleeping pills and then my night dose of Riba then things get weird. I get all goofy and want to laugh out loud but have to stop for fear of my wife to be will start laughing at me. I feel like I want to jump out of my skin and I feel like a cartoon character. When the sleeping pills kick in they mix with the shot and then I just want to blurt out all sorts of stupid things and thoughts and I don't know why. I suddenly just find everything hilarious. I thought maybe I should make a thread about this because I'm beginning to wonder if I'm the only person this happens too. After awhile, I start to get really tired and slip into unconsciousness I fall asleep and then the next morning I wake up feeling completely normal. This only happens on shot night though. Weird, weird I tell you.

So, anyone have this happen to them or am I just crazy?

[GreatBird]

Nope. Not me.

I take two tylenol. I do the shot. I go to sleep (no sleep aids). I wake up and take the blue pills. I go back to sleep. I wake up the next day with a fever. So far that's been my pattern for eight shots.

No euphoria. But it might be fun that way. ;)

[jmjm530]

interferon is a very strong psychotropic drug. While irritability, paranoia, depression and anger are more common -- euporia/mania have also been cited as side effects. Given your taking sleeping drugs on top of the interferon, anything is possible. Just keep in mind that depression is often the flipside of mania, so if the symptoms you describe start becoming disturbing, you might mention it to your doctor in the context of taking ADs.

You mention taking your riba very close to bedtime. Hopefully, you're taking it with food that has at least a moderate amount of fat in. You should know that riba has a very long half-life and that many of us were told it was not important to dose 12 hours apart. Like many, I took my rebbe with my two largest meals and that was often only 4 to 5 hours apart

[granitekonig]

Hey JT, I don't experience the euphoria thing on shot night, but when I drink coffee during the day, I've found that I'm really "up" and feel very energetic - which may a form of mania, like jim was saying above. I take sleeping pills every night, too. Every night is the same with me, I go from being hyper, but kinda irritable (but feel okay physcially) to slowly letting the sleeping pills kick in.

Just be careful; if you're feeling the up, then there is always a "down", also like jim said. Just keep tabs on your state of mind and be objective.

[nygirl7]

I found that the sleeping pills were a great help to me but no, no manic out of body type things either.

I would call the doctor and ask about this - since the opposite side of mania would be the interferon depression that we are so warned/screened about that would be a major concern. The effects you are speaking of do not sound normal, I've been here for years now and never heard of such a thing once, it just doesn't sound right to me at all - the sort of lack of self control feeling that you are experiencing would scare the **** out of me. What if it should turn around and flip onto the dark side of that - it would be a lot more dangerous than your wife looking at you like you went nuts because you were laughing.

[Tippyclubb]

Some days I feel hyper--its hard to explain.  I think it could be from the Riba, but not really sure because I am of the hyper nature anyway.  This feeling is different, but usually just last for a day then goes away.

[JTRiver]

I take my riba about twelve hours and thirty minutes apart. I eat about two hours before I take my riba. ----- jmjm

I checked into sleeping pills and they also can sometimes be a mood elvater maybe that combined with the shot and the pills makes me feel funny. Thank you for your concern! -------nygirl

[jmjm530]

you might consider taking the riba two hours earlier with your meal both for better absorption as well as gastro comfort. in general, taking your riba near  bedtime can interfere with your sleep, a note to those with sleep problems. in fact, many weight their riba  doses more heavily toward the morning dose for that reason. I rarely took my second dose of riba after 4 PM.

[JTRiver]

Thanks you've been very helpful I will try and perhaps take it tonight with dinner.

[all_is_well]

I am in my 10th week, G1b and going for 48wk. No sx yet just like you, only extreme fatigue.
I don't experience the emotional states you are describing. I don't need sleeping pills as I sleep through the night. My problem is that I sleep too much during the day too (5-7h). Only sometimes I feel more irritable than usual as I am very calm by nature, but it goes away quickly. I try to do visualization and/or meditation if I am in a mood, I guess it helps me.
Two weeks ago my liver specialist asked me questions about my emotional state and some of them were what you are describing. She said if I experience them I would need to get AD.
It might be a good idea just like Jim mentioned to talk to your Dr. about that.
Hope you get better soon.

[apache1]

For the first 8-10 wks I also had few sx and a feeling of 'energy' right after my shot.
The very first shot felt like going outside and running around my house.
Then after my second shot, started to clean the whole house...keep in mind I have a maid every day to clean my home. Way to much excess energy for the first couple of months. Purple haze type feeling...kind of ?

Seems like sx can be very different for everyone.

Then as tx progressed, started getting less and less of shot night energy, and the normal sx started kicking in and I could no longer run and workout, motivation was at an all time low. You know the rest of the sx story. Not as bad as some, worse than others.

I take/took no other meds than peg and riba...at all. I am now waiting for the results of my 4wk post eot pcr test. It is due back today or 2moro.

apache

[JTRiver]

Exactly! That's how I feel just a huge burst of excitment and I'm ready to go. I hope you feel better! Good luck with your results.

[Kristina538]

I had similar in the first 3-5 weeks of tx.   I felt as though I was going to 'burst' out of my skin and managed it by doing short bursts of maniacal exercise (it was middle of winter and I was on the deck swinging my arms around like a helicopter, or walking up and down the steps until it passed).   Mine, however, generally happened within 24 hours after the shot (no speediness on the first night).

It did settle down (later I would be a bit speedy the day after the shot and for some weeks it was my best day).   Each week does change, as does the 'best days'.

I had sleeping pills for insomnia after week 3 (which are addictive;  I only needed a half).

I've met two others treating locally;  one didn't get this sx at all and the other was more hyper than me and was treated with a mild dose of anti-psychotic.  

Perhaps you should share with your wife what's happening;  I told my partner that I felt very speedy and he would kind of monitor me in case I needed assistance.   Check in with your doctor too (and make sure your specialist knows what type of sleeper you're taking).   I hope it settles down for you.