I am happy to find this thread. What I say below is truth.
I took interferon and ribavirin for six months from june 08 to dec 08. I was advised of feeling flu-like symptoms. I have had Hep C a long time. I was feeling fine before starting treatment. My doctor sort of pushed me into the treatment. I was not wild about doing it.
So the treatment itself was very difficult. Could not work. Fuzzy vision. Mental confusion. Irritability. Fatigue.
During treatment, I developed psoriasis on me left elbow. I did not know that's what it was. I did not know what psoriasis was. I knew that the warnings said "Tell you doctor if you are having skin conditions." I did. he shrugged and said "It'll go away." I have since discovered on Medline that the appearance or worsening of psoriasis is for most clinicians cause to discontinue treatment.
After treatment, psoriasis kept spreading. in March, 09, my toes were hugely swollen and my feet were sore.
I had the most bizarre side-effect, too, in that spicy foods became intolerable in Feb - Mar 09. that faded away.
Long story short, I now have psoriasis on my penis, my scrotum, my legs, my arms, my back, my fingernails, my toenails.
I have psoriatic arthritis in my left ring and middle finger, my left wrist, my right wrist, my left ankle, my right knee, both hips, all my toes, going into my spine if I eat poorly.
My thyroid went whacky, too, and it did not recover.
I was handsome and strong before the treatment. The interferon took much of my life away.
I started treatment for psoriasis with "biologics" in May 09. The "biologics" lessen your immune system. Bad side effects for liver - my liver enzymes went way up. I have had to stop them. Actually, they seem like interferon in reverse. Very dangerous in their own right.
I now follow a fairly strict diet from necessity. If I eat cheese, wheat, sugar, too much coffee, etc, i become crippled from joint pain. My life has become dominated by fighting the side effects of interferon. Sun lamps all the time in an effort to lessen my psoriasis. Trying not to despair.
It is my impression that interferon just amps up your immune system without much control. It's like riding one of those bumper cars where the steering only kind of works. You never know exactly what it will hit.
It is very, very dangerous stuff. Most doctors who prescribe it have no idea how dangerous it is, IMO. I know mine didn't. I believe that Roche minimizes the potential side effects.
I am fairly certain that if the doctors had told me beforehand that I risked being crippled by joint pain and swollen stiff joints, I never would have undergone the treatment.
I didn't read all the posts so If I jumped the gun ,sorry. From what you described sound ecxactly what I had for a long time and no doctor knew what it was until I seen this guy, and as soon as he seen me walk into the office he said You got "lynchen Planis". There is no cure for this and it does come and go and I believe they have studies on this too but mine is gone right now but will always be visible like scars.Check into it and maybe it will be this as I explained.
How is Hep C nonactive???You either have it or you dont(scratching my head?????) And this is a very old post!!!!!
yes hepc and this rash is connected i am 47 years old and have hepc since i was 16 or 17 this rash just appeared about 2 years ago and is getting worse does not itch thu but it is related been treated with interferon and has already come back there is a new drug that is coming out in july 2011 soppose to have 80 percent cure rate ask your doctor it is stiill taking interferon but with another drug witch enhances the result unfortunately i cant get a doctor to take medicaid thanks obama but if you can isuggest going on this new drug few doctors know of this drug i wish everyone the best
i came down with a similar rash about 4-5 yrs before i was diagnosed with Hep c. i kept going to the docs and they gave me atarax for itching. it helped with the itch, but didn't get rid of the rash, mine was on lower extremities. i don't know when i got HCV but i think it was many years before this rash, but i could be wrong. i have not reallly had it since except a couple times while treating. i hope your rash goes away, i know it can drive you nuts! good luck!
Here are some old post on the subject but they are from people doing TX. I also suffer from the same pesty bumps and had just posted in the last couple of days on this. Hope it helps.
jasper
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/dermatology/messages/30310.html
I went to the doc. and got this perscription filled Fluocinonide 0.05%. It is a substitution for (Lidex cream) and I am sure it is a perscription also. It has helped me a lot. I have had these bumps before tx but the tx has amplified them to the max. Stay out of the sun or cover up. Good Luck
I have the same rash, on chest and back, but I never had it before starting tx on December 23, 2006.
I thought it was associated with the ribavarin - it's often referred to as riba-rash.
I don't know about rashes for someone not on TX.
wyntre